Louis Agassiz: Ms Life and Work

Abstract

WITHOUT a Life of Louis Agassiz a series of histories of leaders in science would be incomplete. Fortunately materials are not lacking, for in addition to the “Life and Correspondence' edited by his widow, there are numerous sketches and accounts of particular aspects of the man. The present volume tells the main incidents of his life and work, pleasantly and succinctly, and presents us with a clear outline of a remarkable personality. The book is well printed and the illustrations are not few. Some are good, others are not specially connected with the text, two are failures. Both relate to Switzerland. One is a sensational picture of Agassiz' “descent into the heart of a glacier,” where he is being lowered down into a crevasse, while the text clearly shows that he descended a moulin. The other represents “Agassiz on the pinnacle of the Jungfrau.” We think that this must be a studio composition, for the “pinnacle” is not very like what we have seen, and the topography of the view is incomprehensible.

Louis Agassiz: Ms Life and Work.

By Charles Frederick Holder, &c. (Leaders in Science.) (G. Putnam's Sons, New York and London.)