BOOK NOTES [J. F. I.
ments in theoretical physics--theory of automata, information theory, and the theory of microscopic measurement in the atomic and molecular domain. The author believes that these developments justify a new approach to biological theory; he aims in this book to pose the problem in such a way that it will stimulate new work in the field. Physicists, chemists and biologists should find this a provocative invitation to reexamine old concepts. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MECHANICS. VOL-UmE 5, edited by H. L. Dryden, Th. yon Karman and G. Kuerti. 459 pages, diagrams, 6 X 9 in. New York, Academic Press Inc., 1958. Price, $12.00.
Volume 5 of this useful series contains reviews and surveys of the current state o1 research in seven subjects: supersonic air ejectors (35 pages); unsteady airfoil theory (55 pages) ; theory of distributions (20 pages) ; stress wave propagation in rods and beams (84 pages); problems in hydromagnetics (38 pages); mechanics of granular matter (74 pages); and condensation in supersonic and hypersonic wind tunnels (142 pages).
The excellence of the book is unquestionable-it provides authoritative "state of the art" reviews written by outstanding contributors on the most recent advances in the applied mechanics field. The complete bibliographies will be helpful to students, as well as to research men. FREE RADICALS, by Francis Owen Rice.
278 pages, diagrams, 8½ X 11 in. Washington, The Catholic University of America Press, 1958. Price, $5.00 (cloth).