340 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



To a teacher one could imagine that this book might be very useful as bringing 

 his subject for him into contact with the applications of daily life, even if 

 these are of a technical character. On the other hand, to each of the technical 

 workers enumerated as above in the preface of the book there must be much 

 that is very redundant on account of its elementary character. The books 

 deal successively with geodesy, map construction and the surveying necessary 

 to it ; the reading of maps and charts ; climate and weather ; transport and 

 the problems connected therewith. 



The earlier chapters are the best and contain some useful and original 

 methods of presentation of the subject, though one or two useful practical 

 points might well have been included. 



The author is unfortunately somewhat careless in his English, and the 

 work suffers therefore in places from a lack of lucidity, which is disconcerting 

 to the reader, and may be misleading to the student. Nevertheless, the 

 book is well worthy of study, and moreover contains a useful appendix of 

 practical examples. For purposes of reference an index would be a valuable 

 addition. W. C. B. 



Analytical Mechanics for Engineers. By F. B. Seely, B.S., and Newton 

 Ensign, A.B., B.S. [Pp. xiv + 486, with 454 figures.] (New York : 

 John Wiley & Sons; London: Chapman & Hall, 1921. Price 24s. 

 net.) 



This book aims at presenting the fundamental principles of mechanics in a 

 logical and modern form for the information of engineers. 



Considerable use is made of graphical treatment alongside the analytical 

 methods, and there are many illustrative problems of an engineering type 

 fully and clearly worked. The diagrams are very good, and an excellent 

 system is employed for showing vector quantities in space. 



The volume deals exclusively with Statics, ffinematics and Kinetics of 

 Solids, no mechanics of fluids being included. 



An elementary knowledge of co-ordinate geometry and the calculus is 

 assumed, but not more than is reasonable, as the book is not written for 

 beginners of the average type. 



Although several small matters call attention to the country of origin — 

 for example the spelhng of " center " and " traveling," and the allusion, when 

 deahng with the centre of percussion, to the effect of a blow as felt at the 

 hand when using a base-ball bat — there is nothing to detract from the useful- 

 ness of the book to a British student. 



The treatment adopted is clear and logical, and special attention is 

 paid to difficult points in mechanical engineering theory, such as the motion 

 of links and connecting rods, the elementary theory of gyroscopic couples, 

 inertia governors and the theory of balancing. The following small points 

 may perhaps deserve slight criticism : In deahng with the forces in the 

 members of framed structures, such as trusses, the forces are mentioned as 

 stresses, whereas the rigorous use of the term " stress " for force per unit 

 area is preferable. In the explanatory portions a rather free use is made 

 of brackets to further explain small points, as, for example, on page 2 : 

 " namely, the actions of other bodies (forces) and the properties (inertia, etc.) 

 of the bodies themselves," this giving a rather jerky touch to the style. 

 Also the term " slug " and " geepound " are given — for a mass of 32-2 lb. — 

 and the following statement appears : " The name slug is used to some 

 extent, particularly in England." It is to be hoped that this is not the 

 case to any extent worth mentioning. 



On the whole the book may be recommended to the scientifically trained 

 engineer to fill the gap between the academic books on mechanics and those 

 engineering treatises where theory is either ignored or assumed. 



