Evening star., 1922-12-16
The Library Table
" THn D0oKLovER.

"181SuS tOn pODulatlOn luCIuuce q
large aumbse OF scientific men. some
Of whom are tie foremost suthorfties
In thsir srecia1ties. In many cases
their Uubyscts ase 30 absttuse that
their writinEB arc comprehended by
comparatively few people. consisting
for the most part Of other scien-
lists following tho same restricted
speciality. OF late there has been a
strong movement. particularly in
government circles. to have the re-
suits Of scientific Investigations SO
written as to make them Ineligible
to a wider circle Of readers. This is a
step In the right direction, for there
is an overwhelming interest IN
science. If people can only be as
sured that the science they read Is
attrActively written in understanda-
BILE language, the vogue of scientific
literature may be indefinitely ex-
tended.
II
1t was partly the realization Of the
demand for an Interesting and trust
worthy book covering the whole deld
Of general science. and partly per-
haps the recent great success of H. G.
Wells Outline Of History that led
Prof. j. Arthur Thomson of the Uni
versity of Aberdeen to edit and large
ly to write The Outline Of Science"
the fourth and last volume of which
has recently been published. mas
much as this handsomely printed and
beautifully illustrated book has re-
Cglved nlRh DFAiRQ thp hands Nf
competent scientific men, non
scfeEtinc reader may speak up and
tell OF his great pleasure In it Read
aloud to the family circle rs the sue
ccssfve volumes appeared, the book
has indeed been a great experience.
To give but one example: Two lee
lures on Einstein's theory of relativ-
ity given by two of Washington $
most eminent scientists left me dazed
ana almost solfcitous, as to my sanity,
whereas the chapter on this subject
In The Outline Of Science" came very
That does not mean that should like
70 stand an examination on it--far
from ft-but at least the theory does
now seem possible OF understanding.
4 + :s \
Highly interesting a "The Outline
OF Science" is, it is not a well plan
ned or well organized treatment OF
the whole field of scientific knowl-
edge, but collection of well writ
ten, accurate and entertaining essays
on certain fields of science. The
British origin of the book probably
explains the omission of any chapter
on the telephone. Since the telephone
in England is so bad, it was probably
thought that the less said about II
the better. But that does not explain
rines. particularly as aviation has its
chapter. 1t also seems strange that
proverbial British insularity should
be carried SO far as to lead scientific
men. with whom there should be no
national boundary lines. to neglect
the work Of American scientific men
What, fo' example. must one think
Of book of general science that
omits all reference to Alexander
Graham Bell or to Thomas A. t,di
son. except to print his portrait? In
the English edition the bibiiographics
which accompany the chapters in
ciude few titles not of English origin
In the American edition this lack has
been corrected by the publication in
the last volume of classified lists Civ
ing greater Justice to American
scientific literature. But when these
SuoTtCOIilUB6 are once nOted anu
proper allowances made, the reader
without scientific training may none
the less find In this work perfect
gold mine of enjoyment. Since this
book Is published at a rather stiff
price. here is a suggestion for de
luxe Christmas gift.
Parody is usually a cheap and easy
form OF humor, and rather unfair
withal, for it is likely to render ridi-
culous something far better than it,
self. Occasionally. however. some
piece of writing by its cccentricities
almost makes a bid for parody. Such
is the recent novel OF A. S. NJ. Hutch
inson, This Freedom 1t is piece OF
the baldest special pleading. with the
not attempt a career; and in its out
come is veritable sixteenth century
tragedy Of blood, with all the deaths
(and d!sgraces) displayed on the
stage. Christopher L. Ward. in a re-
cent number of the Literary Review
has taken ADVANTAGE Of the opportu-
nifty offered BY Mr.. Hutchinson and has
cleverly parodied the novel in two
columns. beginning with greai
sum N2) obtained This Freedom
The two sections satirizing respec-
lively the beginning Of the moral
downfall Of one and the death Of an.
other Of the neglected children OF
the career-loving mother, are as fol-
lows:
"r dom. believe the whale swallowed
Jonah Hugo speaking: She sat up
right. She stared. She called out dread
fully. 'HuEko" Well, mother: You
drew her hand to her heart. She was
deathly sick. 1t was very embarrassing
Her HugKo! The whale! Jonah: She
gave UP her job. Spent all the .i,'le
with her children. Read them The
Parents Assistant Mother Goose, the
Rollo books. Dull; they cried; dead
her job. After all, she was a woman
"Doda now. Her turn. The less said
the better. But one must say come
thing. Dances. Untfdiness. Powder on
her nose. No Jonah in her head. Look.
there she is! She's fourteen. Look.
there she is! She's eighteen. Look.
there she is! She's dead. The less said
the better. Strike twc."
iAll the readers who found in THE
Lite of John Marshall" by former
Senator Albert ]. Bereridge. not only
one of tho most delightful of biog-
raphics but also a thorough and en-
Tightening Interpretation Of the for
MA ton and establishment of the Con-
stitution OF the United States. will
welcome the>news that Mr.. Beveridge
has begun a similar life OF Abraham
Lincoln. It is safe to anticipate that
the biography of Lincoln will cover
as completely and analytically the
later period of our history as the life
Of Marshall covered the earlier pc.
Rod