606 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLHI. No. 13.13 



tent instructor it should prove an admirable 

 text for classroom use. 



Charles A. Keaus 

 Clark Univeesitt, 

 March, 1916 



Being Well-Born: An Introduction to Eugen- 

 ics. By Michael F. Guyee, Ph.D. Indian- 

 apolis, The Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1916. 374 

 pages. $1.00. 



This is one of the later volumes in the ex- 

 tensive " Childhood and Youth Series " edited 

 by M.. V. O'Shea. The general purpose of this 

 series is " to give to parents, teachers, social 

 workers and all others interested in the care and 

 training of the young, the best modem knowl- 

 edge about children in a manner easily under- 

 stood and thoroughly interesting." The spe- 

 cial purpose of this volume is " to examine into 

 the natural endowment of the child" and to 

 give " an account of the new science of eugen- 

 ics." There is some reason for thinking that 

 the value of Professor Guyer's work would not 

 have been lessened, had he been entirely freed 

 from the special purposes and influences of the 

 " Series." As it stands, however, the work 

 has very distinct merit and a high degree of 

 usefulness. 



In its general plan the book does not differ 

 materially from other " Introductions " to the 

 hybrid science of eugenics, although certain 

 phases are treated with more than the usual 

 detail. The work may be divided into three 

 parts. The first, including the first four 

 chapters, deals with the subject of heredity, 

 its definition, cytological basis and Mendelian 

 descriptions. This is the clearest cut and 

 most authoritative section, well adapted for 

 the student class. The reviewer's experience, 

 however, leads him to believe that the average 

 reader of the class for whom it is intended, 

 will find even these clear descriptions too 

 difficult really to be comprehended without the 

 added services of an experienced guide. The 

 glossary which is appended will aid in assist- 

 ing the uninitiated over the difficult spots. 

 The attempt to explain the inheritance of sex 

 and of sex-linked characters, before the prin- 

 ciples of Mendelism have been discussed is 

 unusual. It is of interest to note that, wisely, 



only four pages are given to the statistical 

 descriptions of heredity, and that the author 

 takes a conservative position regarding the 

 Mendelian interpretation of some of the data 

 from the Eugenics Eecord Office. 



The second group of four chapters sets forth 

 some of the implications of the facts de- 

 scribed in the first section, as they are related 

 to the characteristics of the individual. Two 

 long chapters entitled "Are Modifications 

 Acquired Directly by the Body Inherited " and 

 " Prenatal Influences " are certain to be of 

 very great value to the general reader. The 

 materials are well considered, lucidly pre- 

 sented and a clear distinction made between 

 the scientific and the superstitious conceptions 

 of prenatal influence. This is a subject upon 

 which popular ideas seem hopelessly confused 

 and Professor Guyer has done well to devote 

 so much space to their consideration. The 

 chapter on " Responsibility for Conduct " is 

 less direct and logical, leaving the reader in 

 some doubt as to whether the author's con- 

 clusion that " All normal men are responsible 

 for their conduct " is the only one that could 

 be drawn from the evidence given. This is the 

 least satisfactory chapter in the book. 



The last section consists of two chapters 

 dealing with the social implications of the 

 facts of heredity. There are very clear and 

 pointed sutmmaries of what is known and of 

 what is believed in this field. The euthenic 

 aspects of the problem are stated and fully 

 credited and the whole discussion is well tem- 

 pered and sane. Finally the familiar remedies 

 for correcting the antisocial and degenera- 

 tive process now going forward at so rapid a 

 pace, are discussed. Marriage restrictions and 

 mating systems are recognized as of relatively 

 little practicality; segregation is regarded as 

 hopeful though costly; sterilization as still 

 on trial. Public education and the ensuranee 

 of environments that will call forth right re- 

 actions seem to offer, for the present, the most 

 hopeful elements in the eugenic program. 



The book is well got up, unusually free from 

 errors and the price remarkably low, all of 

 which will add to its well-deserved usefulness 

 and influence. Wm. E. Kellicott 



