ACROSS THE BUSY YEARS

Autobiography of that venerable -- and by many, venerated --educator, but an autobiography that succeeds so thoroughly in following a pattern of impersonal approach that only once is there mention of wife and family. Actually, this is a political rather than a personal or educational record, a catalogue of the men he has worked with and the useful activities in which he has participated. The first part of the book deals with his background, inheritance and traditions, his education, his return from Europe to Columbia, where he was instrumental in founding Teachers' College, in installing College Entrance Examinations. The last half deals with his political career, working behind the scenes, refusing posts for himself. One wishes he had shared the richness of his experience and knowledge of men of letters and science, that he had given more of himself, for the record he has left is that of a stolid, unemotional, detached reactionary.