PORTRAIT OF SOCRATES By Sir R. W. Livingstone
This .book (Oxford University Press, 6s.) is a compendium for the common reader who does- not know Greek. The Apology, Crito, and Phaedo are supplied in translation (mainly Jowett), and all excessively metaphysical passages are printed in smaller type than the rest of the text, so that those interested mainly in the portrait of Socrates provided by Plato don't have to rack their brains over discussions about Being, and those who want philosophy can find it easily. Sir Richard Livingstone's notes are terse and adequate : he also inserts summaries of the argument at different points throughout each dialogue, so that the Greekless reader need never be at sea. In a long introduction he says all that such a reader requires to know about the historical and philo- sophical background of the dialogues, and epitomises the different interpretations which have been suggested of Socrates' character. For schools, adult classes, &c., this book should be extremely useful. It is an experiment : if it succeeds, others will be published on similar lines. The idea is certainly well worth encouragement.
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