BOOK NOTICES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12445, 30 August 1902, Page 8

BOOK NOTICES.

"The Science and Art of Physical Development," By W. R. Pope. London: Greening and Co. Dunedin: Whitcombo mid Tombs.

A capital little volume, containing a mass of invaluable information for those who essay physical culture, and while all may notdevelop the muscle of the athletes whose striking proportions are shown in tho illustrations, still physical'culture of some kind is recognised as a necessity of our times, when sedentary occupations and brain work a severe strain upon the nervousorganisation, to t-lio detriment of the physical. The autnor discusses the various systems of the. different schools of physical culture, and endeavours to slio'V the points of importance in each. The Sandow, tho M'Fadden, and the Apollo systems, gymnastics, weight-lifting, and athletics are all dealt with, and tho chief differences explained. For instance, it is shown that training for athletics and for physical culture are conducted along different, lines. "How often," the author remarks, "this word 'athlete' is wrongly applied. The thin-armed, bow-backed, but nbnormally-Icggcd-cyclist, con bo seen at any cycle raco meeting, and the lean consumptivelooking runner.* call themselves athletes; while at the same time tho term is applicable to such a magnificent sample as fcandow. Physical culture rather aims at developing all the muscles of the body in a li-f-althy direction. Full directions are given as to food and exercise, and those desiring to develop a good all-round physique cannot do better than carefully study Mr Pope's handy little book, and follow its directions.

"The Strategy of Nature." By M, lJruce Williams. London: E. Brinsley John-

The title is a catchy one, but is not apposite to the contents of the book. It professes to bo "a statement of principles established by science, including, a deduction from mod3rn metaphysics, astronomy, and biology," A pretentious programme, verily; but instead of finding, as we had hoped to find, a rational discussion of the great facts of Nature, as demonstrable to human intelligence, we find a hash of transcendentalism, dim concepts lost in the mists and froth of inchoate rhetoric, and the whole issue so befogged by meaningless verbiage that the average intelligent reader will close tho book, after the most valiant attempt to master its contents, in a state of mental bewilderment. Sifting the few grains of wheat from the bushels of chaff, it appears that the author is endeavouring to present a new plan of creation, which transcends all that scientists, even the boldest speculators amongst them, have hit upon. Building upon tho nebulous theory of La Place (now, however, generally accepted) and tho meteroic birth of the universe, following the nebulous phase/ he endeavours to show that matter at first evolves, by the chemistry of "Nature, from the ether of space, and that when suns and systems havo coolled off, and leached what is called tho dead stage, they will burst up, first into fragments, then to cosmic dust-, and finally become absorbed in the primitive ether, again. And so the cycle goes on. The purpose that underlies cieation, the author appears to think, is the evolution of man from a creature partly physical and partly spiritual, to a being wholly spiritual, or, at any rate, with the physical part so attenuated that he can inhabit tha " atmo.sphereless and moistureless " spheres that plungo their purposeless flight' through the ether- Of space. Tho postulated ether-boeathing man becomes a jelly fish east on the shores of eternitv, or marooned rather on a dead world," and lost in a worse abyss than the ancient Nirvana. "Into t-lw formless absolute, beyond justice, mercy, sorrow, jov, sin, and suffering all, through the ever open' Tortals of death, escape, leaving their mortality behind them, shedding the terms of their grief and inquiry, joy and satis v faction." It is an odd jumble of word*.' And the author assumes that he has attained the Olympian heights- to which Ins penius aspires, by reason! If so, give us tho faith of the old system of belief at which he points the finger of scorn. He dogmatises with greater freedom than even tho Theosophists and Buddhists he sneers ; at. Those fond of the mental exercise of disentangling involved diction may while away an hour of interest by reading Mr Williams's book. The print is large, the paper good, the illustrations interesting, and the style sufficiently rhetorical and bombastic to suit, tha most fastidious. Its published price is 5s net.

"The Practice of the Supreme Court and Court- of Appeal of New Zealand." By »Sir Robert Stout, K.C.M.G.; Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, and William Alexander Sim, Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand,, Second edition by William Alexander Sim. Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). The work involved in the preparation of the first edition, published in 1892, which was framed on the lines of "Wilson's Judicature Acts and Rules," was thoroughly well done. In producing'a, second edition, embodying the amendments made in the various statutes and rules dealt with, and bringing the volume up to date, Mr Sim lias performed, with his accustomed thoroughness, a- task which will be highly appreciated by the legal profession. The work is well arranged, the new rules under the Supremo Court Act, from time to time made, will ba found in their proper places, wliilo all rules of importance to the practitioner, framed under particular statutes, have been included- Copious and carefully prepared notes have been added by the author where called for, and reference given to all important recent decisions bearing upon the acts aud rules dealt with. The work is of such practical value that no practitioner can afford to be without it. In size tho volume is convenient, and the printing and general get-up are all that can bo desired, '