Chapter 113

7–30834.

The third volume in Miss Ray’s “Sydney books.” It deals largely with the development of Phyllis, Sydney’s younger sister, an untamed, withal sensitive girl, who needs people and kindness to bring out the best in her.

Raymond, George Lansing.Essentials of aesthetics in music, poetry, painting, sculpture, and architecture. **$2.50. Putnam.

7–3936.

A handbook in which the author “traces the phenomena of the arts to their sources in material nature and the human mind; he shows that the different arts have been developed by similar methods and that these methods characterize the entire work of artistic imagination.... There are chapters on nature, art, beauty, artistic mental action, form, and significance, the personality of the authors, art composition, rhythm and proportion.... There are a large number of half-tone illustrations and pen-and-ink sketches.” (N. Y. Times.)

“Some of his essays, notably that on Rhythm, are full of interesting suggestion, and prove that their author, whatever else he may lack, is a master of literary style.”

“It can be said that its superior in an effective, all-around discussion of its subject is not in sight.”

“As a whole, the work lacks those psychological foundations which many of us consider desirable in a treatise on aesthetics. As a result, the subject matter is more that of art theory than of aesthetics in any broad sense.Yet the pervading tone is one of sanity and tolerance which will commend the book to many. We cannot, perhaps, agree entirely with the author’s own estimate of his work.” Robert Morris Ogden.

Rea, Hope.Peter Paul Rubens. $1.75. Macmillan.

Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.

Reade, Charles.Cloister and the hearth.$1.25. Crowell.

Uniform with the thin paper, limp leather reprints. It is prefaced by an “Appreciation” of Charles Reade by Algernon C. Swinburne, reprinted from “Miscellanies.”

Reade, Willoughby.When hearts were true. $1. Neale.

7–25510.

The title expresses the thought uppermost in four good short stories, as follows: His last song, Forgive us our trespasses, For the child’s sake, and The ghost of Oak Ridge.

Readers’ guide to periodical literature, 1900–1904, cumulated; ed. by Anna Lorraine Guthrie. $16. Wilson, H. W.

Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.

“Some of the periodicals seem too trivial for such a record, whereas neither of the English quarterlies is represented. But on the whole the work bears all the marks of being well planned and carefully edited.”

Reagan, Harry Clifton.Locomotives, simple, compound, and electric. $3.50. Wiley.

7–11983.

In the fifth edition of this practical treatise on the locomotive engine and its handling in service, the work has been revised in order to include the latest developments of steam and electric locomotives.

“There is no doubt but what a great deal of information for the practical engineer can be obtained from this book, but it is a pity that the arrangement has not been more systematic and that so many prominent and important parts of the locomotive have been omitted from discussion.” G. R. Henderson.

Reagan, John Henninger.Memoirs, with special reference to secession and the civil war; ed. by Walter Flavius McCaleb; with introd. by George P. Garrison. $3. Neale.

6–34012.

“The book itself is short, embracing but three hundred and fifty pages of not very compact print. The main topics treated are the author’s early life in Texas, his part in Congress during three or four years prior to 1861, the organization of the Confederacy at Montgomery, the civil war, as viewed by an active and efficient cabinet officer in Richmond, and the problems of reconstruction. The most interesting portion of the book is the plain, unvarnished story of Reagan’s hardships and early struggles.”—Am. Hist. R.

“The editing of the work has been very well done.” William E. Dodd.

“Are partly dull and partly interesting. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Mr. Reagan’s recollections of the early days of Texan independence is not particularly lively. As postmaster general of the Confederacy, however, Mr. Reagan stands on firmer ground, and has written pages that are not without future historical value.”

Reed, Helen Leah.Napoleon’s young neighbor.†$1.50. Little.

7–34325.

A side-light story based upon the “Recollections of Napoleon at St. Helena” by Mrs. Abell. It tells of Napoleon’s friendship for a little girl, Betsy Balcombe, at whose house, “The Briars,” he spent the first ten weeks of his banishment.

“Is a bit of history interestingly written.”

Reed, Myrtle.Love affairs of literary men. **$1.50. Putnam.

7–31403.

The author brings out of their lavender the love-memories of Swift, Pope, Samuel Johnson, Laurence Sterne, Cowper, Carlyle, Poe, Shelley and Keats.

“A collection of more or less well-known facts, retold in pleasant fashion. A book that will find favor among the many whose appetite prefers entrées to joints.”

