In electron crystallography, an electron microscope is used to obtain two- and three-dimensional diffraction patterns from very small crystals. Such data are exceptionally difficult to deal with because the measurements are subject to severe systematic errors and because only part of the diffraction pattern is usually accessible. It is possible to see individual atoms and their positions with modern electron microscopes having a resolution below 2 Å, and this is sufficient for solving an unknown structure of organic molecules and inorganic compounds. This excellently presented book deals with these subjects.

Although the name of the book does not imply this, it is mostly molecular organic structures that are investigated in the book. The book has two parts; in Part 1, the background of the subject is investigated; the application examples are given in the Part 2. The first two chapters treat general principles of electron microscopy (only as a crystallographic instrument though) and crystal symmetry, including the preferred crystal packing motifs for organic molecules. In Chapter 3, the preparation methods of suitable samples for structure analysis and then data collection and processing methods are summarized. Chapter 4 is on crystal structure analysis and Chapter 5 examines data perturbations due to dynamical scattering, secondary scattering, crystal bending and radiation damage. The second part of the book starts off with Chapter 6, which observes some examples of molecular organic structures. Some electron diffraction data and structure factors of materials are also given as tables in this second part of the book. Chapter 7 presents the solved structures of inorganic materials like boric acid, muscovite and potassium niobium tungsten oxide. Structure analyses of the alkanes, the alkane derivatives and the lipids are conducted in Chapters 8, 9 and 10 respectively. Crystal structure analyses of some linear polymers and globular macro-molecules are the subjects of the last two chapters of the book. This book is regarded to be a modern version of B.K. Vainshtein’s 1964 book, Structure Analysis by Electron Diffraction, which was cited many times by the author. Vainshtein also read this book and wrote a complimentary letter shortly before he passed away.

There is a long list of references at the end of the book and many references have the author’s name. They were published in genuine journals such as Ultramicroscopy, Acta Crystallographica, and Macromolecules. The book seems like a compilation of Dorset’s scientific papers, however having included the reprints of the micrographs, the diffraction patterns and the potential maps of numerous structures, as well as invaluable data tables, it turns out to be a valuable reference book. The tables are not only comprehensive but also clearly laid out. It is easy to read and the equations are kept to a strict minimum.

It is an extremely useful book for crystallographers, and I strongly recommend it. Graduate and even undergraduate students who are or will be dealing with crystal structure determination should read this book since it looks into many techniques, applications and difficulties in electron crystallography.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Agah Uguz
Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey