BOOK REVIEWS
TASTES & AROMAS: THE CHEMICAL SENSES IN SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. Graham A. Bell and Annesley J. Watson, eds. University of New South Wales Press, Sydney, NSW 2034, Australia (call +61-2-9664-0900; fax +61-2-9664-5420; E-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.unswpress.com.au). ISBN: 0-86840-769-0. 1999. 256 pp. RRP$59.95.
Although based on a conference held in Sydney in 1996, this book is not your typical conference proceedings. This slim volume contains 22 chapters, each tightly edited to convey a single note contributing to a symphony of flavor knowledge.
The first four chapters provide the fundamental foundation for the rest of the book, which is grounded in physiological response to selected tastes and aromas. The next nine chapters take an industrial approach to consumer and sensory testing, with a decided Pacific Rim flavor. Chapters 14–17 emphasize the anatomy and physiology of olfactory perception, with particular reference to recent advances in molecular mechanisms. The final five chapters are devoted to sensing technology, using both animal and electronic models.
The striking features are the book’s voice and its balance. With one or two exceptions, these are not authors who would be presenting papers at an IFT meeting; thus, the book provides a perspective that most food scientists interested in flavor are likely to miss. The editors have avoided the pitfalls normally encountered in a conference book, such as a wide range in chapter length, quality, and format. Too often, these books have nothing to offer readers familiar with the field while overwhelming the novice, but this one should provide nuggets for most readers. It provides nice balances between the theoretical and the applied, between data presentation and review, and between traditional and novel techniques. The chapters are not esoteric points of view held together by loosely structured topics; rather, they represent an intriguing and educational view into human flavor perception and physiology.
A delightful reading experience!
Robert L. Shewfelt, IFT Fellow, Professor, Dept. of Food Science and Technology, Univ. of Georgia, Athens
BOOKS RECEIVED
Caffeinated Beverages: Health Benefits, Physiological Effects, and Chemistry (ACS Symposium Series 754). Thomas H. Parliment, Chi-Tang Ho, and Peter Schieberle, eds. Oxford University Press, 198 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016-4314. ISBN: 0-8412-3654-2. 2000. 435 pp. $150.
A Comprehensive List of Halal Food Products in U.S. Supermarkets, 5th ed. Syed Rasheeduddin Ahmed. Muslim Consumer Group for Food Products, P.O. Box 8538, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 (phone/fax 847-392-8971; E-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.Muslimconsumergroup.com). ISBN: 0-9679902-32000. 246 pp softcover. No price given.
DRI: Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids. Institute of Medicine. National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20418 (call 888-624-7645 or 202-334-3313; fax 202-334-2451; Web site: www.nap.edu). ISBN: 0-309-06949-1. 2000. 506 pp softcover. $39.95.
Flavor Chemistry: Industrial and Academic Research (ACS Symposium Series 756). Sara J. Risch and Chi-Tang Ho, eds. Oxford University Press, 198 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016-4314. ISBN: 0-8412-3640-2. 2000. 180 pp. $95.
Natural Food Antimicrobial Systems. A.S. Naidu, ed. CRC Press, Inc., 2000 Corporate Blvd. N.W., Boca Raton, FL 33431 (call 561-994-0555, orders only 800-272-7737; fax 561-361-6075, orders only 800-374-3401). ISBN: 0-8493-2047-X. 2000. 818 pp. No price given.
BULLETINS RECEIVED
New Issue Paper Provides Guidance on Use of Soil Tests to Protect the Environment. CAST—Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, 4420 W. Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50014-3447 (call 515-292-2125; fax 515-292-4512; E-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.cast-science.org). Issue 15, June 2000. 12 pp. $3.00 per copy.
Final Report of the Micronutrient Assessment Project. SUSTAIN (Sharing United States Technology to Aid in the Improvement of Nutrition), 1400 - 16th Street N.W., Box 25, Washington, DC 20036 (call 202-328-5180; fax 202-328-5175; Web site: www.sustaintech.org). 1999. 44 pp softcover, plus Appendices A through I. No price given.