The Thesis and the Book ed. by Eleanor Harman, and Ian Montagnes (review)

ß Rewews TheThesis andtheBook.Editedby ELEANOR HARMAN and IANMONTAGNES. Toronto, University ofTorontoPress, 1976.Pp.88.$5-oo. It haslongbeena truismof commercial bookpublishing thata goodthesis isabad book. University presses tookalittlelonger tocome tothesame conclusion, butthis bookisevidence thatallpublishing hearts nowbeatasone.TheThesis andthe Book isto bewelcomed for thecontribution itcanmaketoimproved academic writing,forthe morepublishable books it maystimulate, andforitssaving ofeditorial timeandof scholarly frustration. Thechapters ofthisbookappeared originally asessays inScholarly Publishing and theirauthors demonstrate amplequalifications for discussing thesubject. It seems unlikely thatwhentheessays wereaccepted, orinvited, thecollecting ofthemintoa bookformwasforeseen. Haditbeen,eachmighthavetakenupaparticular aspect of thequestion. Since this was notdone, theessays overlap andthebook attimes sounds likeabroken record. Thereare,afterall,onlysomany ways ofsaying thatathesis and abook have different objectives andadifferent structure thatcalls fordifferent skills andattitudes. A thesis maybea usefulfirststage onthelongmarchtoabook,it is seldom more.Whenthese thingshavebeensaidclearly andwithessential explanationastheyare in the openingessay by Francess Halpennyof the University of Torontohowmuchmoreistheretosay? Thereareafurthereightypages ofelegant variations andtheresultissomething of anembarrassment of riches. The wordriches isnottoostrong, formostoftheessays areadmirable intheirway. Butthisisanarrowtopicinspite ofalleffortstobroaden it.The resultisratherlikea hockey gameplayedby experts on a smallrink. There is a greatdealof fine stickhandling andtrickyskating butnotmanygoals scored. DeanHalpenny's statement offiveandahalfpages isexpanded andelaborated in longessays by RobertPlantArmstrong of theUniversity of Texasandby Olive Holmes,editor of Harvard'sEastAsiaResearchCenter. ProfessorArmstrongisa makerof splendid phrases butisseldom content withoneif fourwilldo.Withthe 484 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW scholarly playfulness of thecivilizedand senioracademic, Professor Henry Peyre, formerlyof Yaleand nowof the CityUniversity of New York, digsmorebriefly around the marginsof the sametopics.His essay, 'RandomNoteson a Misunderstanding ,' issprightly andwise andawelcome change ofpace. Afreshviewpoint is offeredin a shortessay by WilliamDowlingwhodiscusses hisownexperience in turninghisdissertation intoa book. It seems carpingandunappreciative tobeless thangratefulforanecessary work from gifted contributors.But one feels that the total effect is somewhatselfdefeating . Thisisasledge-hammer tocrack anut.Evengranting thatitisatoughnut, willthecontents beediblewhentheoperationiscomplete? It is clear that the warningsand directionsof all theseessays are seento a thoughtfulsegment of theacademic worldto benecessary. To a non-academic it is puzzling thatthisshould beso.A PI•nstudent hasspent several years working closely withbooks.How isit possible thatthisdegreeof concentration hasnotdeveloped a keensense ofthequalityofabook, of itsessential natureandfunction, ofwhatmakes a bookgoodandwhereinthelessthangoodfail?Do PI•r)students reallyneedthis amountof guidance atthemoment of completion of theirdissertations? Surelythe young doctors canrespond tothecounsel ofabetter maninabetter cause: 'Physician, healthyself.' If indeedthisisexpecting toomuch,arewenotbeing asked toseePI-t ns as so many clockworkmice,conditioned,programmed- woundup - to move unthinkinglyin onedirectionandnoother? Not surprisingly themainthrustof thebookdevelops a secondary attackon the dissertation asthe crownof graduatestudyin the humanities. This iscountered stoutly thoughbrieflybyWilliamSavage, formerlyaneditoratOklahoma University Press, nowteaching English atthatuniversity. Butthedefence amounts onlytothis, thatthesystem isinplace andwon'teasily beshifted, anditmightbeworse. Thoughthebookfallsintosome ofthetrapsitwarns against, itwillbewelcomed by manyandcouldperhaps bevaluable tomore.It isa modelof theeditor's craftand mightsave manyof themilesthat•,• nsmustgobeforetheysleep. JOHN M. GRAY Toronto Discover yourNeighborhood Heritage. IANSCOTT. Toronto,LearnxsPress, 1976.Pp.vi, 57,maps,illus.$3.95. Localhistoryhasbecome a standard partof thecurriculum of bothelementary and secondary schools. Fortheteacher itpresents special problems. Heisoftenunfamiliarwithboththesubject anditsspecialized sources, which areusually widely scattered and locatedonlywith difficulty.Availability, aswellasthe historyitself,varies significantly amongcommunities. Suggestions for the localhistoryteachermust therefore begeneral, although dealing withasubject thatbristles withdetail. Financed byaWintariogrant,Scott's guideisintended forteachers inOntario.He uses Torontoashisexample, anddescribes thevarious libraries, archives, andother sources therewhichcontainmaterials onTorontohistory.He isnotalways accurate aboutsuchdetailsasthelocation of the mapsin the MetropolitanTorontoLibrary, ...