Evening star., 1938-11-30
New Books at
Random
By Margaret Germond.
CHARACTER: by stanwood Cobb

Washington The Avalon Press.
The opening chapter OF this conyen-
iently sized volume concerning human
character is in the nature of spiritual
autobiography in which the author says:
'"The present age is SO distinctly one
of change and transition that few in
dividuals who think about life and des-
tiny remain satisfied with ancestral and
traditional dogmas"
1t is Mr.. Cobb's belief that the greatest
virtue in this age of change is that 1t Is
also an age of search, an era in which
man is seeking for better ways of living
and for higher and more universal
truths. AS new sources of inspiration,
multitudlnous new claimants OF world
truth impinge upon the consciousness of
the progressive liberal thinker" the mod
ern man who takes stock of his spiritual
equipment discovers that what he
thinks about life and the universe is
composite of inherited forms and ide-
ology; of personal observation, thought
and conviction regarding the nature OF
existence; and of new inspirational
material flowing in from every side,
wherefrom each individual chooses in
accordance with his temperamental sus-
capabilities, his predictions, and his
experiential past"
His own search for truth led Mr. Cobb
into many paths and gave to him an ex-
ceptionally liberal education in spiritual
experience. Seeking something beyond
the concepts of religion formed in his
childhood years, his thoughts turned to-
ward the spiritual and the metaphysical.
Then, when he was fourteen he became
deeply interested in Hindu mysticism
Theosophy and Unitarianism next en-
gagged him and to these he added during
his college years the schools of Buddhism
and New Thought.
Discovery that Christianity is not
single-unit religion, but that it is COM
posed of some two hundred or so sects-
each one claiming its articles of faith to
be the infallible guide to truth-has led
many students of the universe into the
same paths travelled by Mr.. Cobb. He
attended Harvard Divinity School and
took every course in the history of re-
ligions and comparative religions, delved
into the mystics Of Judaism, Buddhism,
Christianity, Confucianism and Moham-
mechanism, and found in all of them the
basic theme of God-consciousness After
serving for a time as supply preacher
in various chrucheS of Greater Boston he
accepted the post of teacher of English
and Latin in Robert College in Constan-
tinople and for three years lived in Tur-
key. During these years he was con-
tinually impressed by the contrast be-
tween the deep and tranquil happiness
that is inherent in the Oriental and the
feverish restlessness of Occidental life.
He believed that somewhere between
Oriental superiority in the art of happi-
ness and Occidental superiority in mate
rial growth and development there must
be a middle way to the more perfect
life, and he has devoted himself to find
ing it.
While living in Turkey he acquired
profound respect for the Islam phil
osophy and he also studied Miami, jail
lal u'Din RUM, Jami and others of the
great Suf poets of Persia. He made
the acquaintance of Abdul-Baha and
went deeply into the principles of Ba-
haism, learning that in the teachings of
that noted prophet were to be found
fundamental truths bearing directly upon
the matter of character building.
Mr. Cobb in person needs no introduce
ton to Washingtonians. He has lived
here since 1919 and is well known as an
educator and as the author of a number
of books and a writer for educational
magazines. The above outline of his re-
searches and experiences in spiritual and
religious affairs is cited as assurance of
the fund of knowledge that he brings to
the subject with which his new book
deals. He presents his ideas in the hope
that they will stimulate thought and
perhaps inspire further interest in the
spiritual literature of the ages, as we'll
as promote search into the spiritual ex-
periences which life itself offers.
Beginning with the statement that
character is destiny" the further def
milton is given that deeds flow from
character, and our deeds create our des-
tiny" Upon this simple declaration of
fact concerning the most important ele-
ment in the intellectual and spiritual
development of the human being, the
author proceeds to set down his formula
for character building in concise, un-
derstandable terms even though it raml-
fies into the science and the art of per-
fecting human happiness in this modern
age of conflicting ideals and complex
social order.
The book is in two main parts with
an introduction and summarized con-
clusion Part one is devoted to the
scientific and religious foundations for
character building and the second part
goes into the problems of self-de-
velopment, responsibility, respect for the
law of duty, the striving for altruism and
finally the attainment of the ultimate
goal OF selfless conservation.
THE aspects of devotion to leader
and of aspiration toward the perfection
of the Great Exemplar," reads a para
graph in the concluding chapter, "are
by far the most potent for the arduous
process of -perfectioning." But Mr..
Cobb finds that unfortunately only a
few know how to avail themselves of
this potent aid without the distractions
of fanaticism and of personality wor-
ship" The hope is held out, however,
that "as humanity advances to greater
maturity of intellect and of vision it