“The story of a movement which has been a gradual growth. It gives the
underlying principles of selection, the kind of activities which, while
adapted to Hyannis, are suggestive for the public schools of the state.
Finally, the teachers of the different grades tell how they do the work.
Interesting and helpful illustrations accompany the text.”—Ann. Am.
Acad.
* * * * *
“The book is full of enthusiasm and common-sense. All teachers will be
helped by considering the way useful activities indoors and out were
made fundamental in the school life of Hyannis.”
+ =Ann. Am. Acad.= 33: 189. Ja. ’09. 270w.
“Set forth in an interesting way.”
+ =Engin. N.= 61: sup. 36. Mr. 18, ’09. 320w.
=Ball, Oona H.=^{[7]} Their Oxford year. 6s. Methuen, London.
A pleasant story written by the wife of a Canadian professor who is
devoting his Sabbatical year to work in historic Oxford. “They meet the
people whom they might be expected to meet,—heads of houses, professors,
tutors, undergraduates, and residents, the newcomers through whom,
thanks to the academical changes and other causes, the population of
half-a-century has been almost doubled. All these are very pleasantly
drawn.” (Spec.)
* * * * *
“Mrs. Ball writes very pleasantly, if somewhat discursively, about
Oxford life, which she evidently knows well from the inside.”
+ − =Ath.= 1909, 1: 697. Je. 12. 180w.
“This book is little more than a repetition of the same writer’s
‘Barbara goes to Oxford,’ and shows evidence of fatigue.”
− =Sat. R.= 108: 142. Jl. 31, ’09. 130w.
“Its contents are mainly fact, very pleasantly pictured. The Latin might
have been more carefully corrected.”
+ − =Spec.= 102: 784. My. 15, ’09. 380w.
=Ball, Robert Steele.= Natural sources of power. *$2. Van Nostrand.
9–5180.
The contents cover: Water power and methods of measuring; Application of
water power to the propulsion of machinery; The hydraulic turbine;
Various types of turbines; Construction of water-power plants;
Water-power installations; The regulation of turbines; Wind pressure,
velocity and methods of measuring; The application of wind power to
industry; Modern windmills—constructional details; and Power of modern
windmills.
* * * * *
“Written primarily for the student, but of value also to the
professional engineer.”
+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 99. Ap. ’09.
“The book has been made readable and interesting, not only to the
engineer, but to every manufacturer who is in a position to economize on
his means of power production by taking the natural forces that lie at
his hand and harnessing them in his service.”
+ =Engin. D.= 5: 171. F. ’09. 350w.
“This book, though brief in its treatment of the subject, possesses many
features of value to the engineer. While it neither pretends to, nor
does present anything new in regard to water and air power, it forms a
compilation in condensed and convenient form, making it a valuable work
of reference.” F. C. Finkle.
+ − =Engin. N.= 62: sup. 36. O. 14, ’09. 1050w.
“The book can be specially recommended to those readers who, while not
being specialists in the particular branch dealt with, desire to obtain
a general survey of the subject.” C. C. G.
+ =Nature.= 79: 4. N. 5, ’08. 900w.
=Balmer, Edwin.=^{[6]} Waylaid by wireless; a suspicion, a warning, a
sporting proposition, and a transatlantic pursuit. †$1.50. Small.
9–15088.
The English cathedral towns furnish a background for this story whose
plot centers about a series of robberies in which American tourists are
victims. The real thief, a wily Englishman, puts the guilt upon an
innocent American and thru clever manipulation of wireless instruments
and messages has him tracked, arrested and locked up. A vivacious
American girl plays a willing part in clearing the hero.
* * * * *
“Breezy story of mediocre merit, improbable, but ingenious in its
exposition of the possibilities of wireless telegraphy.”
+ − =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 25. S. ’09.
“This invention alone would have sufficed the author to produce a
readable book; for good measure he adds the counter-complication of
wireless at sea.”
+ =Ind.= 67: 40. Jl. 1, ’09. 160w.
“The conversation is always telling and to the point, whether clothed in
humor or seriousness.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 371. Je. 12, ’09. 140w.
