Evening star., 1935-08-04

Congress.
Under philosophy Prof Wolf comes
on to ground that is more generally
familiar. The great names Of this
broad field and the achievements that
they represent are known to most peo-
pie who will care to read this book
and, appropriately, less space is allot-
ted to them. Psychology and the
social sciences each have a chapter
and there is one on philosophy and
science.
The book acquires an additional
value from its large number of illus
trations. Many of these are drawings
of the period and their vivacIty and
ingeniousness are delightful. Very
different they seem from the scien-
tiic diagram of this day, which only
the expert can read. and certainly
they are much better art.
Prof. Wolf says in his preface that
his book is intended primarily for the
serious student. While there are un-
doubtedly parts of it that exceed the
capacity of those who lay no claim to
seriousness. it would seem that this
history would make an interesting and
pleasant addition to any well-balanced
book collection.
PRIMITIVES AND THE SUPER
NATURAL. BY Lucien Levy-Bruhl.
Translated from the French by
Lillian A. Clare. New York: E. P.
Dutton & Co., Inc.
THIS book is. In sum, a synthesis Of
the primitive mind The author.
an eminent anthropologist, has taken
up such aspects of primitive thinking
as are common in some manner or
other to a number of groups, and,
drawing from the studies of other
scientists, has shown the various ways
in which this thinking is applied.
Luck. dispositions, taboos. cere-
monials. witchcraft, defilements and
urificationS-these are some of the
subjects of the demonstrations. The
peoples considered include tribes in
Africa, Borneo, New Zealand, Aus
tralia, the Cameroons, India and
North America. From an examina-
ton of similarities of attitude in these
widely separated groups, the author
attempts to show the essential atti-
tude of all primitive peoples toward
the phenomena of existence.
He makes a book that Is effective
for his purpose, and very good reading.
too. Leaving the soundness of his
conclusions to the scientist. the lay
reader. free of the trammeling weight
of technical information. can read
"Primitives and the Supernatural
with downright entertainment. The
savage emerges from it in an unsus-
pectedly admirable manner; he is ap-
parently the only man in existence
today who possesses a complete work.
ing philosophy. For he seems to know
his world and to be not too humble OF
heart to try to control it. Nothing is
unaccounted for with him and for
every possible emergency he has an
appropriate answer.
If you object with the statement
that his knowledge is inaccurate he
can counter with the observation that
much of your own is of the same kind
and that his, as far as he Is concerned
at least, is effective.
The publishers statement tells us
that the primitive lives 'in world
that is capricious. unpredictable, un-
stable and terrified" Do not we all?
The forces which so threaten the
primitive man are those of external
nature. Failing to understand them
he strives to keep them friendly by
making his own life thing of har-
mony with them. Civilized man. hav-
ing gained measure of control over
these powers, finds himself faced by
others vastly more menacing, by
products of his conquest. There is no
controlling of these; certainly there
is no propitiation. So what has been
accomplished beyond central heating
and television?
Food for ironical thought, as we'll as
lore about our backward groups Is to
be found in this book.
FOUR WALLS. BY Laurence Whistler.
New York: The Macmillan Co.
THIS book of verse has just been
awarded the Kings medal in
England The judges were no less
competent practitioners than John
Masefield, Laurence Binyon, Walter de
la Mare, Gilbert Murray and I. A.
Richards. The volume, therefore,
would seem to be distinctly deserving
of notice.
1t is. The author is young-he is
23-and he is obviously greatly inter-
ested in technique. His thought seems
to be largely conventional and his
emotions almost altogether so. But
in developing his technique he has
worked well and accomplished effects
of delicacy and beauty. Viewed in this
light, -Four Walls" is worth examin-
ing. Mr. Whistler is subtle versifier.
ALL SAIL SET. BY Armstrong Sperry.
Introduction by William McFee.
Philadelphia: John c. Winston Co.
IT Is not every juvenile book that
merits an introduction from the
pen of william McFee 1t Is, indeed,
the highly exceptional one that rates
so great an honor, particularly when
its subject is that one on which Mr..
McFee is so notably hard to please
the sea. But of the present book he
says himself. "The youngest boy who