Human Adaptation. Amitabha Basu and Kailash C. Malhotra, editors. Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta, 1984. 325 pages. Not priced.

Twenty-five papers are collected here from an International Conference on Human Genetics and Adaptation held in 1982 as part of a year long celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Statistical Institute. This is the second of two volumes; the first deals with Human Genetics. Of the 25 papers, 11 deal with human reactions to high altitude: reproduction and fertility, circulatory responses, nutrition and performance, and comparison between different groups of altitude natives. The international flavor and unusual subjects make this a valuable reference text although there is little of immediate practical interest to the mountaineer.

Charles S. Houston M.D.