Joseph Needham (1900-95) was a British biochemist and historian, known for his contributions to scientific research and writings on the history of science in China. First published in 1931, the books in this set form Needham's mammoth three-volume work on the subject of physico-chemical embryology. Broadly speaking, the work found its basis in three tasks: the collection from various scientific papers of the facts known about the physico-chemical basis of embryonic development; the relation of these facts to each other and to the facts derived from the labours of investigators in morphological embryology; and, on the basis of the first two tasks, ascertaining whether any generally valid principles were apparent. Illustrative figures and tables are included throughout. This set will be of value to anyone with an interest in the works of Needham and the development of chemical embryology.