BLACK, JOHN D. The Rural Economy of New England. Pp. xxiv, 796. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1950. $7.50

• Author: Karl Brandt
• DOI: 10.1177/000271625127400163
• Published date: 01 March 1951
• Date: 01 March 1951
• Subject Matter: Articles

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topics as fall under the heading of eco-
the author to have discovered, for example,
nomic geography. The reviewer’s stric-
that the lack of development of Western
tures are not meant to discourage a reader
phosphate is as much a result of cost and
from using this book; it is a challenge and
market factors as it is of the plottings of
is packed with information college students
profit-hungry capitalists.
should know something about.
Other misrepresentations~ abound. For
C. LANGDON WHITE
example, in accusing the &dquo;robber timber
Stanford University
barons&dquo; of being responsible for the silt
load of the Missouri River the author im-
MEZERIK, A. G. The Pursuit of Plenty:
plies that their &dquo;cut and get out&dquo; policy
The Story of Man’s Expanding Domain.
has left the upper parts of the region bare.
Pp. xi, 209. New York: Harper &
Such allegations are not supported by For-
Brothers, 1950. $2.50.
est Service data which indicate that two-
This book deals with a topic of great im-
thirds of the nonfarm forest of the Mis-
portance to the nation. It was written by
souri Valley is and has been in public
a journalist of considerable repute and was
ownership, that these public forests are
sponsored by a group of organizations, in-
concentrated in the upper reaches of the
cluding the Public Affairs Institute and the
valley, and that the cut from them could
National Farmers Union. But despite this
safely be increased 100 per cent. The
fortunate combination of circumstances, the
author’s overenthusiastic claims for TVA,
book is not a good one.
such as the sweeping generalizations with
The author states that his major purpose
respect to the relationship of water control
is to answer the neo-Malthusian Cassandras
on the land to water quality and quantity
who prophecy dire consequences for the
in the channel, are not supported by TVA
human race because there are not resources
itself and embarrass those whose support
enough. Unfortunately, the book never...