Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/740

 716 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

climate, the topography, and the Indian foundation remain, and will remain. But the problems are not so simple, nor readily referred to such simple agents. Gambling exists in other climes, non-government may be found on temperate plains, and cruelty and superstition occur in all mankind.

There has been some talk of an English translation of the book. It will not be understood by English readers, and will be particularly misjudged by all Americans save those who know Mexico sympathet- ically. In Mexico itself the book caused a sensation. For ten suc- cessive evenings the thinkers of the Mexican metropolis literary men, teachers, students, public men, scientific workers representing the different learned societies, gathered for its discussion, the author him- self being present. At the close of this detailed examination the book was highly commended.

Guerrero comes of "Liberal" stock, and is himself of that political party. He is a clear thinker on public affairs, and in politics seeks to warn and direct. His journal, La Republica, was suppressed after fourteen numbers. In it he asserted purely Liberal ideas, warned against the dangers of revolution, and aimed to contribute to the solv- ing of the most pressing political question in Mexico today the presidential succession.

FREDERICK STARR.

Evolution of the Japanese. By SIDNEY L. GULICK, M.A., Mission- ary of the American Board in Japan. Chicago: Fleming H. Revell Co. Pp. vi-f-457.

THIS work presents the best description and the most searching analysis that has yet appeared of that unique ethnical phenomenon, the modern reconstruction of Japan. As description the work consti- tutes a very treasury of mental characterization so classified as to require nearly all of the thirty-seven chapters of the work. Herein the work is a match for the Chinese Characteristics by Arthur Smith, which supplies an exact anatomy of the Chinese mind. But, unlike Mr. Smith, our author had a host of previous writers to deal with ; and these have been so criticised and so supplemented from first-hand knowledge that they are now superseded for a reader that can peruse but one work. A typical treatment is that of Japanese intellectuality, which is shown to compare fairly with that of Americans, while the fact that Japanese in common with other orientals had never developed an independent history or science is explained by the much