REVIEWS hrODERS kiLCllEJIY.
1)OrOthy 31. risk. 'PI'. 184. L0lld011 : FnbCr k F:lbCr, Ltd., 193G.
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In tliis littlc volu~ne tlic author lias t,raccd the dcvclopincnt of espcrinicnts on :itoniic disintcgration from tlic (1:iys of tlic :ilclicniist up to tlic presctit,. The book is intended for tlic lay reader and is writtcii ill a simple style. Thc carly chaptcrs dcal with historical aspects of the subjcct, irliilc thc later cliaptcrs cover fairly exhaustively d l of tlie nlorc recent work on disintcgration and nrt,ificial rndioactivity. Tlic latter part of tlic book, in particular, may bc rcconiincndcd to scient,ific rcndcrs who require : L straightforward and noii-m:itIiciiinticnl account of progrcss in ntoriiic physics. It contailis inow dctnilcd inforniation tlititi ~vould be ciillcd for by niiltiy average lion-scientific rcadcrs.
Tlicrc :ire scvcral niisstntcnicnts in the tcst. Thus in the front,ispiccc tlic liclium nucleus is described as hnving n ninss of 3 tilid n charge of f2. 0 1 1 p g c 40 thc statement is madc that " iwtcr, in :iny quantity, must consist of Iiydrogcn niid osygcn in tlic ratio by wiglit of two to onc." &in, 011 pagc 179, thc avcragc rciidcr might \wll bc lcft with the impression that the recent drop in tlic price of beryllium is duc to its syntlict,ic production by atolnic disintegration. lnncciirricics of this sort, if taken a t their facc valuc, arc likely to bc very misleading in a popular book. The subject is otherwise very \.ell handled. Tlic author givcs tlic rcadcr a vivid and convincing account of ciirrcnt rescnrch and of tlic steps which have led up to it, and covers groutid which is new iii tlie literatim of popular science.
- J. E.