Jastrow, Joseph. Subconscious. **$2.50. Houghton.
“The plan upon which the volume is organized is simple and natural. An opening series of chapters describes certain of the principles of normal psychology which are most pertinent to the understanding of the operations of the subconscious. This is followed by a group of chapters upon the abnormal variants of conscious process in so far as these are relevant to the main subject of the book and in so far as they fall short of actual insanity. The final portion of the book is devoted to an exposition of the theoretical deductions which the author advances on the basis of the preceding parts of his work.”—Dial.
“The style is pleasant, and, save in a few passages of philosophizing, lucid. The index is satisfactory. What we do not find satisfactory is this: there exists a large body of evidence, confessedly well recorded, which cannot be paid for in the currency of official psychology, while that currency defrays the expenses of other familiar experiences.”
+ – Ath. 1906, 2: 482. O. 20. 1430w.
“He is always a practical westerner the teacher of college classes, for whom the abnormal and the uncanny serve but to explain the commonplace.” E. T. Brewster.
+ Atlan. 98: 425. S. ’06. 130w.
“For the psychologist the main value of the work will be in the compendious account which it furnishes of a large and significant group of related phenomena and its able exposition of a definite and frank attitude toward these phenomena. This attitude may be designated as that of impersonal empirical science. His pages are always picturesque and interesting, but the psychologist sometimes wishes that he would speak the language more technically. We must be sincerely grateful for an admirable achievement in a field calling loudly for such a piece of work.” James R. Angell.
+ Dial. 41: 106. S 1, ’06. 1900w.
“The book ... can hardly be accorded unreserved commendation. It is far too diffuse and consequently far too long. And on the theoretic side also the work is not remarkable for any great lucidity, strength, and insight.”