New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-15
MANS WONDERS.

The wonders and the wonder-workers
Of this age of science are as powerful
of appeal to the imagination Of the
young as ever were the magicians OF
fairyland. There Is magic all around
us, created by our own brains and
hands, the magic Of gigantic under
takings, of the conquest and harness
ing Of the forces Of Nature, the VIC
tory over obstacles once deemed In
superable by our puny strength. 1t is
with the most material Of these new
wonder works that A. Russell Bond
deals in with the Men Who Do
Things" the men who build skyscrap-
ers and bridges, who construct aque-
ducts and tunnels, who dredge deep
sea channels, go down into the depths
Of the sea in submarines, and build
super dreadnoughts and dry docks,
Diesel engines, and what not-the
wonders Of modern engineering. The
information packed into these pages
is given in the guise of a story, whose
two young heroes go down in caissons
with the gang that lays foundations,
and up aloft with the riveters. They
accompany the sand hogs" to their
work under the river bed, aid In work.
! ing suction dredges, learn the intrica-
cies Of our telephone system-in short,
they learn TO understand the how"
of modern magic. And ell these won
ders are unveiled to them in this city,
from a skyscraper near City Hall
Park to the new aqueduct. The boys
share the dangers encountered by these
magicians Of to-day, dangers as great
ps those of the times Of giants and
dragons. A book that will make the
world in which they live one Of vivid
interest to our youngsters (Munn q
Co., Inc)
Other wonders of science are made
familiar to our boys in the series pub
lished by the Messrs. Harper under the
title of "Harper's Practical Books"
They combine theory with practice,
the experiments to which active boys
are always inclined. Thus, "Harper's
Beginning Electricity" by Don Came
ron Shafer, Is not only a simple hand
book, but also a guide for the boy who
would himself be an electrician in a
small way. Boy wireless operators
we have already all over the country.
For them. and for others who would
follow their example. we have A. II.
Verrilrs "Harper's Wireless Book"
and, by the same author, "Harper's
Aircraft Book" which, while chiefly
devoted to the construction and sail
ing Of models, at the same time gives
7 a thorough knowledge Of aerial naviga-
ton, its principles and practice.
Agnes Giberne's "The Wonder World"
american Tract Society is intended
for younger readers. The author starts
out with an oak table, and ingeniously
I progresses from wood to coal, from coal
| to steam and iron, from these to the
laws Of nature, and thence TO 1.-THE.
make of things" from the atom up
| ward. An entertaining little primer
! to childish understandings-1n way,
Julia Ellen Rogers's Book OF Useful
| Plants" doubleday, Page & Coz is
wonder book, too. 1t introduces young
sters to the plants that serve man..
kinds many needs, from food to cloth
ing and shelter and that plant Of mod
/ ern usefulness untold, the rubber tree.
| Thi1 vegetable world is divided into
groups: Bread plants, sugar plants.
plants whose seeds we eat--beans, peas,
lentls and the nuts; plants whose
leaves or roots we eat; plants whose
seed vessels we eat-mostly fruit; bev-
/ erage plants-cocoa, coffee, tea, and so
on; fibre plants, and plants Of miscel-
laneous service. The author has given
her very useful and informing little
volume a delightfully."- vivid touch
Natures Work Shop" by William u.
Claxton (Thomas Y. Crowell & Col
is also well calculated to attract and
hold the interest of the young. 1t deals
with the ways and means of wild ani-
mails to survive In the wilderness; with.
their instinct and reasoning power.
their weapons of attack and defence, Z
with the life of birds, the services OF
the earthworm, the organization OF,
the bee hive and the ant colony. with
plants and flowers. A really good ma
ture book, whose English origin is seen
only in its closing chapters, descriptive
Of the beauties Of England's country y
side. :