The Anatomy of Modern Science (Bell, 21s.) is a massive
Volume of close on 700 pages. In the author's words, it is an attempt to express "in simple form to a wide public the great results of scientific research,' and" to evaluate from a general and philosophic point of view the significance of these results, and of the great problems still unsolved." A formidable task indeed. Dr. Bavink surveys the whole field of modern science ..:physics and chemistry, astronomy and cosmology, biology, anthropology, eugenics and psychology ; his method being to allow philosophical questions to grow, so to speak, out of the results themselves. One cannot but admire the author's comprehensiveness and the clarity with which he marshals his facts. Indeed, it seems almost ungracious to ask to whom is this book addressed ; for, although Dr. Bavink makes no contributions that are new to the specialist, a large part of his matter will be incomprehensible to anyone else. The mathematics involved in the chapters on relativity and quanta, for instance, are far in advance of that of the ordinary reader. The book is well translated from the German by Mr. Stafford Hatfield ; the diagrams are clear and helpful, and there is a good index.
Previous page
