Robert A. Scott and A. Grant Mauk, Eds. University Science Books: Sausalito, CA, 1996. 752 p. $85.00. ISBN 0-935702-33-4.

As indicated by the title, this book is a collection of monographs that are tied together by a common molecular focus on cytochrome c. The individual chapters cover widely disparate fields, categorized under section headings "Structural Studies", "Spectroscopic Properties", "Thermodynamic Properties", "Electron Transfer Kinetics", and "Modification of Cytochrome c". The structure of the individual chapters varies, but generally each provides some background in a specific technique or area of investigation followed by a detailed description of the information that has been obtained with respect to cytochrome c. In principle this approach could be an outstanding way to introduce undergraduates to bioinorganic or biophysical chemistry, but in practice the level of presentation and the quantity of detail often make it difficult to glean the larger and more general message. The book will certainly be a valuable reference for student researchers working on cytochrome c, or applying a given technique to a different system. Overall, though, the book is not an accessible text for a general undergraduate audience.