Acad. P. P. LAZAREV. Helmholtz. Khim.-tekhn. izd., Leningrad, 1925.
Acad. P. P. LAZAREV. A. G. Stoletov, N. A. Umov, P. N. Lebedev, B. B. Golitsyn. Khim.-tekhn. izd., Leningrad, 1927.

Unfortunately, among us very little attention has been paid to the history of physics. Meanwhile, acquaintance with biographies—with the major representatives of this science—with the history of the emergence and development of various physical schools is both interesting and instructive. Therefore one should welcome the appearance of Acad. Lazarev’s books devoted to the biographies of Helmholtz, Stoletov, Umov, Lebedev, and Golitsyn. The biography of Helmholtz is set forth in greater detail. For Russian physicists the biography of Helmholtz is of particular interest, since all his pupils were, precisely, Russian physicists.

The life and work of Stoletov, Umov, Lebedev, and Golitsyn almost belong to our own time, and therefore it is very interesting to become acquainted with how they developed, worked, and what themes they pursued. Each of these physicists made a major contribution to science. But no less important is the circumstance, noted also by Acad. Lazarev, that after them there remained pupils who continue scientific work. I think the details of their scientific work and of the development of the scientific schools of Russian physicists will be read by readers with interest and benefit.

B. Ilyin.