the main purpose of the book which, as indicated in the preface. has been to trace briefly the history of the foundations on which advances in science are based; to correlate the steps of progress with the spirit of the time; t o increase the emphasis on the evolution of scientific methods, and thus to give an infusion of continuity in the history of science. I n the opinion of the rcviewer this purpose has been admirably achieved, and the present work is warmly recommended as an introductory textbook of the history of science both to the student and to the general reader. The typography and binding of the new volunie are excellent. Particularly pleasing are the design, on the outside of the book, of a Tyrolean quadrant and, on the inside of the covers, the reproduction of a curious old sketch of 1594 illustrating various uses of the geometrical quadrant. The illustrations, which were either drawn or arranged by Mrs. Elizabeth Tyler Wdcott, add greatly to the enjoyment of the book. C. A. B n o w ~ e
contents is sufficiently detailed, and there are numerous references to the literature and to the sources of statistical information. Mr. Furnas possesses a gifted technic for briefly describing a present-day theory and showing the significance of the ideas which preceded it. The brevity and cautious generalizations that he concedes would make many of his paragraphs and even pages a valuable addition to almost any elementary chemistry and physics textbook. He demonstrates the lack of validity and consistency on the part of definitions but remembers that in teaching, a tangible, concrete concept is far more valuable than any highly abstract and technically precise definition even though it be slightly less accurate. This book is interestingly organized in that the author alternatelv assumes the rAle of a historian. a social scientist. a tech~~, nologist, and 3 natural s ~ i ~ n t i s rhlr. . Furnaj deicribes thc FVOIUtwn of stearn power from the time that liwptlnn ~uir.;!imade use of i l in opcraling the remple doors. Ile disrurses the porsible advantages a nation might realize by not possessing an adequate mineral supply. His explanations of scientific principles vary considerably, ranging from simple concepts involving the difference between compounds and alloys to examples and discussions of entropy. This reviewer believes that everyone who reads this book. whether it be alayman, a pure scientist, a technologist, or teacher of any subject, will find i t interesting and enlightening. Prospective authors of science textbooks could read this book advantageously and take many ideas away with them. The author has written the b w k in a style that is easy to read and understand. The editor most certainly has a book for the series that fulfils each of the expressed aims. The publishers have eontributed their aid in the choice of fairlv . Lame - mint . and laci inn- it upon a paper that is restful to the eyes. S n a n e n A. PETeRsoN ~
OF CIVILIZATION. C. C. Furnas, Associate TH& STOREHOUSE Professor of Chemical Engineering, Yale University. Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University. New York City, 1939. nn 562 pp. 15 X 23 cm. $3.25. According t o the editor's preface, this rolume ". . has been prepared to help teachers and others understand how we can bring about a more effectiveproduction and distribution of goods and services." Mr. Powers, the editor, goes on t o say that these volumes, of which this is one, " . . . . have been prepared . . . . especially for curriculum workers and for teachers of science UMYB.S,N HIGH SCHOOL and other subjects in an effort to help them t o serve with inUNIVBRSKTY O X MINNBSOTA MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA creasingly greater effectivenessthe younger people whom society places in their charge." This book would serve any teacher as an invaluable source book and guide. The author bas provided an overview of the informational facts and statistics associated with this whole topic Kendnll. and in addition has let himself pass judgment on problems that Y o m o C~eMrsrsA N D GREATDISCOYERIBS.:.J~~~S M.A., D.Sc., F.R.S., Professor of ChemiSlry in the University arc frequently debated. His philosophies on trends and possible of Edinburgh, General Secretary of the Royal Society of outcomes are as entertaining as they are informational. This Edinburgh. D. Appletan-Century Company. Inc.. New York fact in itself should make this book fascinating to the layman as 272 pages. 12.5 X 19 cm. City and London, 1939. xvi well as t o the scientist and teacher. Moreover, this analytic Illustrated. $2.50. type of presentation catches the reader just a t a moment when Here is another title to be added to the l i s t a n d the list is still he is cognizant of consumer education and analysis of propafirst-rate books on popular scienke for boys and ganda. This may cause him to be skeptical attimes of the au- a short one-f thor's concepts and challenges but surely none the less apprecia- girls, books for Christmas and for prizes in high-school or college I chemistry contests. Parents will like to read the book, and tive. A list of the unit or chapter headings will give to a prospective teachers will find that it makes difficult matters interesting and reader an idea as to the organization of the subject. They are: easily understood. This "Book of the Royal Institution ChristI. The Raw Materials; 11. The Formation of Mineral Deposits; mas Lectures 1938-9" meets the high standard set by Faraday 111. Discovering, Recovering, and Concentrating the Minerals: who gave in 1826 the first series of these lectures "adapted t o IV. Winning the Metals; V. Properties of Metals; VI. Use and a juvenile auditory" and in the course of the years gave eighteen Misuse of Metals; VII. The Nou-Metallic Minerals; VIII. The other series thereafter. I t should become, like Faraday's Energy Supply; IX. The Chemical Age; and X. Social Impacts "Chemical History of a Candle" and Tyndall's "Fragments of and Implications as Viewed by an Engineer. This book is not a Science," oneof the enduring classics of science popularization. Professor Kendall tells about the life, the struggles, the persontextbook in the sense that it is merelv a manual of instructions. \Vhk it L I I T Y C ~ %and, in many in-lnnrrr, explains sariour prtno- ality, and the discoveries of young chemists, and he tells what the plrs relating lo metal*, non-nwtnli, cnrrgy. 3nd chcrnird ~,r
