Phosphorus world CD-ROM
D. E. C. Corbridge
Harrogate: D. E. C. Corbridge 2005 | £40.00 |
Reviewed by Terry Kee
The name of Derek Corbridge is synonymous with that of phosphorus. His seminal monograph of 1977, now in its sixth edition, summarises the key features of phosphorus chemistry, biochemistry and technology. Now this printed resource is available as a CD-ROM. Like the companion text version, the electronic material is carefully structured and formatted for ease of searching. The referencing is thorough, and the text, schemes, diagrams and tables are of high quality and mutually supportive.
The material is well ordered. I was especially impressed with chapter two, Distribution and environment, which discusses in some detail the phosphorus cycle on Earth. My one small technical issue here concerns the down-playing of volatile phosphorus species in this cycle, an issue which the most contemporary research suggests might be unjustified.
Nevertheless, the CD-ROM includes an astounding range of phosphorus chemistry and associated, science. I was impressed with the coverage of biopolymers and P-biochemistry in chapters 11 and 12 respectively. Chapter 13 collects together topics which are rather tricky to place elsewhere but which nevertheless deserve to be placed somewhere. The applications of radioactive 32P-tracer work in biochemistry and environmental science is an excellent example.
This is a superb scientific resource of interest to all those involved with phosphorus chemistry. A copy of this CD-ROM deserves to be in our personal and library collections.
