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LETTER TO EDITOR
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09/6/2005 -
Soft Materials: Structure and Dynamics (2005)
edited by John R. Dutcher and Alejandro G. Marangoni
ISBN 0-8247-5358-5. Marcel Dekker, New York. 2005. Hardcover. 409 pages. $175.
What do frozen foods have to do with diesel fuel? Not much unless you are the driver of a refrigerated truck full of frozen chicken, or a soft material scientist studying crystallization processes. It turns out that control of the ice crystallization process is important in safe food storage, and the prevention of n-alkane crystallization is critical to diesel fuel performance in the winter.
As I read through the book, I initially grew frustrated as I made connections between the underlying physics and chemistry of one applied area of research to another, not knowing if the authors had done the same. One example has already been mentioned concerning frozen foods and diesel fuel. Another example of overlap in the fundamental subject matter is the modeling of mechanical deformation of single polymer chains (complex fluids) and the computer simulations of micromanipulation of proteins (biomaterials). Had these links been made, perhaps the study of how fats in chocolate crystallize under shear could have benefited from the characterization tool used to study liquid crystals under shear in a confined cell, the x-ray surface forces apparatus. Didn't the authors of these chapters know that similar work was occurring in other areas of soft materials? Why didn't the editors spell this point out to the reader?
The editors, John R. Dutcher and Alejandro G. Marangoni, are two accomplished professors from the University of Guelph, Ontario, with a total of more than 30 years' experience. They successfully brought together 27 authors, mainly from academia in Ontario, contributing to 14 chapters that span four applied areas of soft materials: synthetic polymers, complex fluids, biomaterials, and food materials. One success is the sense of uniformity achieved while providing diverse insight into this broad science. It is my guess that the editors held the authors to a well-planned set of rules: (1) choose a fundamental research area in soft materials; (2) show how it relates to solving real-world, practical application problems; (3) present a short, but relevant, review of work previously done in the area; (4) delve into the research problem; (5) point out directions for research needed to advance the area; and (6) create a reference section such that the interested reader can find information on current related research, less than ten years old, as well as where to find relevant all-encompassing review articles.
Whether leaving it as an exercise for the reader to make the connections between research areas was an intentional act of the editors or a by-product of their approach to the book, it was, in the end, much more exhilarating and rewarding to connect the dots myself. The initial frustration retreated as Eurekas were made. Being provided with the overview of current research problems, experimental characterization tools, and the theoretical background, enabled the reader's creative juices to flow and created the possibility of cross-pollination in the applied fields of study within the rather nebulous science of soft materials. In the end, the reader finishes the book not by saying "so what!" but rather by asking "what if . . . "
This book exposes researchers in one applied area of soft materials to similar problems in another applied area. This exposure may spark additional contributions either to the researcher's own field or to the other's. Although intended for those already familiar with soft material science subject matter, the book could also benefit those with at least an undergraduate education in physics or chemistry.
The quality of text and figures is acceptable, although some of the figures could benefit from color or higher quality paper. An expanded table of contents that included subsections in addition to the chapter titles would be useful with respect to specific subject matter and organization of the material. Although there are many useful references given in the book, these citations lack the titles of the papers. The reader would benefit from having this information available. Finally, two chapters stand out as being below par with respect to the others. In the nanoparticle-polymer composites chapter, most of the information and discussion is based on only one of the references, which is from the contributing author. The rheology of soft rubber-like particles chapter contains a relatively short list of references, most of which are not as timely as those listed in the rest of the book.
Overall, the book was successful in meeting its goal of cross-fertilization as it made this polyurethane foam scientist read an article in the American Journal of Potato Research on the use of nondestructive ultrasound techniques to measure the mechanical properties of cellular materials.
For more on Soft Materials: Structure and Dynamics, visit the Taylor & Francis/CRC Press web site. |
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