565 c.7 COPYRIGHT, 1926, 1927, BY JOHN STORCK 395382 SET UP AND ELECTROTYPED BY T. MOREY & SON PRINTED IN THE U. S. A. PREFACE In this book I have tried to present a non-technical yet sufficiently dignified interpretation of human activity in fundamental agreement with the results of recent study in the fields of psychology, anthropology, and sociology. These disciplines, of course, are still in their infancy, and so it is impossible to tell what light they may eventually throw on human affairs; but they do offer intelligent people of today certain leading principles and a considerable array of specific data (still rather scattered and fragmentary, it is true) that can help them to a better understanding of contemporary life and its problems. Preliminary editions of the book were used during the last two years as required reading in the prescribed freshman course in Contemporary Civilization which is given in Columbia College. I have benefited greatly from the advice and criticism of the students and teachers who have participated in the enterprises of that course, and many other friends have been kind enough to offer suggestions for the improvement of the book. In particular I wish to acknowledge an overwhelming indebtedness to Professor J. J. Coss, Maurice Goldbloom, Malcolm Stuart McComb, Mark Louis Potter, Florence Elsey Storck, and Edward Treacy. These persons treated the book as if it were their own, and lavished upon it every care; where it is at fault, in many cases, no doubt, it is because I failed to take their advice. Many other persons have helped in only slighter degree. The numbered references to be found in the body of the book refer to the bibliographical notes that have been gathered together at the end of each chapter. In general, mention of a book or article in these bibliographies may be taken as a hearty recommendation of it to the interested reader, as I have tried to include only the best things I have come upon in the course of my reading. September, 1927 J. S. |