Reed, Myrtle.Spinner in the sun.**$1.50. Putnam.

6–33577.

Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.

“This story—especially the earlier part of it—has both charm and originality, its diction being excellent, and the characters, if not altogether life-like, well imagined.”

“The only trouble is that the author has resorted to narcotics in order to produce effects sufficiently weird in the minds of her characters, and, as is too often the case with women writers, she cannot quite achieve the dramatic without falling into the melodramatic.”

Rees, Arthur Dougherty.Double love; a tragedy in five acts. †$1. Winston.

7–17377.

In this poem-drama of American life a modern capitalist in blank verse, insists that his daughter’s love must choose between her and his other love, a literary career. He demands that he “walk the Rialto of true trade, the mart of traffic.” Naturally tragedy is the artistic result.

Reich, Emil.Success in life. **$1.50. Duffield.

7–11564.

The philosophy of success is the outgrowth of definite basic principles. Mr. Reich denounces the “fluke” idea of success and plants success on the principle of energetics. The hope of the author is to establish an ideal so universal that it may be used by anyone in any walk of life for the attaining of honest, successful results.

“In spite of this ill-advised plan of constructing a mathematical framework on which to fashion a body of doctrine dealing with the most unmathematical of subjects, the book is so fresh, so unconventional, so ingenious, and so suggestive, that its weaknesses and imperfections do not need to plead very hard for forgiveness. He has the readiness, not to say looseness, of the fluent talker and lecturer, but little of the exactness, the terseness, the fine reserve of the scholarly and painstaking writer.”

“He is the possessor of a lucid and attractive style which enables him to clothe abstract and even trite themes with a new and timely interest.”

“The book, however, has an interest and value not promised in its title. The whole book is written with reference to British conditions. As a criticism of these it is interesting. Dr. Reich is a Teutonic Max O’Rell, who has read Schopenhauer and Herbert Spencer.”

“Dr. Reich’s misfortune is that he presents real and false explanations with equal confidence and equal felicity. His merit is that he is always readable and always suggestive, even when he is as wrong as sheer ignorance or rash haste to conclusions can make any man.”

“A sagacious writer he is, though at times amusingly otherwise.”

Reichel, Rev. George Valentine.Bible truths through eye and ear. **$1. Whittaker.

6–45727.

A volume of “object teachings,” written for children, based upon such subjects as Harbors, Fog-signals, Life-saving, Lessons of the snow, Knots, Having salt, Fort builders, Like unto clear glass, and a great many more.

Reid, George Archdall.Principles of heredity, with some applications. *$3.50. Dutton.

5–40286.

Descriptive note in December, 1905.

“The book not only lacks evidences of seasoned thought, but of familiarity with the more recent literature bearing on the discussion of heredity, and, on the whole, is a disappointing analysis of the subject. Nevertheless, we believe it will be of service on account of the new point of view adopted and the citing of evidences hearing on heredity furnished by disease.” William A. Locy.

Reid, Homer A.Concrete and reinforced concrete construction. *$5. Clark, M. C.

7–6665.

“The book is divided into 34 chapters. The subject matter may be grouped as follows: Cement and its manufacture and tests, the aggregate, proportioning, mixing and placing concrete, cost of work, and finishing concrete surfaces, 132 pages; physical and elastic properties of concrete and steel, 85 pages; principles and style of reinforcement, mechanical bond, curved pieces subject to flexure, and columns, walls, and pipes, 53 pages; theory of flexure of beams and strength of columns with formula and calculations, 136 pages; foundations, 58 pages; general building and construction and matters connected with practical construction, 142 pages; retaining walls, dams, conduits and sewers, tank and reservoir construction, chimneys, tunnels, etc., 144 pages; bridges, arches, piers and abutments, 104 pages; concrete building blocks, 20 pages.”—Engin. N.

“The analytical or theoretical portion of the book is its weakest feature. On the whole, with a few important items to be excepted, the analytical treatment is more complete than that in other books which have appeared. The general plan of the book is excellent, the proportioning of parts good, and the manner of presentation commendable. In some minor particulars objection may be made to the exact order of presentation, and some headings and forms of statement need editing.”

Reid, Rev. John.Jesus and Nicodemus: a study in spiritual life. *$1.75. Scribner.

