, 1873-02-24
new PUBLICATIONS.

THE FORCES OF NATURE. A Poru1An 1Hrno~
Duor1oN TO TIE STUDY OF Pnrs1oAh rnEsoMENA+
1y AMEDEE Gu1LLEM1N. Translated from tho
French BY n1ru. NoaMAN LooKxEn. and Edited by
J; NORMAN LocEYEn scstbner, Wexford ARM
atrong, New Yorf.
This ia wcll aud plainly-written and
copiously- y-illustratod volume OF $50 pagos, royal
octave. It contains explanations of tho loading
phenomena produced by the operation Of tho
forces Of Gravity, Light, Heat, Magnetism, and
Electricity, with chapters on Sound md At
mosphorie Metoors. The author haB succeeded
in depicting tho phenomona, and in making
plain to the popular comprehension tho way In
which tho laws Of the forces have boon obtained
by experiment and reasoning. Tho translation
has been we'll and faithfully performed, aud
most Of the French measures supplemented by
their American equivalents.
Tho work IL valuable acquisition to tho H.
brary Of tho general reader who wishes to DO
well informed, not only about things, but the
REASONS Of things, without burdening Ills or her
mind with too much Of techntcality in doHcrip-
tion or proof Tho style Of the author is aufti-
oent1y well known from his previous works but
It g due to this volume to say that it iB written
In the snme interesting manor, while 1t is
moro uniformly acurato in it's expressions Of
quantity than some of tho works that have pro-
ceded it. Tie author has followed his subjects
out to tho latest determinations OF result, which
cannot be said Of his volume OIL THE Heavens."
Tho one great fault Of the book ia it's cost,
which! xhell il A.. 10 high (sia 5 rs to prevent It from
popular introduction to an acquaintance with
the forces Of Nature. land the fault is all the
creator bocauao no uncomfortable portion Of
to the employment Of unnecessary engrav-
ings. No ono will consider it noeoasary
that, in diagram representing the
appearance which vibrating. string
assumes. rs in q. piano or violin, the author
who il Watching tho movement (pago 14G). The
very next pago contains an equally uncallod-for
portraituro OF tho human form, as do several
other pagoH. OF course Homo Of the human fig
uros that aro introduced MD somewhat in the
description, as whore man is 1istoning ut
focus OF sound but 1t is not too much to eay
that fully oue-haf OF the Illustrations arc need
lessly expensive.
Tie objection hero noted is ali the more forc-
bio as the work is, In many places, exceedingly
elementary in its olaraotor,-}ust the thing to
bo perasod by those who have not oujoyod Tho
advantages Of q technical education. Now,
these arc tho masseg, who, na rtllo, cannot af-
ford to pay for the work. Tho man or woman
who has passed. through plano geometry, and a.
COBRA as far III quadratio equations,
Of mathematics than ID given in. this
book in the chapters devoted to Gravity and
Light. Tho most appropriate place for such a
work is in the hands Of tho teacher of Natural
Science to the mnsHos. To all such, 1t will
prove most valuable compendium Of tho facts
in tue history Of reeearcl as we'll as OF e1plana-
average comprehension, and would provo to bo
literally "worth its weight In gold" as d help
in accounting inteligontly for the loading pho
pomona in phYsich.