~]OOK IEVIEWS

lumen), a small bag for putting to satisf~r this pedantic curiosity and marbles in, and a certain part of I suppose I should be grateful even the male anatomy. And I'm grateful for a nod in my direction. to one of my more erudite col- This rather idiosyncratic criticism leagues for pointing out that 'stro- apart, I am happy to recommend ma' comes from the Greek word the book. Most of the test sample of for a bed or mattress. Doubtless words and phrases that I looked up Dictionary of Biochemistryand many a cladist would sleep more were represented, with definitions Molecular Biology (2nd edn) easily on his stroma if he knew that that were generaiiy clear and, so far his subject was derived from as I could tell, accurate. The cross- by J. Stenesh,John Wiley& Sons, 1989. £47.00 roXqxSog, a branch, rather than referencing was helpful. The ground (vii + 525 pages) ISBN0 471 84089 0 clades, a disastrous occurrence. covered ranged from the heavily A year or so ago, I found myself Nevertheless, thylakoid that I physicochemical through to the reviewing a dictionary for T/G, and am, I am digressing. The point I am trendily molecular biological, with I'm pleased to say that the opportu- trying to make is that I quite like a • a generous helping of more classi- nity has come round again, with dictionary to give not just meanings cal botanical and zoological terms, the arrival of the second edition of of words but also their etymolo- and ! am sure this book would be Stenesh's Dictiona~. , of Biochem- gies. The Dictiona~. of Biochem- both comforting and useful in your ist~. and Molecular Biology. This ist~. and Molecular Biology gives a departmental library. Incidentally, if set me wondering, once more, few, but for the most part they are anyone can tell me how chaul- what the purpose of a dictionary rather obvious ones, such as 'Charon moogric acid got its name, I should should be. I am sure I am not the bacteriophage' (although anything like to hear from them. only person who ends up reading that might dissuade people from far more entries than the one he pronouncing it 'Sharon' must be a CHRISTOPHERJ. HOWE initially intended to consult. Simply Good Thing). I would certainly browsing, and finding words or have liked to see more, but I have Department of Biocbemisto,, UniversiO,of phrases you never knew existed, to admit that very few technical Cambridge, Tennis CourtRoad, Cambridge must be one of life's more harmless dictionaries make any attempt at all CB2 IQIE UK. but enlightening pleasures, and beats learning railway timetables any day. After all, I always thought and this monograph may be partic- that 'old yellow enzyme' described ularly attractive to 'graduates' of the stuff you found in the bottom this educational program. of the polymerase pot just when The chapters are in general you came to do the crucial exper- clearly and informally written, iment five minutes after the stores making for easy reading. A reason- closed for the weekend. I have to able uniformity of style and format confess that I had quite forgotten Molecular Genetics (Methods has been achieved among the (if I ever knew) that it was actually in Hematology Vol. 20) authors, largely avoiding the abrupt a yeast flavoprotein isolated by changes from chapter to chapter Warburg and Christian in 1932. edited by EdwardJ. Benz, Jr, Churchill that blight many multi-author Livingstone, 1990. £35.00 (v + 208 pages) But not only is it interesting and monographs. ISBN 0 443 03852 X sometimes useful to know what The book begins with a short, words mean, it's often equally Molecular Genetics is part of a general introduction, starting with worthwhile to know why they series of monographs that cover a the structure of DNA and the mean it, and Dr Johnson (whom I broad range of topics in both clini- genetic code and proceeding always seem to quote in my book cal and basic laboratory hematolo- through an overview of bacterial reviews) was right to define a lexi- gy; this volume is a hematologist's enzymes used in recombinant DNA cographer as 'a writer of dictionar- eye view of the techniques of mod- technology. This introduction ies; a harmless drudge, that busies ern molecular biology. Benz has assumes no prior knowledge and is himself in tracing the original'. Of assembled an excellent collection a nice, concise overview for the course, every schoolboy (and of experts in the field who each uninitiated. The remaining 12 schoolgirl) knows that 'thylakoid' present a specific set of experimen- chapters cover specific method- comes from the Greek word for tal methods, including details of ologies, including RNA and DNA baggy trousers, such as those worn their personal lab protocols. The preparation, northern and Southern by Persians. Yet 'I say, you look book is an outgrowth of a success- blotting, cDNA cloning and wonderful in those thylakoids' isn't ful educational program that has sequencing, and DNA transfection. in my experience a good way of become a regular session at the Each chapter begins with a general starting up a conversation at a din- Annual American Society of Hema- introduction to the method, fol- ner party. Maybe that's because the tology Meetings, and has served as lowed by often detailed specific same word can also be a term of an exciting introduction to this protocols from the author's labora- abuse, roughly translated as 'wind- often intimidating field for many tory. This is obviously a very bag' (perhaps the ancients knew hematologists. Benz lectured in this selected list of protocols, given the that the oxygen-evolving activity of program for several ycars, as have sho~t lcngt!~ of this mociograph photosystem II was in the thylakoid several of the other contributors, compared with some of the more

TIG JULY 1990 VOL. 6 NO. 7 ~-2~