The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-03
REALN OF BOOKS
BY PAUL PRY.

"old Tales and Modern 1deals.s by John Herbert Phillips. Published by sil- yer, Burdett & Co. in 1905.
 The announcement of the publication of this volume entitled "Old Tales and Mod ern Ideals" by Dr. J. II. Phillips, super intendent of the public schools of Bir- mingham will be a grateful one to his many friends and especially to those here who have personal acquaintance with Dr.
 Phillips splendid work. No parent, 1 am sure, who has ever had a son or daush-
 ter enter the High school of our city has
 failed to hear of the practical, helpful and inspiring talks made by Dr. J H.
 Phillips at the High school each week
 to all the students assembled, and those of Us who saw reflected at once in the
 lives of our children the effect of those
 wholesome talks will be glad to know
 that they are now preserved in book form and being accessible to all readers may
 now extend the borders of their useful
 ness.
 Of these brief talks in the preface the
 author writes: '"fhe purpose of these
 talks has not been entertainment, it has
 been something more than instruction, the presentation of worthy ideals and the in- spiraton to nobler living have always
 been the dominant ends in view. The
 Talks here published are selected from
 d large number made to the school, etc.
 That the volume serves to fill d long felt
 need is proven by the number of kind
 reviews-of it by prominent journals
 all over the country, and also by the
 large number of personal letters received
 by the author from parents attesting their great appreciation.
 The publisher sets forth in his intro ductory note it's especial value to teach
 CTS and their pupils and 10 general read
 CTS everywhere. But parents also will
 find 1t exactly suited to their needs when
 they desire something to read to their
 children clustered about them. F or 1t is
 well adapted for the reading of short ex- tracts upon some chosen topic or one apropos of the time. There are twenty five different chapters each SD vital, with each thought so convincing and neces- sary that it becomes a difficult task to make selection for special mention. How
 ever, the one upon The Students Divi- dends'' Is so Fundamental in it's every thought expressed and so clear and con- vincing in its forcefulness and aptness of illustration and so genuinely practical that it ought to be read by every one-young lAand old in our country. l say "old' be- cause it will do the "grown-up" one in- calcuable good also. Dr. Phillips writes
 ''The first measurable benefit the school aims to give the pupil is an increase of power. Everybody strives for power in
 some form and in some direction Many a man strives for the power that comes
 through the possession of wealth, but that kind of power is outside the man.
 and not a part of him. If he loses the wealth, he loses the power. Many man strives for the power that fashion and social leadership give, but such power is
 not real or intrinsic. Another seeks power through official position, but this, again, is temporary and external. Too many, in- deed, strive to possess instrumentalites of power that are f1eeting and unsubstantial 1 means of power that are entirely out side their own personality. The power l that the high school aims to give you is not something apart from your real self, 1 but a conscious capacity and an inherent strength which you can never lose in the 1 lottery of life. This power includes abl- l ity to make money, but it comprehends | much more. 1t includes ability to dis charge the duties of official position and I the functions of social or political lead l ership, but is not limited ito any single i channel. Electrical energy may be con verted into light. heat, sound or motor power, at will. So with mental and moral power, it is convertible at will into a thousand agencies for the benefit of the individual and of the world Mere knowledge is not power. Mere information is not dynamic. You must have power to think, to reason for yourself. Real thinking is difficult task, it Is a power