Good-Humoured Everydayness

Northern Advocate, 20 July 1938, Page 2

Good-Humoured Everydayness

“ The Importance of Living,” by Dr. Lin Yutang (Heinemann; 15/-). The price of this book averts attention. Add the exchange and charges and it costs something like 21/- in New Zealand. So, when I first saw it announced. I passed it by. Then it cropped up again. Book lists from the United States, and world library records set it amongst the best sellers and books most in demand. In the United States its record of sales towers up towards the 150,000 mark. It is now issued by Heinemann, in London, and an English record is expected. Lin Yutang. from his photo, appears to belong to an age within the thirties, and it may be remarked at once that his book owes some large part of its success to the blending of philosophic thinking with a youthful outlook, of gaiety and common sense. There is a cheery everydayness about this author, who recognises that we can get a fine lot out of living by enjoying our own company, the company of others, the possibilities in our homes, and the common pleasures of “a haircut once in two weeks, or watering a potted flower, or watching a neighbour fall off’ his roof.” Be Reasonable. There is a touch of Diogenes about his method of avoiding disappointment by not indulging extravagant hopes. He does not allow himself to cultivate illusions, so he is seldom disillusioned. “Let us be reasonable about life,” he says, and means by that, instead of drifting, hoist your sails and keep a strong hand on the helm. Instead of yielding to excitement, impulses and whims, emotions and moods, let reason be called in to decide and direct. He is a Chinese gentleman living in the United States. He inherits from Chinese philosophy the acceptance of life as it comes along. He sees in the Western civilisation around him, and across the Atlantic, a confusing and feverish complexity. "Why do we complicate our -lives unnecessarily? Why do we waste energy on bitterness, resentment. dissatisfaction?” How is it that we arc a restless people? It was an English poet who said:

“Man never is. but always to be blessed.” and Mr Lin would smile at this as a wilful stupidity—our own stupidity—that of refusing to enjoy what we have because we are worried and worn out pursuing something we haven’t got. Even our womenfolk have let themselves follow the men in abandoning their homes before they have had time to appreciate them. No sooner have we built a lovely house, to call our home, than we arrange to spend all the time we can away from it—at the club, the lodge, the party, or the picnic. Back to Sanity. The whole modern craze to live in flats, with its sacrifice of most things that make a home, is not due to our finding a homo exhausting and exhausted in its attractions and interests, but to our over-ruling infatuation with interests and attractions outside our homes. In the long run, who makes the most of life? "Let us bo reasonable." Let us think about the things we do, and the aims we puisue. If they tend to unnecessary disturbance, disquiet and disgust, let us get back to quietness, sanity and security. Life is really too important to spoil its natural and rightful beauty and joy with feverish follies, and the more wo draw from the wells of life in ourselves, our homes, our occupations and our real friendships, the less can we be affected, hurt, upset, by the things beyond. The opinions of the outside world, for instance, cannot enslave us. When we accept our limitations, we cut ourselves free from enslavement in many/vain and foolish guises. The kingdom of content is within. Among New Books. The summer and autumn publishing programmes in England promise a large number of interesting books. When a selection of them reaches New Zealand, in due course, more extended notices will bo offered in these Caxton columns. At present the following selection of titles may be mentioned, with brief notes, from publishers’ announcements or advance English reviews, Aristocracy in Crime. Ex-Detective-Inspector P. J. Smith has gathered up his case notes of special Scotland Yard work on confidence trickery. He was many years in this department of crime investigation and prevention. The confidence man is regarded as the aristocrat in crime. The stories of his skill, assurance, and successes in relieving quite intelligent people of thousands of pounds Is here set out, and it makes astounding roodirg. The title of the book is “Con Man.' The publishers are Herbert Jenkins, and the price 12 6 at Home. Socialism in New Zealand. A new book by Mr J. A. Lee, M.P. dealing with “Socialism in Now Zealand.” will shortly come to hand. Major C. R, Attlee, Leader of the British Labour Party, writes an introduction. "The Children of the Poor” and “Civilian Into Soldier." were books largely drawn from Mr Lee’s personal experience, of early life in Dunedin, and of later life in the Groat War. This new work from his fluent pen will be less personal, and more philosophic, but no less written from first-hand contacts and verified knowledge. It should bo invaluable to clear up the misconceptions at the present time. Citizens ami Science. Why Professor Mogben called hia now book “Science for the Citizen" I don't know. Nothing .is surer than this, that he intended to write for all laymen, all. who are not scientists, you and me, and any of us. who care to take an interest in what science really is, what it has done, and which way i; is tending. Citizens are not the only people who will be able to profit by the wisdom of this book. The priceless value of the theme.to everyone lies in the clear. encouraging style in which Professor llogben has sot nut the fundamentals of science. Lis great work on "Mathematics for the Million” supplied a foretaste of his power to mala' us enjoy as well as understand tilings that before we were rather apt to suppose were beyond us. George Allen and Unwin publish j this new book at 12 (i. j Cleaning Up Gangsters. Wo have got over the craze to read j about gangsters. Even a gangster picture with Clark Gable, and rotund | detectives with their hats on in ladies' \ rittingrooms. has ceased to attract us. I The tact is someone imt bu.-v a few yean; ago and set about solving lb" problem of beating me gangster out of town. That somebody was Mr ,T. Edgar Hoover. For a year or more 1 have read all I could about the pro-

i'oundly interesting work he was doing, and how he founded a new investigation department, trained a new band of investigators in scientific knowledge and methods, and started to clear the gangsters up. No one. hardly, thought he could do it. least of all the gangrlers themselves. Now it is done, and those who have not been shot, imprisoned or otherwise put out of action, are in desperate hiding. Mr Hoover has therefore had lime to write “Persons in Hiding." published by Dent?, which (ells us what he did. how he did il. and How he expects In got the hiding men yel "< ri jiplc-il Splendour" is the Rook Society's choice for June. It. is by Evan John, a story of James I of Scotland. <Nicholson & Watson; B/fi). “A Blunt instrument.” by Georgette lloyer. (Rodder & Stoughton; 7/0). Said to be "the best of all her detective stories," “I Should Have Stayed at Home,” by Horace McCoy (Barker; 7/0). A young man pursues an ambition to make good at Hollywood, • and comes to the conclusion that he had better have stayed at home. But the story is "galvanic." says Marguerite Steen, and its truth is self-evident. Holly-wood-with-the-lid-otT is the recent style of drawing attention to the life of that picture city. There is a startling bit of lid-lifting here, but it comes into the story unforced, and does not make you feel that it was premeditated sensation for sensation's sake.