Evening star., 1928-12-11
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. G. NJ.
cIRCLING SOUTH AMERICA. Isabel
Anderson, Lift. D. Marshall Jones

Co.
This, the very. moment, 1t seems to
me, to revive to grOwn-up uses game
we used to play, one that children the
world over are still pursuing in unabat-
ed zeal. Follow the Leader!" You re-
call the city by-streets of adventure that
this game opened up to us In those
other days, the vacant lots and aban-
doned sheds of high emprise that by
way of 1t used to beckOn us out ana
away to no end OF daring and gallant
deeds. You remember, toO-certainly
you do-how much depended upon the
yigor and ingenuity of the leader"
himself to provide the tip-top OF action
and excitement.
Well, the old game Is on again. Lusty
and full-grown it is! The Leader.
vigorous, Ingenious, determined, is al
ready on his way. The next move in
the play is, clearly, for all of us to join
up promptly in a sturdy partaking oil
the great enterprise. An astonishing
spectacle! Follow the Leader!" at this
juncture presents the entire popula-
ton of the United States in the wake
of it's next President who has sailed
away to the South in search for 1ull
and exact information, for immediate
contacts, for friendly UNDERSTANDINGS,
for general good will among the peoples
OF the Western Hemisphere. And TINS
remarkable experience promises in It's
effects to be a part of the budget OF
craftsmanship with which Herbert Hoo
Yer. next President of the United States
will seek to direct the common mind
at home and to reflect it's will. For
the reason that we are a partaKlng
par. of the Government itself We need
to go along upon this expedition. we,
clearly. must Follow the LEADER! IN
this out-faring The means to do just
this are abundant. Wire and wireless
print and picture, relay to us daily
the progress of the unique pilgrims ge.
And there are books to help the pubic
in this partaking of an inspired enter
prise New books are coming out. Olo
ones are stealing from neglected cor
ners. all with South America or Cen
trail America as the theme. Speaking
OF books bearing upon the prime topic
in hand at the moment, here is one
that you will like, and for the best OF
reasons 1t is at this particular juno
tura such useful book.
Mrs. Andersons "Circling South
America" offers an exceptional OPP
portunity to secure vivid sharing in
many points of the Herbert Hoover ex-
peditiOn now in progress. No, 1t is not
a study of political systems and policies
in Latin America. Nor is it gesture
toward diplomacy and foreign relations.
These abStruSe matters. belonging to
the expert and specialist, have no part
in the purpose of this book. Rather
does it seek to provide that general
view without which, no matter what
the subject may be- there Is little hope
of either understanding or enjoyment.
So here, a direct outcome of the au-
thor's personal experience, Is means
by way of which the reader makes the
circuit of South America, stopping at
one coast point or another for excur-
slons inland A map-that positive es-
sential to the travel story-and a gen.
erous supply of clean-cut pictures, OBJ
jectify the text in its orderly and ade-
quate description of the important and
interesting features of the coast OF
South America. So much for the ma
terial facts that one, coming out from
this book, Is able to put away In ms
pocket SO many dollars OF the good
hard currency of authentic informa-
ton. But. after all. this Is the least
of the matter, good as 1t Is.
The best part of this book Is It's au-
thor-but that is true of any book.
Let me specify. The mood OF this
travel story is joy, because 1t SO fits
the purpose of the undertaking and is
besides such completely communicable
mood, delivering the goods to the reader
with no loss at all in transit. A pleas
ure trip? Just that. And this is its
effect A thing to remember here. how
ever Is that pleasures vary In depth
and quality with the sources from which
they rise. Here is obviously an author
of much experience In going up and
down the earth, one who, deepening
her own personality by such wide and
varied contacts, has grown appralslng
and critical of places and peoples and
significances. A Studious traveller, as
exacting in respect to herself as she Is
honest with the sights before her.
Often here does she tell OF studying
anew this place or that one just ahead
to make sure OF her facts as to the
history, the natural resources, the AMI
NAL life. the ways of the humans IN
their religious and secular and old-time
customs. There Is a ScrupulouS intent.
manifest here, to deal i'll the utmost
fidelity with any matter under the con-
sideration of Mrs. Anderson.
"Circling South America" stands as
a summation of the important facts
that constitute the long coastline OF
the Southern continent. Pictorial IN
projection. personal in its effect upon
the reader, it serves to bring into con-
crete immediacy region upon which,
at the moment. tremendous mass Oh
common interest is centered. You VIII
not often come upon a story that with
in It's own scope and purpose, shows
better adaptation of means to the te-
sired end than does this most enjoyable
and timely book of travel.
A ROVER I WOULD BE. E. v. Lucas
E. P. Dutton IL Co.
Not would be-" He Is already q
"rOver'-that Is, if one may judge by
the long list OF his book productions.
the most of them about some other
place than his own native heath. Oh.
no, this is no complaint! The more that
Mr.. Lucas roamS the richer do readers
become, either in the solid stuff of art
appraiSalS and summaries, art deScrip-
tionS and explanations, or IN the hghter,
but none the less pleasing, substance oil
stories. essays and other WhatnoC OF
the writer's craft and kit.
Deeply enjoyable to readers of par
ticular cut and fit are the Lucas books
of the mood of this one-"A Rover
Would Be-" Here the author just soz-
zleS arOund-llot always with MS leet
in the water, TO be Sure-but sozzling
just the same. Sitting down here OF
stopping there, for no reason at all as
the unSeeing companion may think.
But, in minute or 50. right out OF the
air. or from the leafy bank upon which
for the moment he is lounging, or from
q birds throat, he brings into the light
some deep thing that dips clean down
into the heart Of the one beside him, or
the one with Lucas book III hand. The
beauty of incidental things, the mean
ing OF the iighteSt movement or action
these are the things which give pause
to this man. sozzling around.
The book in hand Is clear case In
point. Here he Is somewhere, anywhere.
And this location is fine for the reader,
since 1t is exactly where he himself
already is, with no settings or back
grounds to master before the real busi-
Il kn