The Haarmann & Reimer Symposia one (1974) and two (1979) were well received by the flavor and fragrance community and many of us have looked forward to the third with positive anticipation. That symposium has now taken place (1992, Kyoto, Japan) and the papers have been published in the book currently under review. There is a wide selection of topics representing current research in the flavor, fragrance and biochemistry areas. There will be something to satisfy the varied interests of potential readers from the avid organic chemist to the casual historian of the industry.
A smorgasbord and a five-course gourmet dinner are two different things and serve two different functions. If one likens a textbook on this subject to the dinner, then this book is definitely a smorgasbord. This is not a criticism but a guide to potential readers as to what they are getting.
As in a smorgasbord with its separate groups of appetizers, salads and hot dishes, the reader is directed to three sub-groupings of literary delights. These are fragrance chemistry (often known as aroma chemistry), flavor chemishy, and biochemistry. The serious organic chemist, interested in synthetic routes to aroma chemicals and physical chemical data, will be drawn to the first section, as will the analyst interested in current methodology. Those more interested in products of thermal chemistry and heterocyclic synthesis will find these in section two. The currently ubiquitous area of biochemistry and its application to aroma chemistry is covered in section three. Several interesting historical elements are scattered among all three sections.
