Book Notices. An Introduction to the Study of Society. The Catholic Church in the Niagara Per By ALBION W. Small, Ph.D., Head insula, 1686–1895. By DEAN HARRIS, Professor of Sociology in the Univer- Illustrated. Toronto : William Briggs. sity of Chicago, and GEORGE E. VIN- Octavo. Pp. 352. Price, $2.00. cent, Vice-Chancellor of the Chautau It is an evidence of the growing popuqua System of Education. New York: larity of the Methodist Publishing House American Book Company. Toronto : and of the growing liberality of our William Briggs. Roman Catholic friends that a distin guished Catholic priest should choose for Long ago Pope said, “The proper his publisher an uncompromisingly Protesstudy of mankind is man. With tant institution. This is as it should be. larger meaning than that of the poet is We are fellow-citizens of a common counthis being realized every day. The great try. It is part of true loyalty and true problem of the age is, not the scientific Christianity to recognize one another as problem, nor even the religious nor the allies in the war against intemperance, economic problem, but the social problem. infidelity and vice. infidelity and vice. It is wiser to proThis is being more and more discussed in mote peace and good-will than to foment the pulpit, on the platform and in the strife and ill-will. press. The Sunday-school Times even Dean Harris' ably-written volume is has a department for the sociological the most valuable contribution that we study of the Sunday-school lessons. know upon the early history of the Niagara Bishop Vincent has given it special prom peninsula. He describes the heroic inence at Chautauqua and in the Itin achievements of the French and English erant Clubs of Methodist preachers. Most pioneers, the explorers and path-finders of the colleges have departments of soci of empire, who laid broad and deep the ology on their curricula. But the vol foundations of the Canadian commonune before us is the first text-book on weal. He records the stirring adventures the study of society that we know. and severe privations of the early settlers. And a very admirably constructed text “The true history of Canada,” says book it is. The position of its authors, Goldwin Smith, “is written on the graveProf. Small and Dr. Vincent, as in stones of the pilgrim fathers of the counstructors in this new science gives an try. To them the accomplished Dean authoritative value to the volume. The renders a due meed of praise. Of course, first book treats of the origin and scope of he gives special prominence to the labours sociology, its relation to special social of the clergy of his own Church from the science and social reforms. The second time of the pioneer missionary fathers to book illustrates the evolution of organ the present. The book is exceedingly ized society from its simplest elements, well manufactured, is illustrated with a single family on a farm, through the excellent cuts of Indian relics, with copies rural and village group to the fully de of rare old engravings and with some veloped town and city. This is illustra handsome full-page plates. ted with maps and diagrams and a chart showing the distribution of functions The Innuits of our Arctic Coast. By His with their many bifurcations and rami- HonourJ.C. SCHULTZ, LL.D., F.R.S.C., fications in complex modern life. M.D., Lieut.-Governor of Manitoba. By a stroke of genius, as we think, the In this admirable paper, read before the three remaining books discuss the social Royal Society of Canada, Lieutenantanatomy, social physiology and pathology Governor Schultz gives an exceedingly and social psychology of modern civili- interesting account of the little-known zation. The book on social physiology denizens of Canada, the Eskimo of our and pathology is largely a discussion of Arctic coast. These diminutive but hardy morbid pathology, the characteristics of people have many admirable moral qualsocial disease, while the last book is on ities, much physical courage, and show what may be called social therapeutics, great ingenuity and skill in the conthe reconstruction of society in accordance struction of their dwellings, preparation with morality and law-on the eternal of their clothing, and the capture of their basis of the Ten Commandments and the food supplies. The monograph is of exGolden Rule. ceeding interest. Bishop Bompas, of The book is of fascinating interest and Moosimee, has done much for the evanwill be exceedingly helpful to this im- gelization and religious training of the portant study. Canadian Innuits. |