406 



NA TURE 



[September 23, 1922 



for the future of physics is that such a condition should 

 become impossible, that " Ollivier " should become a 

 household word and his treatise (if it is all equally 

 good) be found in the library of every serious physicist. 



N. R. C. 



Science Primers. 



(1) First Course in General Science. By Prof. Frederic 

 Delos Barber and others. Pp. vii + 607. (New 

 York : Henry Holt and Co. ; London : G. Bell and 

 Sons, Ltd., 1916.) Price 9s. net. 



(2) The Science of Everyday Life. By E. F. Van 

 Buskirk and E. L. Smith. Pp. xvi + 416. (London: 

 Constable and Co., Ltd., n.d.) js. 



(3) A First Book of General Science : An Introduction 

 to the Scientific Study of Animal and Plant Life. By 

 A. T. Simmons and A. J. V. Gale. (First Books of 

 Science.) Pp. viii + 145. (London : Macmillan and 

 Co., Ltd., 1921.) 2s. 6d. 



THESE three books offer a good contrast between 

 British and American tendencies as regards 

 general science in education. In the two countries, 

 the movements in this direction have been going on 

 independently. In both cases, they sprung from efforts 

 made, in the 'nineties, in two or three schools, to take 

 a bird's-eye rather than a toad's-eye view of science — ■ 

 to use the words of the Principal of one of the Illinois 

 schools. In both cases, again, the growth of the move- 

 ment began to be rapid about ten years ago. 



With characteristic thoroughness, the Americans are 

 fast reducing their methods to a system. In this 

 country we are still in the muddle which seems to be 

 our natural habit of growth. Now that examining 

 bodies are issuing schedules of work to be done in this 

 connexion, teachers may be forced to set their houses 

 in order. Then, perhaps, the hardly-won freedom 

 from traditional restraint may again be lost. It is to 

 be hoped that the outcome will be more satisfactory 

 in the way of awakening general interest in things 

 scientific than the work of the last century proved to be. 



(1) But to return to the contrast : in America, the 

 teaching of general science is itself being developed into 

 a science ; in Britain, it remains an art. If in one 

 case it might be more scientific, in the other it might 

 well be more artistic. The book which Prof. Barber 

 and his collaborators have written is among the best 

 of its kind — and many good ones have been published 

 across the water. It may even be objected that it is 

 too complete. In a single column of the index, the 

 following words occur : machines, malaria, maltose, 

 meat, metabolism, monsoons, motors, mucor, mumps. 

 Experience shows that anything like a proper assimila- 

 NO. 2/bO, VOL. I io] 



tion of such mixed dishes occupies three or four years. 

 Are the pupils to have the same text-book during all 

 that time ? Will not they tire of the style, the print, 

 the binding ? There is a certain value in change, if 

 only for the incentive to make a new and better start. 

 In such things, perhaps, the art of teaching lies. 



(2) " The Science of Everyday Life " depressed us. 

 It seemed such a good book spoiled — spoiled by the 

 very riot of the science of teaching. Here we have 

 done with chapters : the book is divided, instead, into 

 two parts, five units, and eighteen projects. Every 

 one of the latter is subdivided monotonously into 

 introduction, problems, topics, and individual projects. 

 A project, by the way, has been defined as a whole- 

 hearted, purposeful activity proceeding in a social 

 environment. Pupils may be expected to ask questions 

 about their activities ; but lest they should omit to do 

 so, the authors give lists of questions which they ought 

 to ask. When they have completed a project, the 

 whole-hearted, purposeful, and active seekers after 

 knowledge must feel that there is nothing more that 

 they ought to know, can know, or want to know about 

 it. Frankly, despite the authors' introduction, we can 

 scarcely think of a surer way of killing initiative. Yet 

 the subject-matter of the book is good, and teachers 

 who are rather short of ideas might do well to study 

 it. We ourselves found the diagram showing the 

 various cuts in a side of beef instructive ! 



(3) " General Science," by Simmons and Gale, 

 provides a refreshing contrast. Here the authors set 

 out with a single aim : to make their young readers 

 acquainted with the manner in which plants and 

 animals live, and to describe some of the physical and 

 chemical processes which are involved. A small book, 

 the general purpose can be grasped by boys and girls ; 

 and they may hope to master the contents within a 

 reasonable time. It is written as a man might write 

 for men — children hate to feel that they are being 

 written down to. The science of teaching does not 

 obtrude itself upon the pages ; which is not the same 

 as to say that it is absent. That is where the art of 

 teaching plays its part. The authors have compiled 

 a book which is both sound and eminently readable. 

 It is sure to find a wide acceptance. 



C. L. Bryant. 



Atmospheric Electricity. 



Eleclricite atmospherique. Par B. Chauveau. Premier 

 Fascicule : Introduction historique. Pp. xi + 90. 

 (Paris : G. Doin, 1922.) 10 francs. 



M CHAUVEAU has set out to write a work on 

 . atmospheric electricity — a very laudable 

 undertaking, for, as he says in his preface, there is no 



