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Electron Spin Resonance, Volume 12A, Royal Society Specialist Periodical Re- port, Senior Reporter M.C.R. Symons; The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 1990, pp. x+ 197, price 585.

This volume covers organic and bio-organic topics while the separate com- panion volume 12B covers inorganic and bio-inorganic topics. It is not clear to the reviewer why physico-chemical applications are not given due recognition in these classifications.

Because of its vast scope it is not surprising that Chapter 1, by B.J. Tabner on organic radicals, is the longest in the book. It covers carbon-, nitrogen-, oxygen- and sulphur-centred radicals along with nitroxyl radicals, radical cat- ions and radical anions. These are, of course, the traditional and fruitful hunt- ing grounds of free radical chemists.

The next chapter (by A. Hudson) on triplets and biradicals is the shortest, though this area of research is currently attracting interest due to the possi- bility of making organic ferromagnets and electro-active materials.

Chapter 3 was written by Ching-san Lai and is entitled “Spin labels: biolog- ical systems”. The author suggests, with some justification, that the impact of spin labelling on chemistry, biology and medicine during the past thirty years is sufficient to merit the award of a Nobel prize to the inventors. This inform- ative review illustrates how conventional CW ESR techniques have been aug- mented by pulse methods, imaging and the use of ultra-high magnetic fields. All these techniques have been used to study proteins, nucleic acids, model and biological membranes, lipid-protein interactions, cellular membrane dynamics and modification of membrane functions.

That ESR spectroscopy has been and still is of great value in polymer chem- istry is emphasised by chapter 4 (written by D.J.T. Hill, J.H. O’Donnell and P.J. Pomery). Applications include degradation of polymers by ionizing irra- diation, photolysis, mechanical stress and heat as well as investigations into polymer structure (using spin probes and spin labels) and polymerization processes.

The final chapter was contributed by N.J.F Dodd on the subject of free rad- ical studies in biology and medicine. The main sections of this chapter are tissues, radiation effects in biological molecules and radical reactions of drugs and toxic chemicals. Much of this type of work has relevance to environmental problems and to the food industry.

As always, practising ESR spectroscopists must be thankful for the energy of the authors of these literature surveys, particularly as there is such an up- surge in activity in this branch of magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The book has been produced in camera-ready form.

L.H.S.