VOL.
2, No. 7
RXEN
piaimed in such a way as to satisfy their natural curiosity or interest. Particularly is this so where science courses are offered only in the later high-school years. H e has therefore adapted this book to the needn of those too young t o Leave school but not too young to ask continually the que3tions, "Why?" and "How)" with an interest as eager ar i t in new, and ha. fitted both the treatment of the subject and his style of expression to pupils of junior high-rchaol grades. Believing that, a t t h e age for which he writes. children have a natural interest in scientific phenomena, and need not so much lo be lowlil as lo learn, the author introduces his topics as nearly a . pomible in the form of quertionr such' a r they would ask, and then, by simple explanation, illustration, or description of experiment, goes on t o give suitable answers. At the elore of the chapters, preceding hrief summaries, are usudiy a few practical exercise. eaiiiog for a p plication of what has just been discussed. The grcatept difficulty confronting the writer of a general science t u t is t o find for i t a coherent plan, which will give t h e impression of vnity rather than of a smattering of unrelated facts. In all probability no b m k har yet entirely overcome this defect. Prof. Header, after a brief introduction, divides his book into the followiog six more or Leas comprehensive units: The Atmosphere and Itc Relation to Man, Matter and Energy in Earth and Sky, science in the Household, How We Use Nature's Porces, LivinaThings und Their Relation t o Us, Our Bodies and How to c a r e for Them. 0 1 t h e forty chapters in the book sir are dis~incfly chemical, with titles ar follows: Fire, Oxygen, Carbon and Carbon Dioxide, Substances. Minerals and Metab. Acids and Aikalies. The chapter entitled "Substancen" takes up chemical and physical ebaoges, element, compound and mixture, hydrogen, electroiy~ieof water and its synthesis from the pro duet^, salt and oystailizatian, d f u r and phosphorus in their various forms; t h a t on " ~ i n e r d sand Metals" gives a brief idea of the ocel.rrence and the smelting of ores, together with short paragraphs on coal, building stones, bricks. mortar and concrete. I n addition, there are scattered item. of chem. i d information "ndcr other headings, ouch as chlorination of water, hard waters and boiler scale under "Water Supply;" netion of acids and bases upon cotton and wool, and soap-msking under "Washing and Cleaning;" action of yeast and of haking pbwder under "Cooking and Baking;.. giaso-making and the manuiaeture and use o i illuminating gas under "Light in the Home;" and sugar refining and action of legumes on nitrogen under "Piants of Use t o Man.'' The various classes of loads are discussed in a n app"p"ate chapter, with rererenee t o the elements contained in each dana; also the processes of oxidizing them t o set free energy and of storing energy through starch and sugw formation in leaves are simply outlined.
Throughout the book the writer keeps constantly in mind the age and interests of his readen. He presents ideas in t h e concrete rather than the abstract, leaving mathematicr, symbolism, writing of equations and statement or law8 for a more advanced course. Knowing from long experience as a teacher the aversion of t h e juvenile mind for anything requiring painntaking
recently awakened interest in natural phenomena. A loore~leaf laboratory manusl containing fifty simple experiments, very few of which invaive measurementa, has been pvbiirhed t o secompany the textbook. Can~srorrII. PRBSTOW Chart Showing t h e Chemical Relationshim i n t h e Mineral Kingdom. P ~ m s CossrHrr a P u l ~ ~ nM.S. r. J. Wiley-and Sons, New York. 1995. 17 X 20 cm. 31 p p $3.00. This unique volume eompriser 12pager of text. a 9-page alphabetical list of 1611 minerals, another 9-page iirt of the same minuais arranged numerically, and a linen-backed chart 49 X 94 cm. The three-fold purpose of t h e chart in best explained by t h e opening paragraph: "(A) T o serve as a ready reference t o the man who would know quiekl,., whether for an eeooomie or a rcirntifie purpose, the answer t o such qllertions as: 'How many and what are the minerals eontaining germanium, and what nre their mmpositionr?'; or, ,Doer si1vv occur with oxygen i n any Wneral?'; or, 'Do phosphides or dieides occur as minerals?'; (B) T o serve as an aid in Lhterminatiee Mineralogy, especially in the case of rare minerals, where either the s m d amount of the unknown substanre, or the Lack of laboratory Iaeilitier (as when in the field), precludes the possibility of making more than a few rpecifie t e s t s . I t may also serve as a complement t o mierorhemieal methods in the laboratory, and ari a reminder to verify the presence or absence of minute quantities of certain interesting replacing elements; (C) T o form a