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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIV. No. 



cussion of these processes scarcely affords an 

 adequate basis for the reasoning process. On 

 the other hand, the relation of reasoning to 

 memory and imagination is shown in a par- 

 ticularly striking epigram : " The results of 

 reasoning are new and are accepted as true; 

 the results of memory are true, but not new; 

 and the results of imagination are new, but 

 not true" (p. 21Y). Professor Pillsbury re- 

 gards belief as bearing " the same relation to 

 reasoning that recognition does to memory " 

 {ihid.). 



The student will find the chapter on instinct 

 especially helpful. " Instinct and reflex are 

 to be distinguished in terms of the simplicity 

 of the reflex and the complexity of instinct; 

 by the fact that the reflex can be understood 

 from the mechanical activity of the nervous 

 structures, while the instinct can be referred 

 to its purpose alone; and in the amount of 

 consciousness that attaches to the instinct. 

 ... In instinct, ordinarily, all is conscious 

 but the reason for the act" (pp. 254^255). 

 The writer distinguishes between individual- 

 istic, racial and social instincts, with a sug- 

 gestive discussion of each. 



After the chapters on feeling and emotion 

 the author passes to action and will. Recent 

 work on the acquisition of skill is described; 

 but interest is centered on the control of ac- 

 tivity. The writer emphasizes the importance 

 of developing a system of ideals in the indi- 

 vidual in order properly to train his will. 

 Work, fatigue and sleep are treated in a single 

 chapter, with an account of the physical effects 

 of fatigue and a curve illustrating depth of 

 sleep. 



The two concluding chapters give the 

 broader aspects of the subject. Professor 

 Pillsbury discusses the interrelations of men- 

 tal functions, with some forcible criticisms of 

 the faculty psychology. " Mind is not a col- 

 lection of unrelated faculties and ... it is not 

 a single force or faculty" (p. 341). Experi- 

 mental research alone can determine whether 

 and how far the training of one function is 

 transferred to another. The author defines 

 three separate aspects of the self, as a contin- 



uous existence, as accumulated habits, and as 

 unity of experience. 



Dr. Myers's book is precisely what its name 

 implies — an introduction to experimental psy- 

 chology. It is intended for the beginner and 

 sums up the most representative and interest- 

 ing results. The presentation is clear and 

 avoids mathematical discussions which are 

 liable to perplex the novice. The whole topic 

 of psychophysics is omitted, and there is no 

 attempt to describe the technique of experi- 

 mental research. This narrowing of the field 

 is made up for by several features not usually 

 introduced into an experimental text-book. 

 In a number of cases the laboratory data are 

 compared with results obtained from savage 

 races; under the head of cutaneous sensa- 

 tions the author discusses certain pathological 

 conditions which bear on the number of dis- 

 tinct dermal senses; and in describing men- 

 tal tests stress is laid on the study of indi- 

 vidual differences. Considerable of the data 

 on mental tests, esthetics, etc., in this book are 

 not found in the author's larger text-book. 

 All this gives the beginner a wider perspective 

 than if he were confined to the usual labora- 

 tory results. 



The first chapter sums up the evidence for 

 ascribing several distinct senses to the skin, 

 and can not fail to impress the reader brought 

 up to believe in the traditional five senses. 

 Some of the more striking facts of color vision 

 are discussed in Chapter II. The author 

 alludes (p. 29) to the color terminology in 

 Homer, as indicating a restricted color sense 

 among the ancients. In the next chapter sev- 

 eral forms of the Miiller-Lyer illusion are 

 illustrated. This and the succeeding topic of 

 esthetics are perhaps treated at disproportion- 

 ate length; but the chief purpose of the book 

 is to interest the reader in experimental psy- 

 chology, and one is justified in sacrificing 

 symmetry to this more important aim. The 

 well-known memory experiments are outlined 

 in Chapter V., and the author points out the 

 practical value of knowing how to memorize 

 in the best way. 



