Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-21
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. C.. NJ.
JOHN WANAMAKER. Herbert

Adams Gibbons. Harper & Bros.
The current vogue of biography
rests upon two substantial causes.
One of these is sourced In the author,
| the other in the subject itself Within
! the past few years the biographer
| has learned vital lessons from the
| novelist. And within recent times
| also the field of biography has ex-
| panded to include many beside the
generals and statesmen who used to
| provide material for the bulk of this
| form of writing. 1t is upon these
| two lines of departure from old ways
| and conditions that modern biography
may safely rest a claim for permanent
interest and usefulness and popular
| ity.
Nowadays the best biographer is
| like the best Of the novelists in two
/ respects. He appreciates the nature
and effectiveness of drama in his own
| work. Besides, he values the power
of imagination as the chief of his
instruments of construction. The old
time-sequence of events making up a
| mans external life will no longer do,
even when such record is accom-
panied with gestures of interpreta.
| framing of some character to suit the
purposes Of lesson and precept will
| no longer serve. The one lacks focus,
lacks drama. The other sacrifices the
| man to the lesson, thereby turning
out to be a lifeless wooden contrap.
ton, untrue, unappealing, futile.
Any man worth writing about at
all is in himself theme of human
endeavor, a theme ~of human influ-
ence in one direction or another.
| Somewhat by blood and it's inheri.
tancfes. somewhat by external sur
roundings and their call. the indi
vidual moves forward through the
years along a clearly defined course.
And 1t is this course that the new
biographer follows, discarding along
| the way a thousand trivial happen
1ngs and inconsequences, as he stead
! tasty pursues the impulses, the char
| acter, the activities, that constitute
the essential man of his quest. In
such a consideration, just as in the
drama, points Of focus appear. Each
, Of these, as In the play, provides
occasion, or cause, for the next adj
vance. And so, act by act or period
by period, the man moves forward to
/ his ov l fultlllment. whatever that
| may be. And into this dramatic con.
/ ception OF an individual life the new
biographer pours himself by the gift
| of his own constructive imagination
himself thereby actually sharing the
| impulses and desires and native
blood drift of the one whom he is
| seeking to re-embody and project. In
such circumstances and under such
treatment biography becomes ire
| mendously vital and influential, its
subject more real than hero of 70.
nance, much more immediate, much
| more potent in direct effect.
Herbert Adams Gibbons - biog.
rapher, historian, travel writer, story
teller, publicist and poet-who is
| everywhere welcomed in a blend of
respect for his learning and enjoy
ment of his writing manner, here
projects the life aof John Wanamaker
in drama Of personal achievement
and public service that is vital
throughout. with the living person
ality of this famous American. The
keynote of the great merchants life
was that of radiant joy In the mere
adventure of being alive. And to such
keynote Mr.. Gibbons pitches this
story of a long and eminently useful
career. Just to be alive, just to be
at work in world of marvellous OPP
portunity and resource-this was the
spirit of John Wanamaker Trade
and religion were the outlet of this
buoyant spirit. Through the one Mr.
Wanamaker provided huge philan-
thropies of specially sane and expan-
sive nature. Through the other he
inaugurated a new system of mer-
chandising that is today in working
operation in every corner of the
world. He devised thoroughgoing re-
forms whose object was improvement
in the workingman's way of life.
An ardent Christian, he taught and
sang and preached and organized
Sunday schools that were certainly a
departure from the rather sad Sab
bath schools roundabout before this
new adventure in everyday religion.
Opportunity and John Wanamaker
stepped off together like twin brothers
throughout this mans career, achiev-
ing in many fields marvels of useful
ness and influence. 1t is this that
marks the story for benefit to read
ers, that they, too, may come upon
speaking terms with achievement
through alliance with various points
of advantage in the astounding world
Of present opportunity. Here is the
story of an incorrigible optimist to
whom life was a great adventure in
which he passed from a childhood of
poverty ard privation to a maturity
Of wealth and fame and influence. 1t
takes two volumes to tell this story,
to unfold. act by act, this drama of
achievement In a land where oppor.
tunity stands ready for those whose
souls are keyed to adventure.
y u u
EXPLORING LIFE. Thomas A.
Watson. d. Appleton & Co.
America specializes in self-made
men. Here Is one of them who tells
us his own story. Just another
record of trying life out at various
points for the sake of finding true
and productive contacts between the
individual and the world. We've all
read that classic, Come here, Mr..
Watson, want you," uttered by Alex
ander Graham Bell. and the first
words ever heard over a telephone.
That's about all we know Of "Mr.
Watson" And here he is telling about
himself In a manner that Immediately
seizes upon the interest Of the reader.
Here is the familiar American story
that of gradually moving out of
poverty and obscurity into competence
and recognition by way of using to
advantage the various offerings that
life makes to zeal and courage. And
it takes courage to give up any GER
tainty. no matter how poor one, for
uncertainty. And this was what
Thomas Watson did, repeatedly. be-
cause he was hunting for his real
place in the scheme of things. BY
and by he found 1t in mechanical
work that fitted the sort Of mind he
had. 1t was at this point that the
boy commenced to grow, and he is still
growing-which is. really. the fine sub
stance that one draws from this de-
lightful self-revelation. Exploring
Life" names the book admirably, for