mechanical stimulus to speculation upon the "hemistry of the esrth, by affording upon one sheet a statistical survey of the affinities and the antipathies which hold sway in t h e mineral kingdom." The right- and left-hand vertical margins of t h e chart contain the 54 "dominant etectro-positive mnstituentn of a mineral" and those elements "which occur uncombined b u t in mineral form." The top and hottom horizontal margins contain the 92 "eleetro~positiue minor constituents." the "eieetro-negative conrtituents,'l the eammom eiectro-negative radicals, the water moleclde, three 01 the unknown elements, and the "native elements." Elilmples are given t o show how t o use the "hart. Briefly, t h e "box" m m p o o d i n g t o t h e marginal dominant and minor constituents m n tainr t h e numbers assigned t o all of the minerals
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containing there conrtituentr. Reference t o the numerieai l i d gives the names of the minerals and. traeing horimntsliy in the chart. giver the numbers of the as%ociated miner& Probable errors in the chart are discussed under the h r a d r a r i g i n a l data, interpretation of data, m d transcription of data. The lists of minerals were not eramined by the reviewer for errors. The text mntainn "elecro" for "electro" on page 3. The most serious criticism is t h a t the n u m bers in the chart are so small they almost need a mngnifying glans t o he read, but i t is evident t h a t larger type here wovld hnve meant a chart of unwieldy size. Every mineralogist and every ehemkt will probably want a copy of this book for reference. W.SBOBRBLOM A School Chemistm. 0. J. Pmmczn. B.Se., Oxford a t the Clarenden Press. 1924. viii 238 pages. Illustrated. 19 X l 2 . 5 e m . $1.20.
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Flecker's School Chemistry puts beginnern' chemistry upon a strictly experimental basis, since directions for performing 112 experiments comtitute t h e greater part of t h e work. The author has seen fit to include s direursion of rertain law. and theories. There are sandwiched in between t h e directions for performing the erpYimentr. A teacher who desires to make the papil's laboratory work the Doint of deoarture of his course and who ~ipproverof a book with rather more in the way of thought~direefingsuggestions than may be found in the usual laboratory manual will probably find thin book to his liking. The content of the courae described is not strikingly different f m m t h a t which may be found in any good American text, and the author acknowledges hip indebtedness to one of our brst known American textbook writers, now deceased, whose hooks are noted for their rigorous development of chemical theory. This book is printed upon a good quality of unglazed paper and the illustrations are nll line d r a w i n s of such a character t h a t they can be copied by the pupils into their reports. S. WALTBEHOYT Other Publications Received Advancing the Frontier of Human Knowledge,
is the titir of thc 28 pase booklet published by the Johns Hopkinr half century committee. It ir "a study of the source of truth and wealth, and of the contributions made to the progress of man by education and research." A uoiversify is defined an .'rn organized and continuing body of men arsocinted t o ~ e t h e r after , due training for a threefold task: (1) t o deal a t first hand with the 3ources of knowledge, to seek the truth and so far as porsible ellrich man's store of it; (2) t o impart such knowledge and the methods by which if may be further extended t o students a t the final and highest stages of their preparation for their o m active professional careers; (3) t o inspire the men thus trained t o serve mankind. It diacnsses brietly the origin, nature, importance and the financing of uoiversitie.. There is a list of twcnty-five out3tanding dismveries in science with their-dircovererr and "fifty names which will be lorever associated with the caune of education." D. C. L. Humsnirm and Science i n the Cathedral of learnin& University of Pittsburgh Bulletin. 15 X 22.5 Em. 15 pp. An address delivered at the Charter Day exercises. University of Pittrburgh. Feb. 27, 1925. by John Duncan Spaeth. Ph.D., Litt.D. Proposed Syllabus of Chemistry for t h e SesOndary Schools of A e w York Stste. The Chemistry Teachers' Club of N. Y. C. Board of Edusation-Report of an Enquiry into the Conditions Affecting t h e Teaching of SeilPce in Secondary Schools for Bogs in England. H. M. Stationery Office, London. 1D25. 28 pp. 3d. net.
A D e s c t i ~ t i a nof the Science Laboratories of the Lincoln. School of Teachers' College. Earn. R. G~s2in.C.*~LES W. Frmeu AND Orrs W. CALDWBLL. Lincoln School of Teachers' College. New York City. 1025. 39 PP.
On the Encouragement of Pvndamental Re8eBTCh.
Londoo.
National Union Scientific Workers. 1924. 23 pp. Ad. net.
