M

Maartens, Maarten.New religion: a modern novel. †$1.50. Appleton.

7–29090.

A novel which embodies a satire on the medical profession whose aim is to disgust people with doctors and medicine. “Mr. Maartens gives us no inkling of what we are to do without doctors, but one of his characters whose legs have been mutilated in an accident is restored by faith. Several surgeons pronounce his case hopeless unless he will have both legs amputated. He refuses and is healed by prayer. Perhaps Mr. Maartens is an apostle of Faith healing or Christian science in disguise.” (Sat. R.)

“There is not a human character in the book, and not a wise idea. It is pretentious, badly constructed and badly written.”

“Such a book will not please those who seek for sensation; but as a criticism of modern western civilization, especially of its excessive care of the body, and neglect of the spirit, ‘The new religion’ has its charm and claim.”

“Will not bear comparison with ‘Dorothea,’ still less ‘God’s fool,’ but it contains interesting characters, witty comments and pathetic scenes, and its satire, unfair and exaggerated, like all satire, nevertheless has point and significance.”

“The personages in the novel are masterly portrayals, but they do not excite the reader’s sympathy, while the story, as a whole, in spite of its many brilliant passages, is not entirely convincing, and leaves the impression that in the treatment of his main theme the author hasnot been free from a tendency to exaggeration, which rather weakens his arraignment of the medical profession.”

“We have not believed in the loves or the diseases; nor have we profited by the satire; but we have been very much entertained, and wit and fantasy are good, call them what you will.”

“Somehow the author has failed to hit the key; the story is neither fantastic enough nor sober enough to be more or less than a gentle irritant.”

“The characters and happenings of the story are mere pegs on which to hang the author’s theories, but none the less the pages of the book are illumined with numerous flashes of wit and startling examples of acute observation.”

Maartens, Maarten.Woman’s victory and other stories. †$1.50. Appleton.

7–35218.

“The book takes its title from the caption of the first story, but it is suitable for the collection as a whole. For most of the stories recount a contest of some sort, of wit or will, or feeling, or intention, between people of opposite sex, in which the woman is usually the victor.”—N. Y. Times.

“It is a pity that work so admirable as the stories mentioned and some others should be jostled by work so feeble and inferior as ‘The diamonds’ and several stories better unnamed.”

“Will appeal to students of human nature, and lovers of analytical and psychological stories, but not the casual fiction reader.”

“The book exhibits to advantage the author’s creative power and artistry.”

“One can only wonder that a novelist of Mr. Maartens’ standing has cared to gather in permanent form these unimportant contributions to various periodicals.” A. Schade van Westrum.

“The skill in representing women joined with one or other of the hatreds makes up more than a few vivid stories of action and the number of apparently swiftly sketched moments, impressions of persons and moods, which have the artistic quality of a fine etching and must have taken quite as much work.”

“The tales in the present collection display in form a factitious versatility; in substance they are rather monotonous.”

“This present sheaf of short stories gives evidence, for the most part, of little more than the habit of writing, although there is, now and then, a bit of clever craftsmanship or a stroke of subtle character-drawing.”

“There is a fineness and acuteness in these sketches, for they are little more, that few fiction writers of our day could equal.”

Mabie, Hamilton Wright.Famous stories every child should know; ed. by Hamilton W. Mabie, assisted by Kate Stephens. **90c. Doubleday.

7–29005.

“Dickens, Ruskin, Hawthorne, Ouida are among the authors represented, and the Biblical story of Ruth is also included. There is an introduction by Mr. Mabie in which he emphasizes the value of really good literature for children and the unfortunate amount of cheap literature written especially for them, and the uselessness of the goody-good and unreal stories.”—N. Y. Times.

“Will be found more useful for reference than general reading.”

Mabie, Hamilton Wright, ed.Heroes every child should know.**90c Doubleday.

6–36046.

“Heroic figures of many races, ages, and types are here presented for young people to admire—some legendary, some semi-legendary, but for the most part men of actual and recorded deed, like David, Roland, King Alfred, Robert Bruce, Washington, Lee, Lincoln, and Father Damien. The stories are told by recognized writers of ability and fame, and the narratives have been selected not only because of the subjects but because of dramatic and vivid story-telling power.”—Outlook.

