Cosmochemistry /

This book covers the origins and evolution of the chemical elements, stars, galaxies, and planets for advanced students in geology, astronomy, and geochemistry. As a textbook, it lacks the usual apparatus of supplementary material, accompanying CD-ROM, companion Web site, and homework problems, though the "Questions" section at the end of each chapter are intended to review main points. The scope is similar to Charles Cowley's Introduction to Cosmochemistry (CH, Sep'95, 33-0325). However, this work places more emphasis on laboratory techniques and, of course, it is more recent; since Cowley's work was published some 15 years ago, there have been numerous exciting developments in cosmochemistry. Like Cowley's work, the book omits biogeochemistry, though it is a major influence on how at least one planet has evolved. McSween (Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville) and Huss (Univ. of Hawaii, Manoa), seminal contributors in the field, provide helpful sidebars and boxes that present very condensed accounts of special topics; for example, box 6.1, "A Crash Course in Mineralogy," does a semester's (or a career's) work in 2 plus pages. The production is clean and economical, and the editing is first rate. Valuable as a textbook or supplement to the study of how the material universe came to be. Summing Up; Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty. T. R. Blackburn formerly, American Chemical Society