Books Received

372 Books-Litires uses in the production of commercial products, the volume is most useful. The importance of plastics in daily life is stressed throughout. The authors estimate that by A.D.2000 the consumption of polymers will exceed that of metals by a factor of about 8 :3. The wide use of plastics in the arts today lends support to this estimate. It appears likely that many of the approaches described in the book will be adopted by artists. The emphasis upon plasticity or malleability in much of present environmental-type art indicates a growing interest in the use of polymers as opposed to the less versatile materials common to past art, such as marble, steel and wood. The author proposes a definition for plastics that meets the present attitudes of sculptors: 'a plastic is ...a material which . ..can be deformed by . . . shaping or moulding . . . to produce an end-product which retains its shape'. The use of polyvinyl acetate-based paints (P.V.A.) and those with a base of polyvinyl chloride (P.V.C.) are only briefly discussed. One can find a more complete discussion on the use of synthetics in paint media in References 1 and 2. Those wishing to explore the problems of applying polymers to sculpture are recommended to turn to the texts in References 1 and 3. REFERENCES 1. T. R. Newman, Plastics as an Art Form (Philadelphia : Chilton, 1964). 2. R. 0.Woody, Painting With Synthetic Media (New York: Reinhold Corp., 1965). 3. J. Baldwin, Contemporary Sculpture Techniques; WeldedMetaland Fibreglass (New York :Reinhold, 1967). The Harper Encyclopedia of Science. Second Edition. Ed. James R.Newman. Harper and Row. New York, 1967. Two Volumes. 1379 pp., illus.. $32.95. This reference work includes not only the physical and life sciences but also mathematics, logic, the history and philosophy of science, and biographies of outstanding scientists. In spite of such great scope, the number of topics chosen is rather limited, a preference permitting suitable depth in the discussions . The selection of topics is based on the needs of the student, teacher and non-specialist. One can find articles on air pollution, escape velocity, infinity, inversive geometry, logical empiricism, mesons, Mesozoic Era, open hearth process, J. Robert Oppenheimer, salivary gland, terrestrial magnetism , etc. A rather extensive index with about 25,000 entries is given at the end. This is indispensable for finding more specific items located within articles, such as Boolean algebra, cosmic dust, lceland spar, iron oxide (pigment), photoluminescence, PolaroidLand camera, Royal Society of London, scratch tests (mineralogy), sea urchins and sperm. Although there is appreciable detail in the treatment of numerous topics, this encyclopedia does not replace the need also of a good unabridged dictionary. Many widely accepted scientific and mathematical terms are not mentioned, for example, aspirin, bacteriophage, dimensional analysis, ergodic theory, percentile and thixotropy. Artists concerned with aspects of science and technology in their work will find the encyclopedia a very useful addition to their library. The paperback edition promised by the publisher should be less discouraging in price. The Poster. Harold F. Hutchison. Studio Vista, London, 1968. f5 5s. The Poster is a survey, dependent largely on the illustrations of posters produced since 1860 up to the present. Inevitably, the force of the originals is considerably lost by their reduction in size. One would need many more examples of posters to make a comprehensive survey and a greater record of techniques of production. The book is too expensive for an occasional survey of the subject, yet it is too short to be of real value. BOOKS RECEIVED Art Povera, G. Pelant, Ed., Fred A. Praeger, London, 1969, 240 pp., illus., f l 8s. Art and the Stage in the 20th Century, H. Rischbieter, New York Graphic Society, Greenwich, Basic Optics and Optical Instruments, prepared by the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Dover Break-Up. The Core of Modern Art, K. Kuh, New York Graphic Society,Greenwich, Conn., Creative Person and Creative Process, F. Barron, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, New York, N.Y., Ciiltural Policy in Japan, N. Shikaumi, No. 4 in series, Unesco, Paris, 1970, 55 pp. Digital Computer Basics, prepared by the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Dover, New York, N.Y., The...