AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

By Robert E. Riegel, editor, D.Appleton-Century, 1941. 2 vol. 1109 pp.$3.25 per vol. Contributing authors: Professors Eager, Holben, McDaniel, Merrill,Sikes, Smead, Stilwell.

AFTER SOME YEARS of unsatisfactory experience with the book readings available for any survey course in the Social Sciences the staff of Social Science 3-4 prepared this two volume work recently published by D. Apple- ton-Century. The course was designed for sophomores who have had a satisfactory grounding in European and American history. By studying the varying social aspects of human institutions it attempts with considerable success to avoid the traditional demarcations between economics, political science, and sociology. The book is organized topically and as far as possible the topics are studied in all their social aspects. The treatment is generally descriptive although analysis seems adequately developed for an introductory course.

Starting with the nature of social institutions and the nature and process of social change the first volume proceeds from a description of modern business organization to analyze the operation of the price mechanism of the capitalistic system. A following section goes on to describe the varying relations developed between the business community and government. It covers both the dependence of business on government and the outstanding types of government regulation. This is followed by parts describing the American monetary and banking system and the organization of public finance. The place of the consumer in the modern social system is then depicted and some study made of private and governmental efforts to protect the buyer against injury. The volume closes with a long part of five chapters dealing with labor. The treatment stresses the insecurity facing the worker, the private and public remedies that have been developed to lessen that insecurity, and some of the unfortunate industrial conflicts that have resulted.

The second volume opens with a number of chapters covering some of the outstanding economic, political, and social aspects o£ farming and some of the problems facing the farmer. A section devoted to population and race follows with separate chapters treating a number of factors influencing the American population. The social and economic importance of the family in organizing the population is then pictured along with the personal and social influences that threaten its stability. A section of eight chapters are given over to the social disruption caused by crime with an analysis of its sources and means of treating criminal behavior. The last two sections of the book devoted to government and politics describe among other subjects the nature of government, the development of the American legislative and governmental systems, and the forces influential in shaping American political policies.

In various sections in the two volumes the authors have found that there is a good reason for at least some of the old demarcations and they have had to devote extended parts to a purely economic, political, or sociological treatment. In others, however, the various points of view have been well developed together. And possibly there is some added virtue in placing a wide range of topics together in the two volumes.