The Feminine Character is a scientific study by men of science—physiology, philosophy, anthropology. Freud, Havelock Ellis, Margaret Mead supply us with their views on the subject. As the introduction states, the ambition of this book is “to show changes in society's expectations of women and the corresponding changes in the feminine character” and “to observe how far scientific knowledge is affected by the general trend of intellectual and emotional development.”

Each of the contributors presents his view of the female character and each view is informative and enlightening. But the conclusions are confusing. There is lacking even one common point of agreement.

A paradox of the type “which came first, the chicken or the egg” is stated with a reference to women's role in society. Here, Viola Klein makes a brave effort. She employs some of the greatest observations ever made on women; analyzes them; but the results still leave the paradox, only perhaps a little better stated. [M. C. A. L.]