“To read it strengthens one’s pride in humanity.”

“Most happy in its title as in its contents.”

Mabie, Hamilton Wright.Legends that every child should know; a selection of the great legends of all times for young people; il. and decorated by Blanche Ostertag. **90c. Doubleday.

6–32353.

Legends as told by famous authors in verse and prose, with some adaptation from other collections. Among them are Hiawatha, Beowulf, Childe Horn, Sir Galahad, Rustem and Sohrab, The seven sleepers of Ephesus, Guy of Warwick, Chevy Chase, The fate of the children of Lir, The beleaguered city, Prester John, The wandering Jew, King Robert of Sicily, The life of Beato Torello da Poppi, The Lorelei, The passing of Arthur, Rip Van Winkle, The gray champion, The legend of Sleepy Hollow.

“A book judiciously supervised by Mr. Mabie.”

“Many an older person would profit by conning the legends. Mr. Mabie’s introduction is interesting, even though not illuminating.”

McAdoo, William.Guarding a great city. **$2. Harper.

6–18052.

Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.

“The volume would have been much stronger had the author dropped the controversial tone and found a more logical arrangement for his material.”

McAllister, Addams Stratton.Alternating current motors. *$3. McGraw pub.

6–42400.

“This is a general treatise on single-phase and polyphase induction motors, synchronous motors and convertors, and single-phase commutator motors.”—Engin. N.

“The book is good, plain physics from beginning to end.”

McArthur, Peter.Prodigal and other poems. *$1. Kennerley.

7–19470.

Two score verses which range in subject from a mother’s lullaby to an Indian wind song, from Bob Fitzsimmons to Sarah Bernhardt, from sentiment to slang.

“Is a thoughtful poet, although his inspiration is apt to be a little tame.” Wm. M. Payne.

“Shakespeare himself stands like a ghost behind the word-play and clever artistry of Peter McArthur.” Christian Gauss.

McCabe, Joseph.Talleyrand: a biographical study; with 25 portraits including a photogravure frontispiece. *$3. Appleton.

7–35192.

The author aims to present Talleyrand as a “consistent and intelligible personality.” The study is a defense of the man “who had faith in no principle, gratitude to no master, loyalty to no cause; who loved money, power and pleasure and sought each without scruple.”

“From the historical point of view the book cannot be compared with Lady Blennerhasset’s detailed biography.”

“He has written a readable book, giving an artistic sketch of the life of one of the most remarkable men, and certainly the most skilful diplomatist of the period; but the work is at several points sketchy and inadequate, and lacking here and there in knowledge and soundness of judgment.”

“His biography is interesting if not convincing.” Joseph O’Connor.

“Mr. McCabe, accordingly, must be said to have failed completely in his efforts to make out a case for the gentleman of many governments—albeit he has done some service in brushing away sundry myths that in the course of the years have clustered about the figure of this man of mystery.”

“Has set out to solve the enigma, and in the solution to redeem his subject’s reputation. That his task was difficult Mr. McCabe, doubtless, would not deny; that he has been to some extent successful in this task is high praise, nothing but the highest praise is due to his masterly and fascinating defence.”

McCarthy, Justin Huntley.Illustrious O’Hagen. †$1.50. Harper.

6–39729.

Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.

“A clever, but scarcely edifying story.”

“Here ends our entertainment, a romantic one withal, and a merry.” Wm. M. Payne.

“It is a stirring tale written with the author’s accustomed grace and with a certain wanton sprightliness, which, for all its fascination, is a distinct lowering of his literary standards after the grave beauty and fine exaltation with which he wrote ‘The flower of France.’”

McCarthy, Justin Huntley.Needles and pins. †$1.50. Harper.

7–18594.

The old adage of “When a man marries his trouble begins,” is here applied to François Villon, the “beggar rhymer” whom Louis of France ennobled when Lady Katherine of Vaucelles loved and married him. When the story opens they have begun their married life on Katherine’s estate in Poitou, where her new lord is ill received. There is much fighting and bloodshed and also much marital skirmishing before Villon wins his wife’s respect and learns how to keep her love.

