Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/446

 430 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

Persons Who Died in 1901," "General Statistics," "Financial Sta- tistics," "Railroad Mileage," "Corn and Wheat Crops," "Arma- ments of the Nations," " Immigration into the United States," " Religious Statistics." There are good maps (a) of the Philippine Islands; (6) of central and southern Africa; (c) of China, Japan, and Korea. There are fifty-three illustrations, nearly all full-page, and the majority of them excellent pictures of persons prominent during the year 1901. The editor had the assistance of sixteen men named as " The Advisory Council." But for a single circumstance, I should say without hesitation that the advice of these men must have increased the value of the book.

It is safe to say that if we had a census of the people who do now or ever will take an interest in the year 1901, we should have the exact number of persons who would feel able to point out inclu- sions of the less worthy and omissions of the more worthy. I have not yet been able to examine the volume carefully enough to make out my own bill of particulars. Whether I am able later to locate important over- or under-sights, I am satisfied that the history must be accepted on demand as a sheer necessity for everybody who has occasion to refer to recent events. I cannot see how any editorial office, except of the patent-inside variety, can do without it. I already feel toward it very much as I do toward the index that changed my pamphlets from rubbish to equipment. That every reference library must have the series goes without saying. Dr. Cuppy should have the hearty gratitude of every literary worker.

A. W. S.

A Modern Utopia. By H. G. WELLS. Pp. xii -\- 393. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. $1.50 net.

The visible use of Utopias is to make readers temporarily forget their present grievances, and contemplate the program of revolt which they would promote if the imaginary conditions were realized. Nothing is more obnoxious to present human nature than a presump- tion of social conditions fixed beyond chance of change.

Mr. Wells hardly reckons on being understood as having com- pleted plans and specifications of a perfect world. Like most utopists, he has indicated a series of modifications which in his opinion would increase the aggregate of human happiness. Since tastes differ, it is always an open question whether the result in practice would increase