Book reviews
General aspects of the chemistry of radicals Edited by ZB Alfassi John Wiley & Sons, Chichester and New York, 1999 pp 563 price UK £150.00 ISBN 0471 987603 Twenty-one expert authors make their contribution in the 15 chapters of this substantial and authoritative book mostly devoted to free-radical chemistry (rather than biological consequences of biomacromolecular injury sustained).
The ®rst three chapters refer in turn to EPR spectroscopy measurement of rate constants (gas phase and liquid phase). Aspects of free-radical kinetics are covered in chapters 4±9 including freeradical polymerisation and chain reactions (chapter 8). Thermochemistry of organic free-radicals is expertly assessed by Norman Cohen in chapter 10. Measurement of Redox Potentials is described in chapters 11 and 12. The correlations between rate parameters and molecular properties is highlighted in chapter 13.
The editor of the book, Zeev B Alfassi of the Department of Nuclear Engineering, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel, presents an outstanding chapter 14 entitled `Empirical Correlational Solvent Effects on Free-Radical Chemistry'.
The book concludes with chapter 15 on `Organic Synthesis by Radical Reactions' by C Chatgibialoglu and P Renaud ± followed by a substantive index.
The editor and publishers are to be congratulated on producing this de®nitive book to the highest academic and publishing standards: indeed the typeface, ®gures and tables are easily readable and the extensive reference lists (Vancouver) that follow each chapter will be much appreciated by the reader. This book will provide a launch-pad for chemists into free-radical biochemistry, and a wealth of insight for biologists, biochemists and biotechnologists as an introduction to the chemical nature and chemical reactivity of toxic free-radicals. Such free-radicals are now thought to cause, or be associated with, more than 100 diseases, including ageing, by cellular oxidative stress due to `reactive oxygen species' (ROS) that include superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical and peroxide radicals derived from lipid membranes.