A series of studies given in the form of lectures or sermons to different congregations in Scotland. “The conversation with Nicodemus peculiarly invites exposition, not only because of the far-reaching truth contained in it, but also because from our knowledge of the historical situation we are enabled to fill out the scene which the gospel gives in bare outline. Mr. Reid has become himself master of the historical situation, and has thus made luminous the mental attitude of Nicodemus. He has also given the right place to the reflective illumination of the mind of the evangelist as it came to a larger, fuller understanding of Jesus.” (Am. J. Theol.)

“There is perhaps only one interpretation which will not meet with general acceptance. Would that we had more of such penetrating, illuminating, vital interpretations of the scenes of the fourth gospel.”

“Characterized by literary skill and religious insight.”

Reid, Stuart J.Life and letters of the first Earl of Durham (1792–1840). 2v. *$10. Longmans.

7–10998.

An authoritative and detailed biography of John George Lambton, first Earl of Durham; “The Durham book has been written with full access to the letters and papers of Lord Durham, and will throw a new light on the reform struggle of 1830, the secret history of the reform bill of 1832, on the creation of the kingdom of Belgium, on the affairs of Russia, when Durham pleaded for the Poles, and subsequently when he was Ambassador at St. Petersburg; on the strange vicissitudes of the Whigs under Grey and Melbourne, and much else that will be much worth reading.” (N. Y. Times.)

“Of the misrepresentations to which he was exposed and all else pertaining to this interesting chapter of his life Mr. Reid writes fully and well.”

“If one essays the task of criticizing Mr. Reid one must add that his work is only moderately well done. He lacks conciseness and sometimes lucidity; his matter is not always well arranged, not always pertinent, not always quite accurate. He makes too great a hero of Durham and resents too obviously any unfavorable criticism by his contemporaries.” George M. Wrong.

“Mr. Stuart Reid has acquitted himself with credit as the recorder of a brief and brilliant career. He has studied his authorities carefully. and though a good deal of an enthusiast, he is fairly alive to his hero’s shortcomings. Wordiness and prolixity unfortunately disfigure his otherwise acceptable volumes.”

“There appears only one statement with regard to Canadian history which need be questioned.” H. E. Egerton.

“An obvious and long existing gap in English political biography is now filled.”

“He furnishes us for the first time with copious and well nigh exhaustive materials for forming our own judgment. But he is rather long-winded, and he is a little too blind to the real defects of Durham’s personal character and political temper.”

“These volumes are an extreme illustration of that obsession of bigness which now seems to afflict most writers of English biography.”

“The book is a painstaking—even laborious—survey of the life of a very interesting man. The author has a strong bias in favor of his subject, which is not always an advantage to the reader.”

“Must at once be ranked among the great biographies of English statesmen of the nineteenth century. It is one of the class to whichParker’s ‘Peel,’ and Morley’s ‘Gladstone’ belong. As a literary achievement its place is alongside the ‘Life of Peel’ rather than alongside Morley’s ‘Life of Gladstone.’” Edward Porritt.

“Like most biographers, Mr. Reid paints the character of his hero in too bright colors, and he claims entirely too much for him as a statesman.” W. Roy Smith.

“Durham has found in Mr. Reid a capable and warmly sympathetic biographer.”

“As a biographer Mr. Reid is painstaking, industrious, and inordinately appreciative, but we cannot think that the style he has adopted was the best in which to write the ‘Life’ of so curious a personality. His is the old-fashioned type of biography, filled with moralisings and platitudes, very wordy and very lengthy.”

Reid, Whitelaw.Greatest fact in modern history. **75c. Crowell.

7–6398.

The greatest fact in modern history which Mr. Reid presents is the rise and development of the United States from a group of struggling colonies to its position of commanding power among the nations. He says two factors operating in American success have been character and circumstance.

Reid, William Maxwell.Story of old Fort Johnson; il. by John Arthur Maney. **$3. Putnam.

6–34695.

A sketch occasioned by the recent purchase and presentation to the Montgomery county historical society of old Fort Johnson, the most historic house in the Mohawk valley to-day. The story closely connects people and events associated with the famous “first baronial mansion in New York” with the history of the Mohawk valley.

“An interesting, rambling tale; it is a mixture of history, fiction, ethnology and gossip.” C. H. Rammelkamp.

“To the lover of the old, the wild, the picturesque in early American life, the book will possess charm; to the general reader, it will supply abundant detail with which to reconstruct a most romantic period. To the historian, it will offer a reason for doing the work over again.”

“His facts will be accepted as accurate, and some of them are here brought together for the first time.”

