boys, agriculture, and military drill, manual labor for girls, sewing, and domestic economy, are touched upon. The two closing chapters deal with rewards and punishments, and discipline in general. The text is divided into paragraphs, each with a title. Throughout the volume the author makes evident his belief that a living, active personality is needed in addition to rules and formulas, in order to make any system of education effective.
Civilization and Progress. By John Beattie Crozier. London and New York: Longmans & Co. 1888. Pp. 477. Price, $1.50.
In this work there is much to commend. The defect seems to be a failure to properly condense and clarify the thought. Again, there is, perhaps, too much reference to particular men as exponents of intellectual movements. Not that names should be neglected, but more prominence is given to the person than to the thought represented; leading to the false impression that men make an epoch instead of the truth that the epoch makes men, who are only representatives of the intellectual feeling of their times. But, apart from these matters of minor criticism, the book is a most excellent one, for the reason that the author aims to show, and succeeds in showing, the controlling factor in any social progress "to be the material and social conditions, and not, as so many believe, moral exhortation and appeal." This rests on the law that "in this world things make their own relations—that is to say, their own morality—in spite of politicians or priests. Now, should this turn out to be a true law, it will not only settle speculatively the basis on which civilization rests, but will also furnish a practical guide for action. Its importance, therefore, can not be overestimated. For if the moral relationships of the great masses of men—their ideals, opinions, and habits of thought—grow directly out of their conditions of life, it is evident that, instead of sitting invoking (sic) a lofty morality which will prove as obstinate as the fire invoked by the priests of Baal, it behooves us rather to set to work resolutely to bring about that amelioration in the material and social conditions without which the higher morality can not arise." This is a truly scientific position to assume, and the fact that the author takes it entitles his work to the consideration of disciples of science. As to the value of the idea set forth, there is much force in the author's contention that we ought to regard with serious attention the question whether we can have any such thing as equality or security in rights unless there be substantially a social equality of power. If power be unbalanced, the stronger will oppress the weaker, and endeavor to perpetuate its domination at the expense of the latter. This process will go on till the pressure of the more powerful becomes unbearable, and provokes violent and destructive eruptions leading to all sorts of convulsions. Hence we must not expect any stable social equilibrium unless there be an equality of power—that is to say, of material and social conditions.
Accessory to this central thought of Mr. Crozier's work are many interesting criticisms, historical, political, religious, and ethical. The book is worthy of careful study, and is a genuine contribution to sociologic
In his Complete Graded Course in English Grammar and Composition (D. Appleton & Co.), Mr. Benjamm C. Conklin has endeavored to compass with a single volume the entire range of the usual two-hook course. This he does by making it sufficiently elementary in the beginning to be put into the hands of pupils in the lowest grammar grades, and sufficiently advanced to cover all that is required of the highest grammar classes. The theory of the book is the gradual development of the sentence; the method inductive. The teachings of the text are exemplified by graded sentences, which in themselves afford a concrete presentation of the whole subject; and these are accompanied by questions so framed as to require the pupil, after a study of the text, to formulate his own answers. Analysis and synthesis are so carried along together as to develop, with the knowledge of the structure of the sentence, the power to use language. Instead of giving examples of false syntax for correction, a better way is sought of accomplishing the same object by presenting exercises for filling out sentences by supplying the correct forms of words in blank
