Chemistry Books

If you are a clinical chemist or medical technologist, this is the bible. Dont look for much fluff here, just the hard hitting facts. If you want a simpler overview of clinical chemistry,go elsewhere. However, if you want the complete reference, it is here.

We have this book in our clinical chemistry department and refer to it constantly, it is comprehensive and contains all of the data and explanation needed for the scientist on the bench the clinician looking up the biochemal basis of a disorder, and the pathologist making a descision on clinical data.

I was looking for a quick briefing on the basics of mass spec (MS)for large biomolecules. This book did the job admirably.

Roughly the first half concentrates on the physics and chemistry(!) of MS, although there is a quick tour into protein sequencing early on. Gradually, the book's later chapters switch over to more explicit discussion of biomolecules, proteins in Ch. 10 and RNA/DNA in ch11. I was tempted to jump ahead.

I was very glad I stayed the course. Every beginning physics student knows that there's no such thing as a "measurement". It's really an interaction between the measurement tool and the material under test, in some environment - a fact that people tend to ignore. This fact is central to mass spec: the tool and the way it's used have critical consequences for the measurements that come out.

The first three chapters cover the plumbing and physics of the instruments. Chapters four through nine talk more about the many ways of preparing the ions measured by the mass spectrometer: radioactive decay products, electon beams, lasers of many colors, and more. Each energy source has a different effect on the sample, and different effects on different samples. Modern techniques dilute the sample material in a liquid or solid matrix. That's another variable: reactions between the sample and matrix, depending on energy source. Even the inert gases chosen for the instrument's interior atmosphere can change the results of a measurement.

I would have thought all these reactions were incidental annoyances, unintended degradation of the real sample. Quite the opposite. Reactions with the energy source and matrix define the kinds of chemical features that can be deduced from the MS. They are part of the analytic tool suite. For example, proteins, with generally weak UV absorption, can be handled one way. Nucleotides, with strong UV absorption, need other techniques.

Chapter ten says the most to a biologist. It goes into some detail describing what mass spec can say about proteins. The first thing in most people's minds will be protein sequence: the list of amino acids, and the order in which they occur. MS, with proper help from chemistry, handles that question well.

Other factors affect protein behavior at least as much. Insulin, a protein, can be harvested from animal sources for human use because it lacks sugar side chains. It is almost unique: other proteins fail as human medicines because, not because the animal amino acids are incompatible, but because the sugar side chains are too un-human.

MS deals quite directly with these sugar chains, as well as other chemical tweaks that have biological meaning. In fact, MS may be the most effective tool now in use for analyzing the sugar chains. This book isn't a lab manual, but gives the reader a general idea of the kinds of answers to expect from MS.

The last real chapter, DNA sequencing, decidedly dates the book (1997). DNA has too many chemical quirks to work well; MS can handle strings only a few tens of bases long. The authors hope the MS would been the sequencing tool of choice has been overtaken by technology.

In short, the book is a great intro to mass spec, and has a very effective focus on biological questions. I'm no MS specialist and never will be, but this met my needs very well.

Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry: Instrumentation and Applications in Biological Research Robert J. Cotter

Reviewed by: O. David Sparkman Consultant-at-Large 4045 Eagle Ridge Drive Antioch, CA 94509 510-754-5003 ods@compuserve.com

Like Peter Dawson's Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry and Its Applications (AIP, Woodbury, NY, 1995 and Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1976) and Ray March and Richard Hughes' Quadrupole Storage Mass Spectrometry (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1989), Bob Cotter's 12-chapter, 326-page Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry is destined to become one of the classic books on mass spectrometry instrumentation. The book's subtitle, Instrumentation and Applications in Biological Research, is descriptive of the two well-written and organized aspects of this book.

I received a hand-bound copy of this exceptionally well-organized book at the 1997 Pittsburgh Conference. As I made a quick review, I saw that new introductions and applications of TOF mass spectrometry at PittCon®97 were missing; and like many books recently published in the mass spectrometry field, this book would be out of date before it got into extended circulation. After careful reading of the first chapter (Overview and History), it was clear that the author anticipated such an eventuality. At the end of this chapter in a section entitled "About This Book" the author states "...attempting to describe this field, there is a considerable risk in producing a volume that will be quickly outdated. For that reason, there has been a deliberate emphasis on the basic principles of...[TOF mass spectrometry]."

