Literary Notices. yy 



Hall, G. Stanley. Adolescence. Its Psychology and Relation to Physiology, 

 Anthropology, Sociology, Sex, Crime, Religion and Education. New 

 York, D. Appleton and Company, 1904. Vol. I. xx -\- t;88, Vol. II, 784 pp. 



This work, by intent at least, is a biological psychology. The 

 author has devoted many years to the study of various aspects of ado- 

 lescence. During this time he has influenced and encouraged a great 

 number of students in the investigation of problems of genetic psy- 

 chology ; unceasingly he has urged that "the studies of the mind need 

 new contact with life at as many points as possible." Instead of specu- 

 lating concerning the future of the soul we should study its past, if we 

 are desirous of understanding its present condition. "We must collect 

 states of mind, sentiments, phenomena long since lapsed, psychic facts 

 that appear faintly and perhaps but once in a lifetime, and that in 

 only few and rare individuals, impulses that, it may be, never any- 

 where arise above the threshold, but manifest themselves only in auto- 

 matisms, acts, behavior, things neglected, trivial and incidental, such 

 as Darwin says are often most vital. We must go to school to the 

 folk-soul, learn of criminals and defectives, animals, and in some sense 

 go back to Aristotle in rebasing psychology on biology, and realize 

 that we know the soul best when we can best write its history in the 

 world, and that there are no finalities save formulae of development." 



The work is much more than an assemblage of facts, for the au- 

 thor has convictions as well as ideas. His concern, as early appears, 

 is with the bearing of his researches upon education. A few words 

 from the introductory remarks will serve to indicate the practical trend 

 and tone of the book. "Never has youth been exposed to such dan- 

 gers of both perversion and arrest as in our own land and day. In- 

 creasing urban life with its temptations, prematurities, sedentary occu- 

 pations, and passive stimuli just when an active, objective life is most 

 needed, early emancipation and a lessening sense for both duty and 



discipline " And again, "In education our very kindergartens 



tend to exterminate the naive which is the glory of childhood. 



Everywhere the mechanical and formal triumph over content and sub- 

 stance, the letter over the spirit, .... information over education, 

 marks over edification, and method over matter." 



The Psychology of Adolescence, as the book might be called, is 

 full of the earnestness of purpose and enthusiasm of the author. Its 

 facts are vitalized by the sense of contact with life which each page 

 gives. President Hall has handled with admirable skill a subject 

 which was at many points extremely difficult of treatment. 



R. M. Y. 



