The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-05-16
Literary Lights and Sb0dOhs
BY 5. MAYS BALL

insists that more attention be paid to
tie hygiene of the schools and the gen
eral instruction to the children regard
ing the principles of health.
From this point the well-posted author
takes up the discussion of the co-opera-
ton in meeting the health obligations,
in which amongst other things he advises
periodical physical examinations after
school age even; he talks of tuberculosis;
he urges a night for clean milk
The author urges the enactment of some
official machinery for enforcing health
rights and he closes his really interesting
and important book with a chapter, Al
lance of Hygiene. Patriotism and Re-
lgion." in which he discusses ably al
coholism and supposed tobacco evils, pat
emit medicines, health advertisements and
ends with a great deal of good advice
which is offered to people in general
whom, all of us, MIR. Allen considers as
wishing the good, not the bad things out
of life. he very sensibly believes that
most people are good not bad.
Mr.. Allen shows a wide and thorough
knowledge of his subject and a close
study of all detail in connection with it.
The reader may not agree with Mr.
Allen in all his findings, stll he or she
will find "Civies and Health" more than
worth while reading.
book department in regard TO the av-
erage book reviewer.
In the May number of Worlds Work,
under the heading of THE Talk of the
Office" anybody can read who feels that
way or otherwise, the following, which
Is taken therefrom:
Time was, SO old-fashioned people say,
when book reviewing held its place as a
sort of learned profession: reviews were
nd cd al d-faS h.
toned people assert that books are re-
Viewed by the baseball editor or the man
on the telegraph desk. Also, they say
that these hard worked knights of the pen
are called upon to dash off perhaps 20
book reviews in an afternoon" The article
then goes on to say as to the above that
the writer would not care to express an
opinion, but sometimes we have ven
tured to think that the baseball enthus-
lasts would hardly stand for the lack
of real knowledge displayed In a report Of
the national game that the authors and
publishers must submit to in the way of
a book review; but that is another story
mot even in quotation-reviewer' interpo-
lation), and besides there are more base
ball votaries than bookworms." Do you
believe there are more people who go
to baseball games than read books and
magazines?
THE publishers send out perhaps 100 or
more copies of a new book publication to
the newspapers. Possibly 80 per centum
of the reviewers show upon their face
that the reader has either not read the
books of knows next TO nothing of the
subject and this is perhaps natural when
1t is remembered how many books are
published and how Woodworking are the
newspaper people. In this country the
good, well-considered and sane book re-
view prepared by competent writer is
mighty rare and so on" all apropos of
the prize that Doubleday Page & Co, are
Offering for review of their book The
Climber reference TO which has been
made in this department.
This department wrote Mr.. Peyton
Steger, the literary advisor of Doubleday
Page & Co. in regard to this article in his
magazine. He stands by it. In other
words, he says that 80 per centum of the
reviews made on his book are not worth
q tinlSer's dam. That the reviewers never,
that is 80 percentofthem, never do read
the books-and therefore out of 10 of
the reviews one sees in the newspapers
are not to be relied upon. 1t does look
as if Doubleday, Page & Co. has less re-
spect for the average reviewers work
than it deserves.
This department ventures to state as
fact that Doubleday, Page & Co. have
simply reversed the figures That 80
per centum of the reviewers read every
book discussed. instead of the 10 per
centum as stated In the article.
AT any rate, 1t is a safe proposition to
make that Mr. Steger and Doubleday,
Page q Co. are sure in their minds that
this department not only reads every one
of their books before discussing them but
all others submitted to 1t.
Such an attack upon the reviewers in
general deserves as this is intended to
be a call for a show down. Hence the
space given 1t.