Psychology for the Fighting Man: Washington, D. C.: The Infantry Journal. New York: Penguin Books, Inc., 1943. 456 pp.

This little volume is an excellent work. It is written in the style of a compendium and is composed of a series of interrelated chapters on all aspects of psychology, both as the subject deals with the physiology of the special sense organs and various psychiatric aspects, normal and abnormal, of the soldier. There are fifty-nine collaborators and the work is a boiled-down essence of the opinions and concepts of the various writers regarding these very broad considerations. It is very well written and up to date. Many of the chapters, particularly those on the psychology of the special sense organs, contain the essential material included in various Army Training Manuals on the subjects.

The material is concentrated and of great value to the soldier in terms of life preservation, effectiveness in his daily duty, and satisfaction with his life in the army. Although apparently written for the soldier, it is so full of carefully gathered and condensed material that it is the reviewer's feeling that the average soldier would not be able to digest the book without some outside help. It really takes a trained mind, with at least a high school education, to understand it despite the fact that it is not written in a technical manner. However, it should prove invaluable as a reference for officers and the more enlightened noncommissioned officers. Through these channels its contents could be relayed to the 'fighting man', for certainly indoctrination of its contents into the minds of the soldiers would aid greatly in making an effective, hard hitting, and 'savvy' army.

The scope of the material goes far beyond that of the interest of the soldier and includes much of interest to people in civilian life. The topics covered are so protean that it might well be used as a text in teaching college psychology. For instance, the chapters on the physiology of the special sense organs, although definitely oriented to the effective use of these in war, are so clearly descriptiv