414 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



afford every advantage of pictorial repre- 

 sentation. At the same time the work would 

 prove valuable as an authentic account of 

 the present condition of ^ geological science 

 for general reading and convenient refer- 

 ence. 



Like all the other volumes of this series, 

 it is presented in an elegant form and fin- 

 ished workmanship, alike in engraving, ty- 

 pography, and binding. Le Conte's com- 

 pend should at once take rank as a standard 

 school text-book. 



The Destiny of Man, viewed in the Light 

 OF his Origin. By John Fiske. Bos- 

 ton: Houghton, Mifflin & Co. Pp. 121. 

 Price, $1. 



It was certainly not at all surprising 

 that Mr. John Fiske should have received 

 an invitation to lecture before the " Con- 

 cord School of Philosophy " ; but it was a 

 matter of some surprise to many that he 

 should have accepted it. There are those 

 who will think he was not at home there ; 

 and yet there seems to have been a propri- 

 ety both in the invitation and in the accept- 

 ance of it. The Concord philosophers this 

 year took up the question of immortality, 

 and, as Mr. Fiske has views upon this sub- 

 ject, and as his opinions upon any grave 

 philosophical question are highly valued, 

 and as, moreover, there is a good deal of in- 

 terest to know how he regards this particu- 

 lar problem, the Concord people must be 

 credited with doing an excellent service in 

 calling him out. 



We shall here be able only to state 5Ir. 

 Fiske's position, as to discuss his views will 

 require a formal article ; and we can not 

 better indicate the ground he takes upon 

 the question of immortality than in his own 

 words in the preface, which will also afford 

 a clew to its treatment in the book. He 

 says : " The question of a future life is gen- 

 erally regarded as lying outside the range 

 of legitimate scientific discussion. Yet, 

 while fully admitting this, one does not 

 necessarily admit that the subject is one 

 with regard to which we are forever de- 

 barred from entertaining an opinion. Now, 

 our opinions on such transcendental ques- 

 tions must necessarily be affected by the 

 total mass of our opinions on the questions 

 which lie within the scope of scientific in- 

 quiry; and from this point of view it be- 



comes of surpassing interest to trace the 

 career of humanity within that segment of 

 the universe which is accessible to us. The 

 teachings of the doctrine of evolution as to 

 the origin and destiny of man have, more- 

 over, a very great speculative and practical 

 value of their own, quite apart from their 

 bearings upon any ultimate questions. The 

 body of this essay is accordingly devoted to 

 setting forth these teachings in what I 

 conceive to be their true light ; while their 

 transcendental implications are reserved for 

 the sequel." 



From this it will be seen that Mr. Fiske's 

 volume affords a compendious presentation 

 of the doctrine of evolution in its highest 

 aspects as throwing light upon the origin, 

 history, career, and possible destiny of man. 

 As an exposition of this subject the little 

 book is a gem of lucidity and instructive- 

 ness. Mr. Fiske has but very few peers 

 as a clear, attractive, and brilliant writer; 

 and on the subject here treated he writes, 

 with the authority of one who by his inde- 

 pendent and original investigations has aid- 

 ed in giving shape to modern evolutionary 

 doctrine in its higher aspects. The book 

 is to be very strongly commended on this 

 ground, and is certain to be widely read. 

 The incompleteness which is a necessary re- 

 sult of its brevity may be supplemented by 

 reference to the more elaborate presenta- 

 tion of his views in his other works ; and at 

 the close of the volume he indicates which 

 of his larger volumes is to be consulted for ■ 

 this purpose and where the more elaborated 

 opinions are to be found. Without inquiring 

 at present into the validity of the special 

 conclusions he has arrived at on the ques- 

 tion of immortality, we will only say that 

 the book taken in connection with its ref- 

 erences is a unique and incomparable state- 

 ment of evolutionary doctrine, that may be 

 perused with equal pleasure and profit by 

 all concerned in this class of inquiries. 



Shoppell's Building Plans for Modern 

 Low-CosT Houses. Edited by Robert 

 W. Shoppell. New York : Co-operative 

 Building Association. Forty Plana, 

 Price, 50 cents. 



The houses for which plans are given are 

 in the favorite styles of the day, and range 

 in cost from $400 to $6,500. The designs 

 are furnished by Stanley S. Covert and Fran- 



