446 



The National Geographic Magazine 



ing only eight hours of the twentj^-four. 

 Mr. Baker states that wages have risen 

 nearly 33 per cent in the last fifteen 

 years, but this gain has been outbal- 

 anced by doubling in cost of food. He 

 makes the startling statement that the 

 staples of food actually cost the German 

 more than they do the American ; so 

 that he never thinks of buying butter, 

 milk, eggs, or white flour, which the 

 American would consider absolute nec- 

 essaries. The government keeps a fa- 

 therly eye over the workingman, sees 

 that his bread is rightly made, and that 

 he makes provision for his old age. The 

 result of this paternal care, in_ Mr. 

 Baker's judgment, is greater efficiency 

 in work, but not in the mental develop- 

 ment of the workman. 



The New Basis of Geography. By 



Jacques W. Red way. New York: 



The Macmillan Co. 



This volume, written by a well-known 

 writer and lecturer on geographic sub- 

 jects, is designed to give teachers a 

 broad interpretation of geography, more 

 particularly of the ' ' relations between 

 human activities and geographic envi- 

 ronment. ' ' It emphasizes the fact that 

 "man and nature, man in nature, not 

 man alone, or nature alone, are the true 

 subjects of interest and of study in 

 geography." It is a very suggestive 

 and stimulating book, and is unhesitat- 

 ingly recommended to all students of 

 geography. 



Armenia — Travels and Studies. By 

 H. F. B. Lynch. Two vols. With 

 many colored illustrations and maps. 

 Longmans, Green & Co. $15. 

 Mr. Lynch describes two journeys in 

 Armenia, the first extending from Au- 

 gust, 1893, to March, 1894, and the 

 second from May to September, 1898. 

 The first volume deals with the Russian 

 provinces, the second with the Turkish. 

 Mr. Lynch describes the commercial 

 prosperity and the obedience to law 



which has been the result of the Rus- 

 sian rule. Krivan is an instance of a 

 small and sleepy town springing into a 

 prosperous commercial center under 

 Russian occupation. Unfortunatel)'', 

 however, says Mr. Lynch, the Russian 

 Government has not confined its ener- 

 gies to maintaining public order, but 

 has sought to regulate the Armenian 

 schools, and has thus almost stifled edu- 

 cation. "The result is the Armenian 

 must sink his individuality and resign 

 his initiative into Russian hands." In 

 the Turkish provinces conditions are 

 very bad ; the Armenian is badgered 

 and tortured by the Kurd, and neither 

 his life, house, or shop is safe. 



The volumes present an immense 

 amount of information— geographical, 

 political, and historical The numerous 

 maps and illustrations are beautifully 

 engraved. An exhaustive bibliography 

 and comprehensive index complete this 

 valuable work. 



The Insect Book. By Dr. L. O- How- 

 ard. With many illustrations. New 

 York : Doubleday, Page & Co. $3. 

 The Insect Book will be prized by the 

 amateur who in spare moments takes de- 

 light in making collections and in study- 

 ing insect life. Dr. Howard has aimed 

 ' ' to encourage the study of life histories 

 of insects," and, wherever possible, 

 gives a typical life history of each fam- 

 ily. He tells not only what is known, 

 but also what is not known, but which 

 can be more or less easil}^ found out, 

 The book is handsomely illustrated from 

 photographs of insects. 



Europe and the Other Continents. By 



R. S. Tarr and F. N. McMurry. New. 



York : The Macmillan Co. I0.75. 



Professors Tarr and McMurry are 

 experienced and successful teachers of 

 geography, and are thus able to write a 

 geographic text-book containing the 

 most important facts that a pupil should 

 learn. A special feature of the volume 



