America in Ferment . By Paul Leland Haworth . (Indianapolis:  The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1915. Pp. 477. $1.50.)

Mr. Haworth has undertaken the difficult task of bringing together in a single volume a brief but comprehensive exposition of the chief social, industrial and political problems which have been at the bottom of the unrest in the United States for the past decade. His sixteen chapters deal with such subjects as conservation, the race problem, immigration, the multitude of questions growing out of our industrial organization—industrial warfare, workingmen's compensation, women and child labor, etc.—big business and its control, the standard of living and the high cost of it, “our defective citizenship,” constitutional reform, the woman's revolt, political party tendencies, and socialism.

After a slight awkwardness in the introductory chapter, the author settles down to a smooth, easy and journalistic style that carries the reader forward without effort. The book is not only interesting, but its engaging frankness and honesty will commend it to persons of all shades of opinion in spite of the fact that Mr. Haworth makes no attempt to conceal his sympathy with the reform and forward-looking element in both politics and social controversies, which is especially apparent in his discussion of political parties and their platforms.

On the whole, the book will be very useful to those readers who wish to get in compact and readable form a clear statement of the social and industrial problems that beset the intelligent portion of our citizenship.

Chas. W. Ramsdell .

How to cite:
Ramsdell, Charles W., "America in Ferment", Volume 019, Number 2, Southwestern Historical Quarterly Online, Page 207. http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/publications/journals/shq/online/v019/n2/review_21.html
[Accessed Sat Mar 20 15:46:35 CDT 2010]