A lengthy biography of educator M. Carey Thomas (18571935). Horowitz (History & American Studies/Smith; Campus Life, 1987, etc.) presents Thomas as a ``bundle of conflicting aspirations,'' a woman torn between scholarship, women's education, and art. Born in Baltimore in 1857 to Quaker parents, Thomas showed, early in life, an ambition to break through the social constraints placed on women. She studied abroad, was the first woman to earn summa cum laude honors for her Ph.D. from the university at Zurich, and then set her sights on the presidency of the newly founded Bryn Mawr College for women. After settling for the position of dean of Bryn Mawr at the age of 27, Thomas concentrated on education, sadly putting aside her own research and art, a compromise that continued after her ascendancy to the presidency ten years later. Although Horowitz practically apologizes for Thomas's turn to political conservatism and bureaucratic manipulations later in life, the educator shone as she struggled to succeed in a world not usually friendly to women. Horowitz follows her passionate affairs with women, primarily with long-time friend Mamie Gwinn and heiress Mary Garrett. When her 25-year relationship with Gwinn ended, Thomas experienced desperate pain, even though the affluent Garrett was waiting in the wings. Thomas's anti-Semitism and racism, certainly not a pretty part of the picture, are eclipsed in this account by her intense ambition and obsession with monetary gain. At 65, quite wealthy since Garrett willed the bulk of her estate to her, and after serving for 28 years as president of Bryn Mawr, Thomas retired to once again pursue her love of art and travel. At times burdened by its unrelenting attention to detail, Horowitz's account personalizes a courageous woman and provides the historical context to balance her complex and contradictory life choices. (16 pages b&w photographs, not seen)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-394-57227-0
Page Count: 560
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
The sub-title of this book is "Reflections on Education with Special Reference to the Teaching of English in the Upper Forms of Schools." But one finds in it little about education, and less about the teaching of English. Nor is this volume a defense of the Christian faith similar to other books from the pen of C. S. Lewis. The three lectures comprising the book are rather rambling talks about life and literature and philosophy. Those who have come to expect from Lewis penetrating satire and a subtle sense of humor, used to buttress a real Christian faith, will be disappointed.
Pub Date: April 8, 1947
ISBN: 1609421477
Page Count: -
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1947
A cosmic straw man is vanquished in the fight against dangerous ideals such as social justice and equality. This is not the place to look for original ideas or honest analysis. Presumably, Sowell’s (Migrations and Cultures, 1996, etc.) goal is to entertain those who share his convictions rather than convince open-minded readers, and this audience will be pleased. “Cosmic justice” is presented as a fundamental departure from the “traditional” conception of justice, which Sowell claims has the “characteristic of a process,” rather than of a particular outcome. He conveniently forgets to mention that this “tradition” dates back only to the emergence of liberal-democratic states and that contrasting notions of procedural vs. substantive justice remain the subject of lively debate. Admitting legitimate disagreement over even something as slippery as justice would soften the blows he aims at those who think inequality and any associated oppression raises concerns a just society should address, and Sowell is not one to temper a political argument simply to maintain intellectual integrity. He is not straightforwardly defending inequality, of course, but rather is pursuing the familiar strategy of attacking measures that could alleviate it. Sowell, a fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, boldly asserts that those who believe equality should be pursued through public policy “assume that politicizing inequality is free of costs and dangers.” No names are mentioned, and it is indeed hard to imagine that anyone would believe there are no costs or dangers. By stating the issue in terms of extremes, however, he ducks the real issue—the challenge of weighing costs and benefits—and avoids the need for incorporating any subtlety into his discussion. Confronted with such disingenuous blather, readers may find Sowell’s criticism of others applies well to Sowell himself: “To explain the levels of dogmatism and resistance to facts found in too many writings . . . it is necessary to explore what purposes are served by these visions.”
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-684-86462-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Free Press
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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