“He is well versed in early history, but he should have had the guidance of hands more accomplished than his own in the art of putting a book together properly.”

“Its chief blemishes are discursiveness, fragmentariness, and unnecessary repetition; its virtues are enthusiasm, informativeness, and entertainment.”

Reinach, Salomon.Apollo; tr. from the French by Florence Simmonds. **$1.50. Scribner.

7–15337.

A new edition, expanded and furnished with editorial matter to date, of a work which long ago appeared under the title, “The story of art throughout the ages.” The book comprises twenty-five lectures delivered by Dr. Reinach during 1902–1903 at the Ècole du Louvre upon the historic schools of art. There are abundant illustrations and an ample bibliography. “The original title is restored, and the additions, concerning British art, are now inclosed in square brackets, so that one may know when one is reading M. Reinach and when one is reading Miss Simmonds.” (Nation.)

“A second edition ... which is an improvement noon the first.”

“It is a really uncommon achievement.”

Reinsch, Paul Samuel.American legislatures and legislative methods. *$1.25. Century.

7–8279.

A critical exposition of the manner in which the law making bodies—state and federal—in the United States are organized and operated.

“All things considered, Professor Reinsch’s volume is an important addition to the literature of American politics. It is a contribution both to the understanding of the present situation and to the establishment of a better method for future studies of a similar character.” Charles Edward Merriam.

“As a whole the book is the best presentation of this subject in limited space which has yet appeared.” Luther F. Witmer.

Reviewed by Max West.

“A most admirable volume of a practical sort.”

“Without a doubt there is room in the citizen’s library for such a useful and suggestive study of national and state politics.”

“He finds so many and such serious defects in our system of government and sees so plainly the forces of selfishness on one hand and of indifference and ignorance on the other hand, with which reform has to contend, and he describes both with such clearness that the reader will be likely to rise from the study of the volume in a discouraged mood.” Edward Cary.

“In every way the volume is not only informative but suggestive, and is eminently thorough in treatment.”

“A work of great value, that marks a distinct advance in scientific treatment of legislative procedure. He has grasped a principle of cardinal importance, oversight of which is a common defect in academic study of political institutions, namely, that the character of institutions is to be found in their working.” Henry Jones Ford.

“Professor Reinsch’s method of treatment is frankly critical.”

*Reissig, Carl.Standard family physician: a practical international encyclopedia of medicine and hygiene especially prepared for the household. 2v. $13. Funk.

7–15943.

In this undertaking Professor Reissig has been assisted by Smith Ely Jelliffe and nearly fifty associate editors. “Taken as a whole, the work is a commendable effort to lead the layman to take a rational view of diseases and of ‘the results which may be reasonably expected from therapeutic measures.’ The opposition to quackery in its various forms, to all the ‘pathies,’ and to ‘natural’ methods is praiseworthy and ought to do good.” (Nation.)

“While ordinarily such works are likely to do at least as much harm as good, there seems to be no reason why this one should not prove a source of benefit in every way to its readers.”

“In general, it may be said that too little attention is paid to the emergencies of domestic life, the very conditions where such a book is most needed in families at a distance from medical aid.”

Religion of Christ in the twentieth century. **$1.50. Putnam.

6–2998.

“The unnamed author’s theme is the radical question of our time, ‘What is Christianity?’ and his text is Lessing’s remark, ‘The Christian religion has been tried for eighteen centuries; the religion of Christ remains to be tried.’ By the Christian religion is meant a body of religious doctrine supported by an ecclesiastical organization. The religion of Christ is the attitude of the spirit toward God and man that Jesus manifested as controlling his life.”—Outlook.

Reviewed by Gerald Birney Smith.

“The book is a shrewd, discerning critique of regnant forms of piety, and a discriminating projection of the faith and theology that ought to come.”

“These thoughts have been uttered before, but never more clearly or attractively, and they well express the spirit in which the movement for the improvement of theology should proceed.”

* Remco’s. Manual of apartment house service. **$1. McClure.

Under “General instructions” there are rules applicable to every contingency apt to arise in an apartment building. Such subjects as the conduct of heating apparatus, the eradication of vermin, the technicalities of elevators, steam and hot-water boilers and engineering and sanitary details about the apartment house.

“What a paradise apartment life would be if this book were widely circulated and its contents enforced.”

Rexford, Eben Eugene.Four seasons in the garden: with 27 il. and with decorations by Edward S. Holloway. **$1.50. Lippincott.

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