,344 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



A School Algebra. Part I. By H. S. Hall. (London : Macmillan & Co., 

 1910. Price 2s. 6d.) 



This is the first part of a new Algebra by Mr. Hall, joint author with Dr. Knight 

 •of the famous " Hall & Knight." It is written in response to numerous requests 

 for a thorough revision of that work. While differing to some extent in plan and 

 detail, it resembles the earlier book in its characteristic features. The resemblance 

 is so close that a long review is unnecessary. Part I. goes as far as Simultaneous 

 Quadratics. Graphical methods appear early, and are freely used throughout the 

 book : probably many teachers will think, as the reviewer does, that they are 

 overdone. The examples are numerous, but there is still something to be desired 

 in this respect. There are not enough x, y, z equations of the absolutely straight- 

 forward type ; there are not enough simple equations involving brackets and 

 fractional coefficients ; there are not enough simultaneous quadratics of the type 



X^ 4- '2.x V ^= "^l 



' y : an unfair preference is griven to those in which one coefficient of 



the linear equation is unity. Boys make endless mistakes in all these, and teachers 

 need a larger stock of examples to draw upon. The examples on equations with 

 literal coefficients are rather more numerous and better selected. A table of 

 square roots has been added and should be found useful, and so should the hints 

 which are given for the solution of harder equations. The book is excellently 

 printed and paged, and preserves all the features which made " Hall & Knight " 

 so deservedly popular. 



F. G. Channon. 



