206 REVIEWS OF RECENT BOOKS 



The book is well written in the lively style of American jour- 

 nalism. The vocabulary and illustrations are full and flowing, though 

 to a foreigner there are some phrases difficult to be understood. The 

 pictures add to its interest and value. ■ M. 



The American Woman's Club Annual 1919-1920. 



We are constantly reminded by the daily press that American 

 women are busy in their investigation of the culture of China. This 

 volume forms a permanent record of their activities. It is splendidly 

 got up and is really a worthy memorial of a good effort. It is 

 adorned with the pictures of all the officers for the year and with 

 a great number of the symbols in Chinese Art, which it is useful 

 to know. There are also collotypes of some famous paintings and 

 sculpture and pottery. And though some of these may not actually 

 belong to the periods they are claimed to represent, yet they are of 

 such quality as to give a good idea of the real articles of those times. 

 An imitation is often as good as an original. It only lacks the 

 reality of the name, that is all. 



In a sense the same may be said of the volume itself. Whilst 

 none of the work can claim to original investigation, yet this volume 

 is of much value to the general reader. It represents much diligent 

 toil and investigation. The "brains of others have been well sucked" 

 and to good purpose. Here we have a mass of material, dispersed in 

 the original over a wide field, collected by diligent students and placed 

 before the general reader in a succinct and convenient form. 



The volume is handsomely got up. 



We may mention a few misprints, such as Legg for Legge ; Mylie 

 for Wylie. A Yankee on the Yangtse is not by Giles, but Gyle. 



M. 



The Arabian Prophet — a life of Mohammed from Chinese Sources. 



By Isaac Mason. 

 The reader of this book would do well to notice the translator's 

 remark in the preface, that he is "not responsible for the views 

 expressed therein, nor for the accuracy of the statements made." 

 The student of the history of Islam who wishes as accurate a life of 

 Mohammed as is now possible, is referred to such works as those men- 

 tioned in Dr. Zwemer's foreword. But to those who have already 

 some knowledge of this subject, and whose wish is rather to learn 

 something of the mental outlook of Chinese Moslems one has no 

 hesitation in recommending this translation of Liu Chih's great work^ 



