organic matter. Alternatively, hydroponics
It
would be used, with or without regohth
material providing the mechanical support
for plant roots.
The editors have not removed repetition
of the basic information on the lunar environ-
ment or resolved the argument outlined
above. Symposium participants will be glad
to have the book. Others might want it for
the technology available for growth cabinets
in which plants grow as fast as in an earth-
bound field!
M. J. Goss
Genetic Engineering of Crop Plants.
Edited by G. W. Lycett and D. Grierson.
Pp. 293. Butterworths, Kent. 1990.
f65.00.
This work results from a conference held in
April 1989. There are 23 chapters in all,
covering a wide variety of themes, addres-
sing fundamental biological problems as well
as applications for crop improvement. For
the former theme, there are many chapters
covering analysis of regulation of gene ex-
pression in an assortment of crops; two chap-
ters on plant/microbe interactions in nitrogen
fixation; and two on plant tissue culture and
genetic transformation. The latter theme in-
cludes genetic engineering of crops for in-
sect, herbicide, and virus resistance.
Another application exploits antisense RNA
technology to reduce expression of an en-
dogenous gene encoding polygalacturonase;
here the desired aim is to slow down tomato
fruit ripening to increase storage properties.
The book is well, though not lavishly, illus-
trated and each chapter is well referenced to
provide access to the underpinning litera-
ture .
Who will buy it? Such books have a very
short ‘shelf-life’; they are rapidly superseded
by new data in this highly active research
area. Priced at f65 the book is too expensive
for the individual purchase but would be a
useful addition to a departmental library.
Conrad Lichtenstein
Structure and Dynamics in Biological
Systems. Edited by Bo JBnsson. Pp.
221. Cambridge University Press. 1990.
m. 00, us $55.00.
This volume contains 29 papers presented at
the 71st Nobel symposium. A wide range of
theoretical and experimental approaches is
brought to bear upon the problem of eluci-
dating the structure and dynamics of biolo-
gical macromolecules.
Several molecular dynamics (MD) studies
are reported. Simulations of the protein
BPTI (Levitt) and of an ovomucoid (Jorgen-
sen et al.) have used explicit water mole-
cules. Brooks describes an MD structure for
the HIV gp-41 protein among others. Furth-
er MD studies relate to interfacial water at
macromolecules (Jonnson et al.) and at pla-
nar interfaces (Rossky et al.). Water poten-
tials (Finney) and water behaviour near
charged surfaces (Patey et af.) are discussed.
Applications to proteins and their complexes
include Raman, NMR, neutron scattering,
204
and x-ray studies of dynamics. Further pro- study of soils in an archaeological context.
tein applications relate to finding stable con- should make the archaeologist aware of the
formations, conformational relaxation, potential of such studies, and should con-
hierarchical multiple protein substates, elec- vince the pedologist of the value of
trostatic properties of solvated proteins, and archaeological material in providing a chro-
interpreting protein folding and binding. nology for soil development.
Two papers discuss fast multiple and finite B. Proudfoot
difference Poisson-Boltzmann models for
electrostatic interactions respectively. Novel
non-empirical potentials are presented by An Introduction to the Historiography of
Wallqvist and co-workers. Quantum effects Science. By Helge Kragh. Pp. 235.
are discussed for ferrocytochrome c and the Cambridge University Press. 1990.
aqueous ferrous-ferric system. Paperback f9.95, US $140.95.
This volume provides a concise account of
This is a well-constructed book which could
the state of the art in many areas of this
have been dry-as-dust and isdefinitely not. It
important subject area and is recommended.
deserves to be widely used, not only as an
The text is typeset but no subject index is
introduction for entrants to the field but also
provided.
as a corrective for those who have allowed
M. J. Forster
themselves to become too specialized. It is
concerned with method, not with the subst-
Soils and Micromorphology in ance of historical events or development,
Archaeology. By Marie Agnes Courty, although there is extensive reference to hard
Paul Goldberg and Richard Macphail. fact. The science is mainly that of the ‘mod-
Cambridge University Press. 1990. ern’ period, after 1500, and the social and
f40.00, US $65.00. institutional aspects of science are touched
Thin sections of soils can be prepared by on only incidentally. The more rarefied phi-
impregnating an undisturbed sample of soil losophy of the history of science is left to
with resin which is allowed to harden. The others. Kragh helpfully insists on reminding
sample is then cut, mounted, and ground to the reader that his studies are part of history
produce a slide for microscopic examination, at large, before surveying such topics as
similar to a rock slide. Detailed observation objectivity, ideology, and myths in history of
of thin sections can aid in the elucidation of science, evaluation of source materials, ex-
successive events in the historical develop- perimental history of science, and the biog-
ment of a given soil and of the pedological raphical approach. The value of scientists’
processes that have been operative, such as own accounts and assessmentsof their work
the translocation of clays or humus, or the is well analysed. The chaperon the anachro-
deposition of iron compounds. The authors nical and diachronical approaches is particu-
of this book describe the applications of larly enlightening. The notes and bibhogra-
these techniques to the study of soils in phy are full and an object lesson in effective-
archaeological contexts. The results of tradi- ness.
tional bulk analysis of soils from archaeqlo- F. Greenaway
gical sites are often difficult, or even impossi-
ble, to interpret because of the intimate
combination in such soils of mineral and Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the
organic material of natural origin with bone, Royal Society, Vol. 35. Pp. 431. The
ash, vegetable and mineral matter of anthro- Royal Society, London. 7990. f46.00
pogenic origin. The study of thin sections of (UK) f52.00 (overseas).
these soils can provide evidence, obtainable In some respects the Royal Society is too
by no other method, for the ways in which bound by tradition, but it is much to be
archaeological materials have been incorpo-, hoped that these annual volumes will be
rated, and for the subsequent action of soil- continued indefinitely. Begun as Obituary
forming and other processes which have pro- Notices (1932-54) they provide authoritative
duced the present soil. and comprehensive reviews of the lives of
The book deals briefly with basic concepts many of the leading British scientists of this
in soil science and current methods of soil century. They are also of international signi-
analysis. The range of microscopic techni- ficance, for they include not only the lives of
ques available is described, with particular the minority of Foreign Members (four in
emphasis on thin sections and their inter- this volume) but British scientists have al-
pretation. The core of the book deals with ways had close associations with overseas
features observed in thin section and their colleagues working in the same fields. Each
interpretation in terms of geological, pedolo- memoir, in this volume averaging 22 pages,
gical, and anthropogenic features and pro- is accompanied by a photograph of the sub-
cesses. Case studies range in time and place ject and a complete bibliography of publica-
from Palaeolithic sites in France and Israel to tions. The volume concludes with a useful
the dark-earth deposits of post-Roman sites name index for volumes 27-35 (1981-90).
in London. The necessity for studying soils in Once again, one cannot help being im-
the field as well as under the microscope, and pressed by the remarkable longevity of Fel-
the development of experimental methods to lows. The 19 subjects include no less than
reproduce features seen at all scales in soils is four nonagenarians and seven octogenarians.
emphasised. This is a valuable manual dis- But for the untimely death of P. F. Baker at
cussing results of the micromorphological the age of 47, the average age would have