SCIENCE AND HUMAN AFFAIRS. By Winterton C. Curtis. (Bell and
Sons. 15s. net.) Dr. Curtis is Professor of Zoology in the University of Missouri, and he devotes what might seem a disproportionate amount of space in this book to cytology and the theory of organic evolution. Actually, however, these arc the most valuable parts of his treatise ; when he deals with more general subjects lie is either trite or muddled. Science, for example, he defines as " the product of human reason applied to natural phenomena," and he seems not to be conscious of the theoretical assumptions on which science is based. He expresses his belief that the world can only be saved through " facts," and decides that all " human riddles " can be solved by scientific knowledge. It would have been much better if he had published Part II. (The Science of Biology) by itself as an elementary text-book. In dealing with his own subject he immediately becomes clear and inter- esting ; the rest of the book may stand as evidence that humanistic education is still necessary.
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