32 
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
want, but they are all very defective, and although 
the present volume may not be perfect it is cer- 
tainly a great advance over any of its predeces- 
sors. That it contains just the information that is 
needed by thobc for whom it is intended, is guar- 
anteed by the Vv ell known reputation of the author, 
who has not only had extensive practical ex- 
perience in the matters to which the work relates, 
but has, through his position as editor of the 
Builder and Wood-Worker, been brought into 
intimate contact with the very persons to whom 
the work addresses itself. 
Bearing these facts in mind, we have gone care- 
fully over its pages and tested by actual calcula- 
tion, many of the rules and results given. In 
every case we have found them correct, thus prov- 
ing the painstaking fidelity of the author. A 
work of this kind, to be of any value must be 
above suspicion as to the accuracy of its contents, 
and from the careful examination which we have 
given it, we believe that the present volume is as 
nearly correct as it is possible to make such a 
book. 
The work forms a handsome volume of nearly 
350 closely printed pages, and we feel confident 
that it will And its way into the library of every 
one who is practically interested in the art of 
building— not only professional men, but intelli- 
gent house owners who desire to check the esti- 
mates handed in by builders and others. J, p. 
Hints on Estimating-. Chas. D. Lakey. Pub- 
lisher, New York. Price, nine cents in stamps. 
To the amateur who wishes to build a barn, 
fence, stable or workshop, this little treatise will 
be of great service, as from it he can find out the 
cost of the structure before he commences work. 
To the regular carpenter or joiner, it will prove 
an invaluable aid in assisting him to arrive at 
the costs of the various works he may be called 
upon to erect or value. 
The Metal Turner's Handbook. By Paul N. 
Hasluck. Published by Crosby, Lockwood & 
Co., London, Eng 
This is a little work of some 150 pages, divided 
into fifteen chapters, two only of which may be 
said to be of any real service to the amateur 
metal worker— i.e., the one on the slide-rest, tools 
and cutter-bars, and the chapter on tool grinding, 
and even these are more descriptive of appliances 
than of the manner of operatit)n. The remaining 
thirteen chapters are devoted more particularly 
to descriptions of the various makes of English 
foot-lathes, slide-rests, and lathe tools of several 
kinds, and one chapter is devoted altogether to 
the dimensions of small motors. Indeed, from 
our point of view, the work partakes largely of a 
manufacturer's descriptive circular, or rather of 
a number of them, bound in one cover, as the one 
hundred and fifty illustrations contained in the 
work are evidently taken from makers' catalogues^ 
We do not know that this lessens the value of 
the work, but we are inclined to think these illus- 
trations and the accompanying descriptions, are 
not altogether in place in a small book with a 
title similar to the one before us ; or, in other 
words, the title of the book is misleading ; it is 
the play of Hamlet, with very little of Hamlet 
left in. Notwithstanding its misleading title, the 
book possesses merits as a guide in some depart- 
ments of metal turning, particularly so in the 
chapter on overhead gearing, and many hints 
and suggestions are offered regarding the con- 
struction and management of these useful ad- 
ditions to the foot lathe. To anyone about to 
purchase a lathe this book will prove valuable, 
as it will give the intending purchaser some 
" points " with regard to the construction and 
capabilities of different kinds of lathes, that may 
be of service to him. 
Taking it all in all, while we cannot recommend 
the book to our younger amateurs, we have no 
hesitation whatever in saying the work will be 
serviceable to the advanced amateur and all who, 
desire to be well posted on the foot-lathe. 
The Builder and "Wood -Worker. For Archi- 
tects, Cabinet-Makers, iStair Builders, Carpen- 
ters, Car Builders, etc., etc. Published monthly 
by Chas. D. Lakey, 176 Broadway, New York. 
The December number of this excellent journal 
is at hand, and as usual, it is full of good things. 
When we look over its pages and observe the 
large number of very costly illustrations which it 
contains, we are astonished to find that the pub- 
lisher has reduced the price from $l.i50 to $1.00, 
and this is to be accounted for only by the fact 
that the circulation has increased to an extent 
very unusual with strictly technical journals. As 
it now stands it is unquestionably the cheapest 
journal of its class of which we have any knowl- 
edge. Much of this success is due to the fact 
that the Builder and Wood-Worker is of great 
value not only to professional architects, carpen- 
ters and builders, but to every intelligent owner 
of a house, as its columns afford innumerable 
hints for improving our dwellings in the direction 
of conveniences healthfulness and beauty. No 
house-holder can invest a dollar to better ad- 
vantage than by subscribing for the Buildei- and 
Wood-Worker. It will repay its cost ten times 
over in the practical *' wrinkles " which it con- 
tains. 
Something: about Gift-Books. 
The holidays are at hand, the days on which 
congratulations are given and received, and on 
which are made those little gifts that do so much 
towards tightening the bonds of affection and 
love that should always exist between friends and 
relatives. Among these gifts, books always take 
a prominent place, and we therefore take this 
opportunity to give such information on this 
point as we may collect, so that intending pur- 
chasers may be able to choose their books with 
some idea of wha| they are to get. We take 
pleasure, therefore, in submitting the following: 
