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POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
LONGMAN’S TEXT-BOOKS.* 
T HESE text-books continue to be published on every conceivable subject ; 
and so far as we have yet seen they are entrusted to writers who are 
thoroughly qualified to undertake the task, i.e. they are men who tho- 
roughly understand the subject they have taken in hand, and, still more 
important, are capable of teaching the elements of the branch of knowledge 
on which they write, with clearness and terseness of style. We there- 
fore think that considerable credit is due to Professor Goodeve for the 
skill he has shown in merely choosing his writers. In the present instance 
we have a book which he himself has written, and we may express our 
extreme satisfaction with it, for the author has endeavoured not merely to 
convey fact to his readers, but to convey it in such a manner that principle 
is involved in every description. We note also that Mr. Goodeve has 
endeavoured as far as possible to point out to the student the relation borne 
in each case by heat to mere mechanical action. This is a point of very 
great importance. It is of interest to know that the book contains an 
outline of one part of Mr. Goodeve’s lectures at the School of Mines, for 
it shows us that the teaching of at least this portion of science is thorough 
and complete. We cannot do more than give the heads of the different 
subjects which the writer has taken it on himself to touch upon, though we 
should have wished to make one or two remarks apropos of his observations 
on Sir J. Whitworth’s experiments on the small-bore rifle. The subjects 
treated of are, in the widest terms, as follows, each heading being resolved 
into an immense number of separate branches, viz. first, introduction on 
the relation of force and matter, and the different laws of force ; then the 
following chapters : — The parallelogram of force, and its nature on work 
and friction ; on the centre of gravity ; on some of the mechanical powers ; 
on the equilibrium and pressure of fluids ; on the equilibrium and pressure 
of gases; on pumps; on the hydraulic press and hydraulic cranes; on 
motion in one plane ; on circular motion ; on girder beams and bridges ; on 
strength of tubes and the catenary ; and lastly on some mechanical inven- 
tions. On all these questions the author speaks, and speaks to the point. 
The other volume is a manual of qualitative chemical analysis, which is a 
book excellent in design, but hardly so thorough in its conception as the 
mechanical work. Still, it is an admirable introduction to the subject on 
which it treats, and the authors seem to have taken care to point out every 
possible accident to which the student is liable. The only fault we have to 
find is as to its length. It appears as though the authors fancied a student 
perfectly ignorant of chemistry commencing the study of the practical divi- 
sion. If so, they have made a mistake, for we do not consider it at all probable 
that anyone would be likely to attempt gaining a knowledge of practical 
chemistry before he had been initiated in the elements of at least the 
* 11 Principles of Mechanics.” By T. M. Goodeve, M.A., Barrister-at- 
Law, Lecturer on Applied Mechanics at the School of Mines. London : 
Longmans, 1874. 
u Qualitative Chemical Analysis and Laboratory Practice.” By T. E. 
Thorpe, Ph.D., F.B.S.E., Professor of Chemistry in Andersonian University, 
Glasgow, and M. M. P. Muir, F.B.S.E. London : Longmans, 1874. 
