Psychology and History. By Harry Elmer Barnes, Professor of Sociology, Smith College. New York.  The Century Co., 1925.

This volume of 196 pages is a reprinting as a separate work, of the chapter “Some Phases of the Significance of Psychology in the Equipment of the Historian,” from Professor Barnes recent work, New History and the Social Studies. His aim in placing this as a separate volume is, in the words of the editor “to serve the needs of the psychologist and

the psychiatrist who might be interested in the subject-matter of this special section and yet, might not be concerned with the other chapters.”

The excellence of the work is due to the logical consistency with which the writer holds to the energic quality of the individual as the differential which determines dynamically the trends of history. He makes discerning use of the illumination thrown on the springs of human conduct by Freud's analytic method and succeeds in outlining an interpretation of history on the understanding of individuals, instead of looking at the past as a series of epochs dominated by static ideals. He resolves the absolute values into forms of expression of emotions in individual personalities.

This interesting book is divided into two chapters, one entitled the Psychological Approach and the other Historical Interpretations. In this day of psychological interpretations of motives and results it is a timely work and will materially aid those who are seeking such information.

Professor Barnes is a profound scholar and educator and gives convincing evidence, in his elucidation of the various movements that promote human progress, of a broad comprehension of human thought and human motives.

Particularly intersting is his application of the new psychology to the interpretation of character traits and personality analyses of many of the American men in public life; as well as his reviews of interpretative biographies which have appeared recently. He also notes the enlightening influence of this point of view on some of the great revolutionary movements of the world and seeks to extend it to the understandi