This book is in effect a creative synthesis of the achievements and outlook of the 'natural sciences' on Man. It is substantial and packed with detail requiring close attention, but it is written in a vital individual style that of itself sustains the reader's interest. It is a book that any specialist could read with advantage. Moreover, it contains a great deal of particular interest to analysts, though direct references to psychoanalysis are few. Indeed, as will be shown later, this would seem to be the only subject about which the author's wide knowledge is not completely up to date. His conclusions are sometimes more in line with our theory than he himself realizes. In a brief review it is impossible to do anything like justice even to matters of special interest to us; a few only may be mentioned.

The distinctive features of modern scientific thinking are brought out by comparison with the views of the sixteenth century philosopher-physician,