BOOKS AND CURRENT LITERATURE 



Science of Plant Life. — When a great modern corporation or busi- 

 ness firm contemplates a new venture in their line of business, the situ- 

 ation is very carefully canvassed. Efficiency experts are set to work. 

 They survey every angle of the venture, make reports and estimates. 

 From this mass of data conclusions are drawn and plans made. But 

 how about the writing of textbooks for high schools! How often do 

 even the authors of textbooks of biological science approach the matter 

 in a truly scientific fashion without bias? In the case of botany the 

 author is usually a college professor. In his younger days he may have 

 taught botany in a high school, — he may have taken some interest in 

 high school botany. But he has been out of the schools for years, has 

 become saturated with university methods and does not realize that he 

 has lost touch with the high school situation. However he is always 

 confident he knows just what is needed without investigation. What 

 is a secondary school textbook for: to open up the world of science to 

 the pupil in a manner the student can appreciate and understand, or to 

 exploit an author's notions about secondary education? 



The author of Science of Plant Life 1 expresses himself very frankly. 

 He has certain beliefs about textbooks of botany and writes a book 

 which embodies these beliefs. There is no evidence that these opinions 

 are based on an educational survey of the teaching of botany in high 

 schools or that the views of teachers in the work were obtained before 

 the business of writing was undertaken. A concrete illustration of 

 this method of approach to authorship may be taken from the preface. 

 The author asks rhetorically, "Is it best to give a 'practical' turn to 

 the course by inserting chapters from other subjects like agriculture, 

 forestry, and plant breeding ; or shall the course be kept within the strict 

 confines of botany." .... The author's answer is indicated by 

 the tone of the question and further by the fact that all the "practical" 

 topics are missing from the table of contents. But the trend of botani- 

 cal teaching in high schools is toward the inclusion of these practical 

 topics as giving life and meaning to the principles of botany. 



1 Transeau, E. N., Science of Plant Life. Pp. 336, figs. 194. World Book 

 Company. 1919. ($1.48.) 



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