E. LECHER. Physics Course for Physicians and Biologists. Translated from the 4th German edition under the editorship of E. V. Shpolsky, State Publishing House, Moscow—Leningrad, 1926. Pp. XI + 546, price 5 rubles 50 kopecks.

Lecher’s physics course is already known to the Russian public from the first edition available on the market. The translation now offered has been made anew from the new German edition. The qualities of this book—its completeness and concision, its not merely external but internal adaptation to the interests of biologists and physicians—which ensured its success in Germany and guarantee the same success among us, are noted with complete clarity in the preface by the editor of the Russian edition. I can only subscribe to the high appraisal given to it in that preface. The very successful combination of brevity and completeness makes the book not an easy one. But ease is the last thing that can be demanded of a university textbook of physics. Although the book bears the clear imprint of the purpose assigned to it by the author—to serve as a textbook for the biological school—it will prove useful as a general guide to physics beyond the limits of that school as well. The translation and editing have been done carefully. The editor’s additions are appropriate. The illustrations and the outward appearance of the book are good. Only the paper is too thin. It is a great pity that the book …

is not supplied with an alphabetical subject index. The usefulness of such indexes is obvious. Even the presence of a fairly detailed table of contents, as in the book under review, cannot replace an alphabetical index.

Gr. Landsberg.