Prefaces tend to be platitudinous and unconducive to perusal. To this hardened Editor, the appearance of the book represents the end of a stamina-testing saga surpassing any past experience. Amongst the numerous authors - a notably eminent bevy - some were angelic and others suffered harassment to produce, amidst day-to-day pressures, an eventual article in the cause of receptor investigation; few took exception to the strong editing that their material underwent. The reader of this book will be interested rather in its aims and ba- ground.- Does it merit a n his bookshelf? The book is not a...

vi as did non-appreciation that % values for bought-in solutions (notably ammonia) may be on a weight basis, not made evident by the manufacturer. Notwithstanding the shortcomings or lateness of some texts, authors are thanked for compiling them amidst other pressures. Elsevier and the American Chemical Society are also thanked, for Figures now reproduced with source acknowledgement. This Editor has generally respected authors' phrasing, whilst shuddering when the term 'incubate' is encountered in a 0 context. He remains a 'diehard' in certain respects, notably in favouring 'M' rather than...