Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 10.djvu/847

 REVIEWS 831

advances are made by insight rather than by drill, by perception of new relations rather than by repetition of familiar co-ordinations. This statement, therefore, must mean that with the rapid increment of muscular power and function during adolescence this acquirement of skill by practice is absolutely increased, while still it is true that relatively it plays a smaller part than in the preceding period.)

We must pass over the interesting discussion of the diseases of adolescence, and of juvenile faults, immoralities, and crimes. The same general principle of explanation holds for both: that adoles- cence vibrates physiologically between hypertrophic and atrophic extremes. A period of organic instability, obstreperousness, and even semi-criminality is normal for all healthy boys. The crimi- nality of youth is usually due to unsymmetrical or disproportionate development. Every adolescent, says the author, is a potential criminal.

The most fundamental change of all those which characterize adolescence is the maturing of the reproductive function. There is no occasion for mincing matters: hunger and love are the forces which rule the world, and the proper attitude of parents and edu- cators is, not to try to ignore or deny, but to recognize and control, this great dominant impulse. The time will come when this problem of deepest concern in all our living will no longer be so exclusively under the control of instinct and emotion that the truth is tabooed and sincerity and frankness are regarded as a cause for shame. The time is ripe for the publication of a sane, dignified, thoroughly- scientific, and yet at the same time popular, in the sense of readable, book on the subject of the deepest problems of sex. Many have turned eagerly to the pages of President Hall's book to find this word of sanity and wisdom which still is the word of safety and purity. Some are disappointed because they do not find it as digni- fied as they demanded. Others complain that it is not scientific; others, that it is unbalanced and morbid. Nearly all object to its length and tiresomeness. But, on the whole, in the opinion of the present writer, his treatment of the subject is suggestive and help- ful, and brings a much-needed message to the parents and teachers of our times.

As the author says, " there is great reason to look to sex for the key to far more phenomena of both body and soul at this as at other times of life, than we had hitherto dreamed of in our philos- ophy." Sexually man is still instinctive. We are not yet sexually