Wanderings of a Biochemist</Article

present a concise, admittedly limited, introduction to the fungi. There are numerous photographs and drawings, Book Reviews many of them original. No attempt is * Readers' comments on reviews should be addressed to the Editor. made to consider the imperfect fungi as a group; there is, however, a rather detailed discussion of the conidial stages of those ascomycetes that do produce conidia. BIOCHEMISTRY on the nature of species, the divergence The book contains a section citing of species, species refusion (hybridiza- the WANDERINGSOF A BIOCHEMIST,by Fritz recent literature. On the whole, tion), derived genetic systems, and the this book is well organized and inter- Lipmann. 1971. John Wiley & Sons, evolution of hybrid complexes. Each of New York. 229 p. $8.95. estingly written. the 24 chapters begins with a short, Lois H. Tiffany easily understood introduction and pro- The first half of the book Iowa State University is autobi- ceeds, largely by way of case ography, written in a and studies, Ames spare unor- in logical steps toward the detailed ex- namented style for the professional amination of a particular topic. Most biochemist. At the present time, when EDUCATION chapters include a a scientist tends to be increasingly spe- section in which To IMPROVE LEARNING: AN EVALUATION OF cialized in order to become prominent conclusions are presented. The book might have been improved by the inclu- INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY, VOL. II, ed. in his "field," it is to review Downloaded from http://online.ucpress.edu/abt/article-pdf/33/9/558/29015/4443709.pdf by guest on 01 October 2021 fascinating by Sidney G. Tickton. 1971. R. R. the scientific life-span of a worker who sion of a glossary, but definitions are Bowker Co., New York. 1,106 has been a prominent contributor to a clearly stated and easily located. Foot- p. $22.95. number of the most important bio- noting is avoided, but the interested This massive reference volume chemical findings of the past 35 years. reader can pursue any topic at great con- Those who have followed Fritz Lip- length by following up the frequent tains 91 selected working papers ana- mann's contributions will find their references to the 30-page bibliography. lyzing the uses of instructional tech- image of the man fortified and supple- Short, separate indices of authors, or- nology in various special fields of edu- mented with many recollections he ganisms, and subjects are included. cation. The user will find detailed and shares regarding his scientific concerns Those who have read Grant's earlier scholarly reports on virtually every and personal associations. The nonbio- books know him to be an unashamed subject affecting decisions about the chemist is likely to be less rewarded, advocate of the reality of species. Not uses of instructional technology in inasmuch as the significance of Lip- all readers of Plant Speciation will be schools. Respected names in education- mann's contributions is given in wholly persuaded, by the arguments but none al research and social criticism are technical terms; likewise, the extracted can say that the case is not well pre- among the authors in this second of two portions of the original articles inter- sented. More important, however, is the volumes. The articles represent the spersed throughout the book serve only fact that those unfamiliar with this major findings of the Commission on the working biochemist. and related problems can get the kind Instructional Technology, a group ap- The collected essays in the latter half of overview that will enable them to pointed by the Secretary of Health, Ed- of the book, on the other hand, are work with and understand plants as ucation, and Welfare in March 1968. written for a more general scientific dynamic, evolving entities. Perhaps it The group's report was delivered to the audience. They can be understood by, is not too much to hope that this book Congress in 1969. Vol. I, published in and will reward, anyone who seeks will serve to awaken a latent talent 1970, contained 22 working papers on broader insights into some of the gen- for understanding the state of the art and a summary of eral speciation processes aspects of biochemistry. It is a in an increasingly large number of the commission's report. Vol. II has credit to Lipmann's perception that in young biologists. four sections: on instructional tech- an essay such as "Metabolic Process This book should be in the library nology theories and general application; Patterns" he could capture the rele- of all and I recommend it practical considerations; implications for vance of the subject in such a way that biologists; business and industry; and economic the article is as valid today as it was highly as supplementary reading for in 1946. many college biology courses. evaluations. Lower-school and college Gordon R. Julian Paul H. Monson administra- tors and representatives Montana State University University of Minnesota of industry and Bozeman Duluth government will find this collection a ready source of authoritative and up- INTRODUCTION TO FUNGI, by John Web- to-date information concerning the vi- BOTANY ster. 1970. Cambridge University ability of technology in the present and future of education. I PLANT SPECIATION, by Verne Grant. 1971. Press, New York. 432 p. $10.50. consider this set Columbia University Press, New a must. York. 445 p. $15.00. This book is obviously not intended Thomas J. Cleaver for advanced students, and it makes no Governors State University attempt to Species biology has taken more than be inclusive. In his preface Park Forest South, Ill. the author briefly discusses his its share of licks during the past de- reasons for the selection and restriction of cade-not without justification. A read- BIOLOGY TEACHER'S TREASURY OF UNIT subject matter; thus the reader is told ing of this book, however, leaves one PLANS, by Helen Warner Boyd. 1971. what coverage to expect. The book Parker with a clear understanding that the Publishing Co., Inc., West does provide a framework for con- Nyack, N.Y. 191 p. Price not given. subject has not only refused to die but sidering the fungi, and it gives basic is actually thriving. Grant's earlier and interesting facts about specific This book would have been books must certainly be cited greatly as major organisms. A dynamic viewpoint is appreciated by this reviewer contributions to 21 years this vitality, and the apparent. The fungi are classified ac- ago, when he took those present book first hesitant continues in that tradi- cording to Ainsworth's system, with steps into the high school tion. classroom. little reference to other systems. This is Today, however, it seems a little out- The book is divided into five sections: in line with the author's attempt to of-date. The examples of course ob-

558 THE AMERICANBIOLOGY TEACHER, DECEMBER 1971