Intracellular Calcium: Its Universal Role as Regulator By Anthony K. Campbell (review)

recovery is merely to demonstrate how much professionalism covers up ignorance , because the Tinbergens do not claim that they have found "the solution to the many problems which autism presents us," but they have, no doubt, issued a challenge to medicine and have, in the opinion of the reviewer, opened up the relevant biological dimension which will lead to progress in research on the subject, leading eventually to the logical founding of the therapeutic procedures in biology. M. R. A. Chance 5 Arthur Road Birmingham B15 2UL, Enghnd Intracelluhr Calcium: Its Universal Role as Regulator. By Anthony K. Campbell. Chichester and New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1983. Pp. 541. $79.95. Intracellular Calcium is a surprisingly readable book. It is a well-documented (2,700 references) discussion ofthe ion calcium and its role as a biological regulator ofmany important cell functions. It is written by a witty biochemist who has a broad grasp of function and structure in cells and tissues. Tony Campbell presents basic physical chemistry of calcium in a manner sufficiently detailed to assist the average biological scientist interested in working in this area. He surveys calcium's role in electrophysiology, cell movement, intermediary metabolism , membrane transport, and cell division. Of special value is his presentation of the different methods of measuring calcium in cells, the advantages and disadvantages of each method, and the references to more detailed description of the methods. It is possible to use the book as a reference in areas not directly part of one's research or teaching. The book can also be read from cover to cover as an intensive but pleasant introduction to the subject. There are a large number of helpful tables and figures, quotations in Latin, and occasional neologisms (e.g., tipomole, 10~21 moles, from the Welsh word meaning small). Any book of this breadth has weaknesses, and the one most distressing to me was the lack of understanding of membrane channels—especially the insights recently gained from single channel recordings. I least enjoyed the effort to inject the philosophical concept of "threshold," which tended to be shallow and misleading. Especially appreciated was the discussion of "free" calcium and calcium "activity," which are fundamental concepts crucial to clear thinking and investigation in this field. Overall, it is a successful book because it is thorough, well referenced, well illustrated, and clearly written. I recommend it for all but the beginning student of biology. Harry A. Fozzard Department of Medicine University of Chicago 638 Book Reviews THE BEECH BY THE POND The beech by the Pond is four feet through and a hundred high, regal with age and bearing, circled by deferent saplings. It grips the earth with a giant elephant foot and reaches for the sky with eager arms; the leaves sing to the sun and air and whisper in the shadowed night as well. As high as the eye can see the bole and branches bear the hearts of lovers incised in the smooth gray bark, entwined in a year when love was forever. Most of the lovers now are dead and the rest are old; the beech preserves the music of their youth but does not sing of me. Samuel Stearns AUTUMN ON THE POND When the summer ends the shores of the Pond are littered with the corpses of the sun's perennial betrayal. The trees stand lifeless, brown, and dishevelled, except for the evergreens which were not deceived. Like butterflies which have mated, or drones which have stung, the victims lived just long enough to achieve their patterned end. Samuel Stearns Perspectives in Biology andMedicine, 28, 4 ¦ Summer 1985 \ 639 ...