=Bancroft, Marie, and Bancroft, Squire.=^{[6]} Bancrofts:
recollections of sixty years. *$5. Dutton.
9–20768.
The memories during sixty years of the Bancrofts who in the height of
their success were accorded the leadership of the London stage. “The
volume contains much interesting theatrical history, a rich fund of
personal reminiscense, a rare budget of anecdote. The illustrations
comprise many portraits, caricatures, scenes from plays, pictures of
buildings. There are many letters from prominent personages. The
Bancrofts have been more or less in touch with the leaders of thought
and the men of action of their time and country.” (N. Y. Times.)
* * * * *
“Too expensive for its usefulness to the average public library.”
+ − =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 6. S. ’09.
“On the whole the figures and financial details are the most interesting
features of this book, which is not without ‘padding.’”
+ − =Ath.= 1909, 1: 655. My. 29. 1000w.
“For liveliness and variety, the book is one of the best of its kind.”
+ =Dial.= 47: 186. S. 16, ’09. 230w.
“Their book is full of interesting and often pregnant matter.”
+ =Nation.= 88: 635. Je. 24, ’09. 750w.
“The book has a cheery, optimistic vein, and there is little in it of
the acerbity and irony generally associated with the reminiscences of
aged actors off the stage.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 341. My. 29, ’09. 2000w.
“As a book of theatrical gossip it will prove innocent and entertaining
reading to those who enjoy gossip.”
+ =Outlook.= 92: 428. Je. 26, ’09. 400w.
“A delightful book.”
+ =Putnam’s.= 7: 243. N. ’09. 120w.
“It is wonderful that two people of sixty-years of age should
deliberately put such childish stuff into print. We have never met with
anything which shows more clearly how ability on the stage is compatible
with general insignificance of intellect and temperament.”
− =Sat. R.= 107: 662. My. 22, ’09. 900w.
=Banfield, E. J.=^{[11]} Confessions of a beachcomber: scenes and
incidents in the career of an unprofessional beachcomber in tropical
Queensland. *$4. Appleton.
9–17185.
“Records the life and observations of an Australian retired from the
society of white men on a little island off the north-east coast of
tropical Australia. The author prides himself that he has ‘returned to
nature,’ but that is almost impossible: he has returned to solitude, to
poverty, to freedom, and many other things, but he has not accepted the
conditions of nature. He has rejected the burdens of civilization, and
gone off with the loot into the wilds; extirpated the native vegetation,
and planted the trees that feed him agreeably. And there he sits with
his telescope, rainguage, gun, and camera, and laughs at the slaves that
stay behind, inventing more such instruments, and sending him groceries
by the weekly steamer.”—Ath.
* * * * *
“He is not a man of science, but he has the instincts of the field
naturalists, and writes interestingly of birds and beasts and insects.”
+ =Ath.= 1908, 2: 819. D. 2. 240w.
“We would freely acknowledge the literary charm, the wealth of metaphor,
the artistic qualifications, and the excellent powers of observation of
our beachcomber. At the same time we direct attention to some faults in
this work, because we hope to see it pass into a second edition and
become a classic for naturalists.” J. S. G.
+ − =Nature.= 79: 403. F. 4, ’09. 680w.
=N. Y. Times.= 14: 652. O. 23, ’09. 30w.
=Bangs, John Kendrick.=^{[10]} Real thing, and three other farces. $1.
Harper.
9–26299.
The first of these four farces, the title piece, is a clever take-off on
the servant question. The scene is the office of the Maginnis Employers’
bureau, New York City, where appear not servants for employers to
choose, but employers for domestic artists to choose. The reader can
imagine what amusement Mr. Bangs could furnish out of this situation.
The other pieces, each suited to dramatic reading or monologue, are: The
Barrington’s “At home”; The return of Christmas and The side show.
* * * * *
“Four little farcical plays are very well suited for dramatic reading or
for home theatricals.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 689. N. 6, ’09. 70w.
=Bankart, George P.= Art of the plasterer: an account of the
decorative development of the craft, chiefly in England from the
xvith to the xviiith century. *$10. Scribner.