198 The Nature-Study Idea 



Now that there are so many nature-books, 

 how shall I choose the most useful one? 



Only by finding out what you want. The 

 multitude of books may be confusing, but the 

 greater the number the greater Is the chance 

 that you will find one to your liking. Some 

 persons deplore the making of many books, 

 because they then have more difficulty in choos- 

 ing; but the time has already passed when one 

 book, or even two, can satisfy a good teacher. 

 The teacher may not be able to purchase several 

 books, but the school should supply a reasonable 

 number. In these days the library is part of 

 the equipment of the school. There is a gen- 

 eral feeling that a new book — particularly a 

 new school-book — Is made for the purpose of 

 displacing some other book. I once wrote a 

 book. It seemed to occupy a field for which 

 one of my best friends also had written. This 

 friend wrote that perhaps I was right and he 

 was wrong. I hope I was right but this does 

 not imply that he was wrong. I hope that we 

 are both right. There is more than one point 

 of view. 