“Notable in the novel are its gaiety and brightness, and its deft literary workmanship. We must not seek dull realism here; it is a field of sheer entertainment.”

“The tale is told with quiet humour, sympathy, and an underlying vein of poetry that lends a definite charm to many of the pages.” Frederic Taber Cooper.

“Mr. McCarthy presents Villon in the light of a perfectly monogamous Shelley. Apart from this somewhat trying piece of originality, the book has merit.”

“It is a more thoughtful book than ‘If I were king,’ a harder book to write, a book with much subtle analysis, and quite probably McCarthy himself likes it better. It’s a question whether the public, fain to stay unjarred in their rose-colored dream of romantic passion, will agree with his possible estimate.”

McClellan, Elisabeth.Historic dress in America, 1607–1800. **$10; hf. lev. or mor. **$20. Jacobs.

4–33115.

Descriptive note in December, 1905.

“The chapter on uniforms in America, 1775–1800, is more complete than anything of the kind we have seen before, and the glossary of the nomenclature of dress, while it is hardly so full as that to be found in the ‘Cyclopaedia of costume,’ is curious and useful.”

“Elisabeth McClellan and Sophie Steel have written and illustrated a work invaluable for reference on the subject of dress in America. The pictures, often copied from originals yet extant, are beautiful; the portraits of governors most interesting; and the glossary of the odd language of dress—it rivals that of heralds in eccentricity—is extremely useful.”

*MacClintock, Porter Lander.Literature in the elementary school.*$1. Univ. of Chicago press.

7–37019.

Such topics are discussed as the service rendered by literature in the education of children, the kind of literature and the elements of literature serviceable in the elementary school, the story, folk-tale and fairy-story, hero-tales, nature and animal stories, symbolistic stories, fables, poetry and drama. The presentation of the literature, the correlations of literature and outside reading are also treated.

McClure, Alexander Kelly.Old time notes of Pennsylvania. 2v. *$8. Winston.

6–9611.

Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.

MacColl, Hugh.Symbolic logic and its applications. *$1.50. Longmans.

7–29053.

“Points on which he lays considerable stress, and in which he does not command the uniform assent of the other symbolic logicians, are these:—(a) that he takes statements and not terms to be in all cases and necessarily the ultimate constituents of symbolic reasoning; (b) that he goes quite beyond the ordinary notation of the symbolists in classifying propositions according to such attributes as true, false, certain, impossible, variable; (c) that in regard to the existential import of propositions, while other symbolists define the null class O as containing no members, and understand it as contained in every class, real or unreal, he, on the other hand, defines it as consisting of the null or unreal members, O1, O2, O3, &c., and considers it to be excluded from every real class. A chapter is devoted to the solution of Prof. Jevon’s so-called inverse problem.”—Nature.

“There are some respects in which Mr. MacColl appears too much dominated by ordinary language. The present volume is interesting and instructive, and the points in which it isincontrovertible are much more numerous than those in which it is open to doubt.”

Reviewed by John Grier Hibben.

McCook, Henry C.Nature’s craftsmen: popular studies of ants and other insects; il. from nature. **$2. Harper.

7–12257.

A book which has grown out of a series of nature articles printed in Harper’s magazine during the past four years. The papers deal principally with popular phases of insect and aranead life, with themes drawn chiefly from the author’s own specialties, ants and spiders. In addition, the products of some original studies have been included, as, for instance, wild bees, water-striders, caddis-flies, wasps and ant-lions.

“Well written, printed, illustrated and bound.”

“One of the most interesting and instructive entomological publications of recent date. Its method is popular in the best sense of the term.”

Reviewed by George Gladden.

“The character of the contents, the interesting nature of the observation related, and the clearness and grace of the author’s style, all combine to place the book in the first rank of popular natural histories.” Charles Atwood Kofoid.

“An admirable volume for the open shelves of the public or school library.”

“There is throughout a strict adherence to truth and a spirit of careful research. Close to the ideal type of nature book, well written, well printed, and well illustrated.”

