Put These Books on Your Gift Lists Little Essays in Literature and Life By RICHARD BURTON Professor of English Literature in the University of Minnesota, member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters, one of the most popular lecturers in this country to-day, and probably the foremost authority in the United States on the drama. A delightful collection of readable and worth-while essays, touching, suggestively and stimulatingly, a wide range of topics-with the richness that comes only in the writings of a scholar, of sane and optimistic outlook, of a distinct and mellow literary flavor. Price $1.25 net, postage 10 cents Beaumont, the Dramatist By CHARLES MILLS GAYLEY, professor of the English Language and Literature, University of California A literary portrait of the most poetic of Shakspere's contemporaries in the drama which distinguishes Beaumont clearly from Fletcher, defines with authority his position as a dramatist, and portrays vividly his charming personality. Fifteen illustrations from valuable historical portraits and scenes. Price $2.00 net, postage 12 cents Zone Policeman 88 By HARRY A. FRANCK, prince of vagabonds and raconteurs, and author of "It is like nothing else of its kind. . . . All the government publications combined, all the books of tourists and travelers put together, do not give such a picture of Panama as this." Many illustrations from Mr. Franck's own snap-shots. Price $2.00 net, postage 12 cents A Traveler At Forty By THEODORE DREISER "Many books have been written about European travel. . . . But Mr. Dreiser has done something exceptional. He has a certain microscopic vision that enables him to see the small things that are important, and the really important things are always small. And, above all, he has the gift of humor."-San Francisco Argonaut. Pictures by Glackens. Price $1.80 net, postage 14 cents The Trade of the World By JAMES DAVENPORT WHELPLEY, an authority "Its statements and conclusions are based upon an accurate study of the figures that measure the volume and value of world's commerce, and even more upon a first-hand acquaintance with the countries of which he writes. . . . "Whether or not the reader agrees with all the author's conclusions, he will find the book stimulating, entertaining, instructive."-From the Bulletin of the Geographical Society of Philadelphia. Illustrations of interest. Price $2.00 net, postage 16 cents The House in Good Taste By ELSIE DE WOLFE One of the most helpful books on house decoration and furnishing, and home making, ever issued, urging sincerity, common sense, and suitability, and showing just how to obtain satisfying results. Delightfully written. Delightfully illustrated. Price $2.50, postage 20 cents. THE CENTURY CO., Union Square, New York facts at first-hand. It is the most thorough and complete work on the subject yet produced. Price $1.30 net, postage 12 cents Commercialized Prostitution in New York City Issued Price $1.30 net, postage 12 cents By Raymond B. Fosdick In Preparation Formerly Commissioner of Accounts in New York City Police and Prostitution in the United States In Preparation By Raymond B. Fosdick and Abraham Flexner These books are to be obtained from local booksellers and from the publishers. 7 Editions LADDIE 302,500 of BY GENE STRATTON-PORTER Copies More than 28,000 have been sold in England, Australia and Canada Such a sale means something 21,000 23,500 26,500 302,500 It means that for the majority of American readers, this book has by far the most interesting background because it deals with simple-hearted, decent, self-respecting people who are the backbone of our life to-day. Illustrated; Cloth, net $1.35: Leather, boxed, net $1.75 GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK N. B. Mrs. Porter's books, "Freckles", "A Girl of the Limberlost", The Harvester", "At the Foot of the Rainbow", and "Laddie" have sold more than 2,000,000 copies. The Century Dictionary, Cyclopedia, and Atlas as a complete Dictionary of the English Language The Century Dictionary, as its name implies, was first intended as a dictionary, and the encyclopedic articles, the cyclopedia of proper names, and the atlas, were added to give greater scope, larger interest, and a far wider range of usefulness. The State Department wrote: Hippalectryon. From an amphora in the Louvre. "The Government of the United States will rely upon The Century Dictionary as its highest authority in the English Language in the approaching arbitration of the questions between itself and Great Britain." In the second place, it must be a complete inventory of the words of the language, of all foreign words which scientific or ordinary usage has added, and of such slang and colloquialisms as have become recognized through constant use. The Century not only spells, pronounces, and defines these various entries, giving when possible complete etymologies and derivations, but also has added greatly to their interest by its encyclopedic treatment. Insect gynandromorph: a moth (Automeris io), female on the left, male on the right side of the body. The third requirement is simplicity and accuracy of definition, as well as nicety of distinction in the many variations of usage-shades of meaningpast and present. These requirements The Century met by the personnel of its staff, as it is only possible to accomplish such ends when the editors and contributors are technically competent, and when their work is based on "the actual facts of usage.' Three other features, quite distinctive of Century thoroughness, are: the very thorough articles, by Professor Whitney himself, showing the comparative value and proper use of thousands of synonyms-the wonderful collection of over 300,000 quotations from the works of great authors and authorities, which clearly demonstrate the various uses of words under their different definitions-and the accurate and clear illustration by means of over 10,000 woodcuts, half-tones, and color plates. Those who are interested in The Century should Chinese Porcelain Jar with Hawthorn Decoration. (In the Pennsylvania Museum, Philadelphia.), The Educational Department will be glad to answer questions on schools and colleges, and on books of educational value. The department is ready at all times to consider the publication of manuscripts prepared by educational writers. Educational Department, THE CENTURY CO., Answers to Questions As the publishers of the Century Dictionary, Cyclopedia and Atlas, THE CENTURY MAGAZINE, ST. NICHOLAS, a long list of text-books for use in schools and colleges, hymn-books for churches and institutions of learning, and a varied array of general books on all subjects, we have unrivaled facilities for answering questions covering a broad field of information. We are glad to place these facilities at the disposal of readers of THE CENTURY, and in many cases to answer by mail direct (when accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelop) such questions as the following: an inch or an inch and a half thick at the middle, but thinner towards the ends, an inch wider than the shoe of the user, and turned up in a curve at the front. Skees are secured, one to each foot, in such a way as to be easily cast off in case of accident, and are used for sliding down a declivity or as a substitute for snow-shoes. "Ski, then, as will have been already gathered, are long narrow strips of wood, those used in Norway being from three to four inches in breadth, eight feet more or less in length, one inch in thickness at the center under the foot, and bevelling off to about a quarter of an inch at either end. In front they are curved upwards and pointed, and they are sometimes a little turned up at the back end too." Nansen, "First Crossing of Greenland" -I, 75. From the Century Dictionary. What is "Absolute Zero"? "Absolute zero of temperature," the lowest possible temperature which the nature of matter admits; the temperature at which the particles whose motion constitutes heat would be at rest; that temperature at which, if it were maintained in the refrigerator of a perfect thermodynamic engine, the engine would convert all the heat it could receive from its source into work. This temperature lies 273 degrees below the zero of the centigrade scale. "Absolute temperature," temperature measured from the absolute zero of temperature on the absolute or thermodynamic scale of temperature, which is defined by the condition that the area included between two fixed adiabatic lines and any two isothermal lines is proportional to the difference of temperatures for those lines on this scale. This absolute scale of temperature differs by very small quantities, usually negligible, from that of an air-thermometer, and by the absolute temperature is often meant the temperature on the latter scale above the absolute zero. From the Century Dictionary. 32 |