The Successful Life. By an " Elder Brother." (Cassell and Co.)
—The chapters in this book are addressed to young men about to enter business, but we do not think any man, whatever his occupation might be, could read them without learning wisdom. It is difficult to decide which is the most striking feature in the " Elder Brother's " advice, the elevation of the tone or the sound- ness of the practical advice. Indeed, we can utter no higher praise than to say that the two are as inseparable in the pages of The Successful Life as they should be in actual life. The style and treatment are most earnest, and occasionally rise to true eloquence. It is impossible that, at the hands of so capable a writer and thinker as an " Elder Brother," some problems should not bring themselves and their intricacy forcibly before the reader, because it may be said of such problems that the more they are grappled with, the more formidable they become. But an " Elder Brother" has put many things on a sound moral basis, and has had perforce to leave others, such as unhealthy labour, as they were. To an easy-going mind inclined to despise trade, something of hardness may be suspected in the "Elder Brother." But on the other hand, the business man will be thankful for a true and just encouragement. These pages are applicable to both. Some of the more personal advice is excellently expressed. One of the sayings, "That he who desires to get a shilling's.worth for six- pence, is every whit as bad as he who sells for a shilling what is not worth sixpence," should be learnt by all who pride themselves on their bargaining powers. We may conclude with the hope that those who wish to get at a sound basis to go upon in a life to be spent in " trade," will read these admirable pages.
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