This list of forthcoming books has been complied from the latest information available from publishers Dates of publication, prices and numbers of pages are tentative, however, and are subject to change.
Astronomy
Galactic Dynamics. James Binney and Scott Tremaine. Princeton University Press: July, 640 pp, HB $75, PB $25. Reviews current theories of the dynamics and structure of stellar systems, such as galaxies and star clusters, and discusses how the observable properties of galaxies are changed by the aging of stellar populations.
Biological Science
The Biology of Dinoflagellates F.J.R. Taylor. Blackwell Scientific: July, 798 pp, $180. A comprehensive review of the general biology of dinoflagellates, including both living forms and the main features of the fossil record.
Annual Review of Biochemistry (Volume 56). Charles C. Richardson, ed. Annual Reviews: July, $33. Scientific articles on such topics as intracellular proteases, G proteins and the dynamics of membrane lipid metabolism.
Food Microbiology (2-volume set). Thomas J. Montville, ed. CRC Press: June, $208. Explains the molecular and biochemical principles applicable to microbial growth in foods, and reviews the theory behind immunochemical and genetic techniques.
Drug Metabolism from Molecules to Man. D. Benford, G.C. Gibson and J.W. Bridges, eds. Taylor & Francis: July, 500 pp, $45. Covers current and future prospects in drug metabolism research, selected from papers presented at the 10th European Workshop on Drug Metabolism in 1986.
Chemistry
Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Chemical Reactivity. Raphael D. Levine and Richard B. Bernstein. Oxford University Press: June, 450 pp, $35. Describes molecular-level mechanisms of elementary chemical reactions, emphasizing conceptual interpretation rather than details of experimental techniques or theories.
Computer Science
The Characteristics of Parallel Algorithms. Leah H. Jamieson, Dennis B. Gannon and Robert J. Douglass. MIT Press: August, 436 pp, $27.50. Compiles original papers on recent research in numerical analysis, artificial intelligence and data base management.
Earth Science
From Diagenesis To Metamor. M. Frey, ed. Blackie & Son (distributed in the United States by Chapman and Hall): July, 288 pp, $75. An overview of new methods and techniques, including such topics as fluid inclusion studies and stable isotopes during very low grade metamorphism.
The Young Earth: An Introduction to Archaean Geology. Euan Nisbet; Alien & Unwin: July, 416 pp, HB $60, PB $34.95. A personal and interdisciplinary approach to the study of Archaean geology.
Continental Extension Tectonics (Special Publications of the Geological Society, No. 19). M.P. Coward, J.F. Dewey and P.L. Hancock. Blackwell Scientific: July, 640 pp, $78. Discusses the geometry of extensional fault systems, the mechanics of basin formation, and their implications for the sedimentary and thermal history of a basin or continental margin.
Optical Mineralogy (Volume 2: Mineral Descriptions). E.G. Ehlers. Blackwell Scientific: June, 276 pp, $45. Descriptions of more than 150 common rock-forming minerals, each accompanied by a diagram showing the relationship between optical and crystallographic directions. Includes a chapter on optical techniques.
Ecology
Plant Life in Aquatic and Amphibious Habitats. R.M.M. Crawford. Blackwell Scientific: July, 466 pp, $70. Discusses the physiological ecology of amphibious and intertidal plants, as presented at the 1985 meeting of the British Ecological Society.
Colonization, Succession and Stability. A.J. Gray, M.J. Crawley and P.J. Edwards, eds. Blackwell Scientific: July, 494 pp, $70. Selected papers from the 26th Symposium of the British Ecological Society, covering both plant and animal succession, and the interaction between the two.
Mathematics
Algebraic Topology and Algebraic K-Theory: Proceedings of a Symposium in Honor of John C. Moore. William Browder, ed. Princeton University Press: July: 600 pp, HB $65, PB $22.50. Articles on classical homotopy theory, homological algebra, rational homotopy theory and other subjects, from selected papers of a 1983 Princeton University symposium.
Physics
30 Years of Parity Nonconservatlon: A Symposium Honoring T.D. Lee. BirkhAuser Boston: July, 200 pp, $23. A historical overview of parity nonconservation, as presented by several pioneers in the field, discussing the basic asymmetry of nature under mirror reflection and the events that accompanied its discovery.
Psychology
What the Hands Reveal about the Brain. Howard Poizner, Edward Klima and Ursula Bellugi. MIT Press: July, 264 pp, $25. Discusses research in cognitive neuropsychology, providing evidence that there are primary linguistic systems, passed down from one generation of deaf people to the next, that are not derived from spoken languages.
Mental Processes: Studies in Cognitive Science. H. Christopher Longuet-Higgins. MIT Press: June, 508 pp, $35. Essays exploring the basic philosophical questions at the root of cognitive science, early achievements in the field, and the importance of musical sense as a testing ground for understanding cognitive processes.
Science Policy
The Soviet Agro-Industrlal Complex: Structure and Performance. Valentin Litvin. Westview Press: June, 176 pp, $29.95. An analysis of the structure and performance of the Soviet agro-industrial complex, including descriptions of interfarm cooperation and Soviet efforts to acquire Western agricultural technology.
Mechatronics: Japan's Newest Threat. V. Daniel Hunt. Chapman and Hall: July, 350 pp, $44.50. Describes Japanese mechatronics—an interdisciplinary approach technology that integrates mechanical and electronic engineering—as it affects Japanese product and system design and challenges U.S. industrial competitiveness.
Social Sciences
Ancient Maya Wetland Agriculture: Excavations on Albion Island, Northern Belize. Mary Pohi, ed. Westview Press: August, 300 pp, $37.50. Reports on excavations into ancient Maya agricultural fields, which revealed the relationship between populations and their subsistence base, and the impact of agricultural activities on the land.
Human Evolution: An Introduction for the Behavioral Sciences. Graham Richards. Routledge & Kegan Paul: August 1,448 pp, $19.95. Reviews contemporary theories of human social evolution, touching on the nature of hominization and the origins of bipedalism, language and tool use.
The Hunger Machine. Jon Bennett. Basil Blackwell: June, 192 pp, HB $34.95, PB $12.95. Challenges the assertion that hunger is caused by over-population, inadequate food resources and bad weather, using case studies of the Sudan, Bangledesh, Nicaragua and Brazil.
Sustainable Development: Exploring the Contradiction. Michael Redclift. Methuen. June: August, 134 pp, HB $45, PB $13.95. Examines ways that the environment has been transformed in developing and developed countries, and discusses recent experiences of unsustainable development.
Robert Merton. Charles Crothers. TavistockfEllis Horwood (distributed in the United States by Methuen). Evaluates Merton's role in the development of modern sociology, and his contributions to making sociology an accepted force in public and private policy-making.
Mundane Reason: Reality in Everyday and Sociological Discourse. Melvin Poilner. Cambridge University Press: June, 240 pp, $29.95. Explores basic assumptions about reality and how they are realized and preserved in everyday and sociological contexts.