The Washington herald., 1921-10-18
GChcEeyuLd,
Scientific
cNofc1s
ONE HUNDRED POPULAR
BOOKS IN SCIENCE.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER Is 1871.

ONE HUNDRED POPULAR
BOOKS IN SCIENCE.
The general reader interested IN
science is often puzzled TO know
what books TO ask for at the local
libr3fy. The most readable book,
are sometimes unreliable ana IN.
most authoritative books are often
too technical
A committee Of the Washington
Academy OF Sciences. at the reouest
Of DR.. George p. Bowerman, libra
rian OF the Public Library Of the
District OF Columbia. has compIIe6
tentative list Of hundred populsr
but accurate books In science.
This Hist will be published seriaIlv
In this column during the week. he-
ginning today.
Thursday evening there will be
meeting Of the Washington AeAd-
envy Of Sciences at the Public
Library TO inspect the 100 books
which Mr.. BowermAn will have ar
ranged in a special case. DR.. Bow
erman and members OF the commit
tee will also tell about the work Of
the committee and the way in which
the books were selected.
1T IL to be emphasized that the
list Is strictly tentative. and that
neither the committee as a whole
nor any one member Of Il can as
sert that the books named are the
very best for the purpose" says the
report OF the committee headed bv
DR.. r. B. Sosman, secretary Of the
academy. 1T IL hoped that criti-
cisms and suggestions from the
readers may be brought forth and
the list thereby improved II will
be obvious also that broad areas Of
the field OF science are hardly
touched at all. and that the reIs-
tive number OF books treating or
different subdivisions Of science
must not be taken to represent the
relative Importance OF each sub
division or the relative activity OF
modern research therein. Read
ability Is an essential criterion for
selection, and books that are read
able" from the pUblic's point OF
view, are very unevenIy distributed
as 70 subject-matter."
The first test for the kind OF
book that is desired for the list is
this: Would the average reader who
uses a public library, after begin
ming 20 read the book in question.
read IL through to the end and come
back 70 the librarian for another
on the same subject? Such q book
should be included. Or would he
lay II down after a little while ana
turn TO some other kind Of book
as being more interesting. and not
return TO the subject again? Such
q book should not be included.
however accurate, thorough, and
complete II might be from the
standpoint OF a specialist"
1T is also desirable that the book
should not be professedly a text
book, nor should IL be written In
textbook style: that Is, Il must not
be a book intended primarily for
the seeker after information re-
ton be interesting reading or not
1t is perhaps needless 20 add that Il
should have been written by an
author who knows his subject
thoroughly. and should not be 90
old as to be obsolete in its facts and
speculAtions."
The FIRST eighteen books Of the
list deal with man. his food.
heredity and life. Tomorrow's list
will include the books on plants.
animals, birds, and insects.
The author is given FIRST, then the
title, and then the publisher.
AhthrOPOIoEy and Physiology
Mason. o. T. The Origins Of In
vention." Walter Scott. London.
Mason. o. T. "woman's Share in
Primitive Culture" Appleton.
Osborn. Henry Fsirfeld. Men OF
the Old Stone Age. Their Environ
ment. Life and Art" Scribner'S
Haddon. A. C.. The Study OF
Man" Putnam's.
Kidd. Dudley. Savage Childhood.
a Study OF Ksfir Children" Adam
and Charles Black. London.
Hough, Walter. The Hopi In
dams" Torch Press. Cedar RAPIDS.
Iowa.
McComum. E. V. The Newer
knowledge OF Nutrition" Mac
milan.
Sherman. H. c. Food Products e."
Macmillan.
HeredIty.
Darwin. Charles. The Origin 81
Species" Appleton.
East. f. NJ, and Jones. n. F. In
breeding and outbreedinE." Lippin.
colt
Castle. W. z. Coulter. J. n.
Davenport. c. B., East. E NJ. and
Tower, W. l., "HeredIty and Eu-
genics." Chicago University Press.
Morgan. T. H. "A Critique Of the
Theory OF Evolution" Princeton
University Press.
Condlin, E. G., "Heredity and En-
vironment" Princeton University
Press.
Cation. Francis, Hereditary
Genius" Appleton.
Popenoe, Rul. and johnson. R.
Il, Applied Eugenics." Macmillan
Thomson, John Arthur, The
Wonder Of Life" Melrose, Ltd, Lon
don.
HeadIey. F. W, Problems Of
Evolution" Crowell and Company.
Lotsy. J. p, Evolution by Means
of Hybridization." NJ. NiJhof. The
Hague.
GIANT SQUID WAS
LEGENDARY SEA MONSTER