Book reviews

The topic of this book concerns the (biochemistry of interactions occurring between plant and plant, plant and animal, and animal and animal. Research has been summarized on the biochemistry of plant pollination, plant toxins and their effects on animals, hormonal interactions between plants and animals, feeding preferences of insects and vertebrates, including man, animal pheromones and defence substances, biochemical interactions between higher plants and the role of phytoalexines and phytotoxins in disease resistance of plants. The text of each chapter is followed by a list of recent books and review articles on the topicofthechapter enabling the interested reader access to more information on the subject. It should be mentioned that not all interactions between organisms are covered in this book, partly because the information on the subject is rather fragmentary (higher plant parasitism, mycorrhiza). partly because text books on the subjects are available (lichens, animal diseases). Reading the text is very pleasant. In simple language and with the aid of well-prepared figures of chemical structures of the substances involved the reader is introduced to the various relationships which link (field) observations with biochemistry. Occasionally a page reads like a good quality detective story, e.g. the story on the so-called "paper factor” in juvenile hormones (p. 97). Numerous interesting details are given, e.g. reversal of bitterness to sweetness in flavonoids, evolution of feeding deterrents in higher plants, to mention two examples.