The renovation of the state in answer to the necessities of the social order"" has been our major problem and will no doubt loom even larger after the present war. A new state based on these needs can emerge from democracy provided it is strong enough to discipline and combat the distracting elements. There is here a good deal about Italy much of which is adaptable to our conditions. Anyone interested in politics and the social order will find it a novel and provocative book. Place on Current Events table and not religious section although written from the Christian viewpoint.