Because this is a single-author book, as opposed to an edited volume with a different author for each chapter, there is a consistent flow and style of writing throughout. A unique feature is the display in highlighted boxes within the text body of equation derivations that describe the principles of TOF mass spectrometry. As the author states in the "About This Book" section of Chapter 1, this was done so these mathematical principles could be omitted by those wanting only an overview of the technology could get the essences without having to create their own abstraction. These highlighted sections make the readability very good for those with only a casual interest of TOF mass spectrometry.

The next two chapters (Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometers and Reflectrons and Other Energy-Focusing Devices) give a clear understanding of the behavior of ions after they exit the ionization source and before they strike the detector. The importance of these ion-behavior principles to spectral acquisition rates and resolving power of the TOF instrument are clearly explained in well-written easily understood terms. From this material, it is clear as to the advantages and disadvantages of the Linear and Reflectron instruments.

There are chapters on Plasma Desorption, SIMS Instrumentation, and Laser Desorption that include the principles of operations and thoughtfully selected examples to biological applications. The chapter entitled Pulsed Extraction, Continuous Ionization, and Ion Storage Instruments reports the most current work being done in these areas, which are the reason for much of the reassurance of interest in TOF mass spectrometry - especially in chromatography/mass spectrometry hyphenated techniques.

One of the most outstanding features of TOF mass spectrometry has been in the use of post-source decay for peptide sequencing. The chapter devoted to product ion mass spectra from reflectron instruments covers this topic in detail, again with more than adequate application citations. There is also a chapter on peptides, proteins, and glycoproteins that covers peptide mapping and ladder sequencing, post translational modifications, and fragmentation methods. A separate chapter is reserved for oligonucleotides and the human genome.

The more esoteric aspects of TOF instrumentation and applications are detailed in the chapter entitled Tandem TOF and Hybrid Instruments. Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry is concluded with an excellent chapter entitled Summary and Future Prospects. In this chapter, the author ties together the current research in TOF mass spectrometry with continued future analytical needs of biological research.

From the historical perceptive in Chapter 1 to the perceived future predicted in Chapter 12, this book includes enough detail to give an overview of TOF mass spectrometry and enough minutia to give an in-depth understanding of the instrument technology and application of TOF mass spectrometry to current (as of later 1996) biological research.

One of the book's shortcomings is the lack of titles with journal citations. A reference work such as this should include the titles of all journal articles. There is enough white space at the end of the references found in each chapter to have included the journal article titles without having added to the number of pages. Another problem is the quality of some of the illustrations. Poor illustration quality has been pervasive in the production of mass spectrometry books by all publishers for the past several years. It appears that authors submit crude illustrations (second- or third-generation photocopies or barely legible outputs from instrument data systems) with the thought that the publisher will provide the level of graphics arts production to produce a good quality - but this is not forthcoming.

Even with some poor quality illustrations, the author and the publisher have produced a better-than-adequate book on time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The organization makes this a book that can be easily read cover-to-cover or one that is a good reference book. Anyone currently working in mass spectrometry or wanting to get a basic understanding of TOF mass spectrometry would be well served by reading this book. Mass spectrometry practitioners and teachers will definitely want this book as a reference source.

Must-have for anyone involved with oncology, from the medical student to the practitioner levels. Succintly illustrates updated staging criteria per tumor type. Invaluable for pretest preparation (e.g. USMLE, Boards, in-service exams).

This book is great for tumor registrars. The illustations make wonderful tools for determining the extent of disease. Deciding which lymph nodes are regional and which are distant can be tricky, but not when you have this handy book at your fingertips!

Compared to other text books of this nature dealing with the same scientific discipline, Manahan captures the reader's attention by dealing with several environmental focal points from and organic, toxicological, and environmental chemistry standpoint.

Based on its uniqueness and seemingly open paths for comprehension, this textbook is a must for those desiring further knowledge in the area of toxicological chemistry with a detailed spectrum of organic and environmental chemistry with a keen mix of environmental toxicology.

In short one would soon surmise this textbook is nothing short of academically remarkable and a credit to the fields of environmental toxicology, organic chemistry, and environmental chemistry. It is a must read science text for those in the environmental and chemistry fields whether academic, industrial, or government.

Compared to other text books of this nature dealing with the same scientific discipline, Manahan captures the reader's attention by dealing with several environmental focal points from and organic, toxicological, and environmental chemistry standpoint.

Based on its uniqueness and seemingly open paths for comprehension, this textbook is a must for those desiring further knowledge in the area of toxicological chemistry with a detailed spectrum of organic and environmental chemistry with a keen mix of environmental toxicology.

