The Practice of Bookselling. By B. N. Langdon-Davies. (Phoenix House.
18s.) Tins is a thorough survey of the contem- porary bookselling trade which should not only prove valuable to all members and potential members of that ,trade, but 'Which deserves .to be read by anyone interested in the present state of English literature. The author writes with experience and has a good plain style, suited to his purpose, which is mainly expository, informative, factual, though there is plenty of shrewd observation and criticism as well. He describes the structure of the trade and the bookseller's daily round, discusses his chief duties and the qualifications desirable in his assistants, relates him to the society in which he lives, and does not shirk the hard facts of his financial situation, never easy but today exceedingly perilous. No one who goes into bookselling after reading this book will be able to say he has not been warned ; but neither shouldhe have failed to observe that there are high spiritual rewards to be gained by those whose instinct and temperament lead them to what is certainly a dedicated
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