On Things In General

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 29, 4 February 1939, Page 10 (Supplement)

On Things In General

£ TESTS of general knowledge, the 'something of • everything"' • that the philosopher speaks about, have become necessary before promotion in State service staffs •of all branches of civil service in' .England, and the system .is developing overseas—we have ! it here in. New Zealand in some of the 1 Departments: •> To : gather between two ( covers the v: answers to the. 'general classes of questions which are likely, to , present themselves at these examina- * tions.is' a task whicli "might daunt' the y keenest student of scientific progress, but , Mr.. R. R. Martin, has accepted and ( accomplished the. task' with.a degree of \ success Avhicli. 13 greatly astonishing. - His "Book of General Knowledge" (The s English. Universities Press) "is a tribute-.j to his scholarship and to his powers of Q condensation, and in presenting liis out-.' e line of things as we know them to-day, g he has more than, fulfilled the require- ■ ; ments of candidates for examinations; '. he, has also laid the foundations for all who care to use them, of scholar or f adult, of a sound and coherent' under-- a standing of men and affajrs to-day. This Y book summarises human activities r under;, half a dozen headings— such as how we live and have our being, science c and human life, and how we are governed * —and in these related and inter-related \ chapters Mr. Martin epitomises most of the.- questionswhich perplex and haunt the. mind of the inquiring rlayman. It ( is 'a good book for the.man or woman who takes life a little seriously; it' is"'.- •' equally --useful-- to ' young, student . orf " adult .seeker after truth/an'd, in general, j .it is the type ; of book" whicii'canriot fail "* to .-be , ..to • any intelligent.; j ... • reader.': : _ ■ • • - • - ' • t