In short one would soon surmise this textbook is nothing short of academically remarkable and a credit to the fields of environmental toxicology, organic chemistry, and environmental chemistry. It is a must read science text for those in the environmental and chemistry fields whether academic, industrial, or government.

George Shinkle, Reb Gooding and Mike Smith have captured very practical steps to developing a lean enterprise by leading off with the importance of leadership and concluding with the same. Their very extensive "internship" at General Motors and Delphi show through in the practical process steps and helpful worksheets. A valuable resource for those of us trying to move from where we are to where we want to go.

George Shinkle, Reb Gooding and Mike Smith have captured very practical steps to developing a lean enterprise by leading off with the importance of leadership and concluding with the same. Their very extensive "internship" at General Motors and Delphi show through in the practical process steps and helpful worksheets. A valuable resource for those of us trying to move from where we are to where we want to go.

A great, readable, up-to-date text on solid-state EPR,
which unlike the classic by Abragam and Bleaney "Electron
Paramagnetic Resonance in Transition Ions," is accessible to
ordinary mortals.

This book is good as both a reference book and as an instructional book for those wanting to gain a better understanding of various EPR methods (including ESEEM and ENDOR). The book builds us up to understanding spin-Hamiltonians and then goes through in detail the SH parameters for systems with an odd number of d-electrons. It explains the practical aspects of the EPR experiment and also includes biological applications. There are many more currently available biological applications then shown in this book, however, the theory and understanding of EPR should allow the reader to analyze these more newly studied systems.

Overall an excellent book. Easy to look up and read specific sections of interest.

This book should be considered the best next thing to a tutor if one can't have one. It discribes things that most other books on violin don't teach. Like, describing the otions to make a vibrato, wheres other books sometimes don't even metion vibrato! Who better to be your teacher than the man who taught Wolfgang Mozart to play the violin when he was four? I highly recoment this.

This is simply a fantastic book! It is like having a music lesson from Leopold Mozart. Although I do not play the violin, reading and rereading this book has done more to improve my classical playing (woodwinds) than any other single activity (except of course practicing). It also gives an absolutely breathtaking view of Mozart's father's personality and musical tastes. This is a "must" read for all musicians. I rather suspect it is the oldest music instruction book still in print!

Though the original print goes back as far as 1927, the foundations of the theory of linear elasticity aren't changed so this book is still up to date.

Though this book is an introduction text, as it devellops the theory from the very basics, it covers a wide range of applications that are hard to find elsewhere. For example, the equations of Hertz for contact stresses are develloped, the elasticity of a gravitating rotating sphere(earth), torsional deflextion of thin beams in bending and shell- and plate theory. This all in considarable detail.

The style of writing is not oldfashioned at all and is easy to read. Not as easy is the amount of math and time you have to invest to really understand this book. It's does not use tensor represantations but still demands a ready knowledge of advanced calcus (determinants, multivariable calcus, line-integrals, etc.)

It's text only and has no exercices, it's a very enjoyable and rewarding book. It even has a brief chapter on the development of the theory through the centuries.

absolute bible in elasticity, every professor who teach elasticity would list it among the reference books. But you have to invest much time to understand it.

This is a great Australian book on the cognitive-behavioural treatment of anxiety disorders. It is comprehensive in the topics it covers on each disorder, and practical to boot! The initial chapters are on general issues in dealing with anxiety disorders. Subsequent chapters cover panic disorder and agoraphobia, social phobia, specific phobias, OCD, and generalised anxiety disorder. For each of these disorders there is a chapter on the syndrome (what it is), treatment, a clinicians guide to treating the disorder, and a patient treatment manual. The patient manual is particularly useful and can be photocopied from the book to be used in clinical settings. Well worth a look.

I agree with the previous reviewers comments; this is a must have CBT book. I use this book a great deal in my psychiatric practice to treat patients suffering from anxiety disorders. It has patient manuals which you can copy and give to patients to use in the clinical setting. This is a very popular book in Australia amongst psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. We have access to the full range of international CBT books but anecdotaly this is the most popular book in use. This book's only weakness is it lacks a chapter on PTSD. It has a good chapter on "first aid" after a traumatic event but not for treating PTSD as such.

This book is absolutely wonderful. It does have some little flaws, but it was extremely helpful when it came to teaching me how to predict and balance chemical equations, etc. It's nice because all of the basic information is put together in one place, so you don't have to look forever and a day to find a certain piece of information.

100% recommended for those who want to take AP Chemistry.

Taugh myself chemistry last summer using this book. Basically, it's an excellent review book, sums up each concept and presents you with some practice questions.