“The book is written in a very pleasing style throughout, with the exception of the last few pages, which bear signs of haste.”

“In his years of close study of insects he has seen many a weird spectacle of which he writes here most entertainingly.”

“The stories contain so little that is technical, and that little so easily explained, that teachers and others who wish to interest children in insect study will find the book one of the most valuable of all the flood of nature books which recent years have brought forth.”

“Although free from technical terms, Dr. McCook’s work is thoroughly scientific in its treatment.”

“Well suited for the general reader who is interested in entomology.”

McCrackan, William Denison.Italian lakes. (Little pilgrimages ser.) Il. $2. Page.

7–15494.

“Mr. McCrackan first gives a brief general description of the ‘lakes of azure, lakes of leisure,’ and then takes up, one by one, the lakes themselves, the points of greatest interest upon or near their shores, and the journeys to be made from each.” (N. Y. Times.) “The picturesque towns and villa gardens on the shores are vividly described, and not only those which are famous the world over, but many which have succeeded in shyly hiding their loveliness from all eyes but those of the author, who has done his work with conscientious thoroness. The last chapters deal with people who had more or less connection with the towns on the lakes.” (Ind.)

“Enthusiastic, trustworthy, but not remarkable in style.”

“A very readable and not unprofitable book.” H. E. Coblentz.

“He is enthusiastic and sympathetic, and every lake and island has for him its own special charm, its own distinctive beauties and its own historical or artistic associations.”

“It is a pleasure to commend ‘The Italian lakes.’ We have noted a few errors.”

“He has always a keenly appreciative eye for whatever is striking or picturesque or beautiful, and lets none of it escape the traveler’s attention, from the snowclad peaks in the background to the flowers by the wayside.”

“Certainly it offers to tourists and sojourners a feast contrasted with the scant fare with which, perforce, they have had to be content in reading their necessarily condensed Baedeker, Meyer, Murray, or Boniforti.”

McCullough, Ernest.Engineering work in towns and small cities. $3. Technical bk. agency.

7–19430.

“After discussing the city engineer and his duties the author takes up, in turn, roads and streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, pavements, sanitation in general, drainage, sewerage, water supply, concrete, building departments, miscellaneous data (in the course of which a few paragraphs on lighting are given), contracts and specifications, office systems, records, field work and engineering data. Appendixes are devoted to concrete mixing machines, trenching machines, bibliography, trade literature and specification index.”—Engin. N.

“The book is unique, for one of its class, in the amount of information it contains on how to do things. Much of this is based on the practical experience of the author, and the balance, for the most part, has been selected with good judgment.”

*MacCurdy, Hansford, and Castle, William Ernest.Selection and cross-breeding in relation to inheritance of coat-pigments and coat-patterns in rats and guinea-pigs. (Carnegie institution of Washington. Publication no. 70.) pa. 50c. Carnegie inst.

7–21347.

The results of the authors’ recent researches which have included the study of a thousand animals throughout several generations.

Reviewed by T. H. Morgan.

McCutcheon, George Barr.Daughter of Anderson Crow.†$1.50. Dodd.

7–25508.

It is not the real but the adopted daughter of Anderson Crow, town marshal, about whom this story centers. After many adventures including a kidnapping and a hold up, in which the inhabitants of the small western village in which the tale is set, play a part, the parentage of Rosalie is discovered and her real wealth and position made known.

“The humour and spirit of the book are well sustained by the illustrations.”

“Since the pursuit of literature, on the part of both authors and publishers—has transmuted itself from the desire to do something worthwhile into the endeavor to hit the bull’s eye of popular taste, that fact is perhaps justification for Mr. McCutcheon’s numerous books. Otherwise it is impossible to understand why they should be either written or published.”

“In addition to the various good qualities of the author shown in the book there is a good bit of character drawing in Crow.”

“Mr. McCutcheon, who told a good story in ‘Jane Cable,’ tells a better one in ‘The daughter of Anderson Crow.’”

McCutcheon, George Barr.Jane Cable.†$1.50. Dodd.

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