Life, 1910-12-22 · page 41 of 44
Life — December 22, 1910 — page 41: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **book advertisements and reviews**, not political satire. The central content is a humorous poem titled "Rhymed Reviews" that mocks pretentious gift books. The satire targets the snobbish publishing industry: the poem describes an elaborate, ridiculously over-designed book with expensive materials (Persian paper, Caxton typeface, hand-tooled covers, Oriental crepe) and precious provenance (dating to ancient times, made by hand, decorated by famous artists). The punchline—"But what's the book about? I fear / That speech betrays a lack of breeding"—reveals the joke: **the book's content is irrelevant; such luxury gift books exist purely for conspicuous consumption and social status**, not actual reading. A closing quote mocks this further: "A Gift Book...is made for selling, not for reading." The surrounding ads for children's books and cooking equipment are standard commercial content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HARPER BOOKS The Slant Book By Peter Newell Fun is awaiting aplenty for the readers of this, Peter Newell’s strange new book. You never saw | sything like it. The slant is real, the pitch is arp and the humor of it bumps out as a larious youngster in a go-cart slides down each | age. His adventures are for grown-ups as well sfor children. The pictures are in color and the erses are just as bright. The truth is, this new look is even better than “ The Hole Book” which | sade everybody Jaugh last year. The Way to Peace By Margaret Deland Not for a gift alone, but to read and embrace, ls this new book by Margaret Deland. The pic- isres, by Alice Barber Stephens, are in perfect lxcord with the sweetness of the story—an epi- | nde in the life of a husband and wife, told with ample strength and deep understanding. Its oeme is an unusual one—the danger of follow- sg an impulse, even when that impulse is ap- jatently for good, unless one is prepared to take ld the consequences. The background is a quiet er community, Art in picture and story distinguishes this new by Onoto Watanna—a complete embodiment ¢ holiday book. A Japanese artist, Genjiro inaoka, has made the pictures—reproduced in Jganese colors. Here is told the tale of an \nerican college professor who goes to Japan Sateacher and meets the “fox woman” who, Eggality, is the daughter of a priestess of | &ddha. 8) Kate Langley Bosher There is now ready. in full green leather bind- '% a new holiday edition of this little book of | Seheart, about which one critic said: “ Let's be Rd for books like ‘Mary Cary.’” Another id: “ Worthy of Seing received into all | ds of America, a story that will be Seach of a favorite as ‘Mrs. Wiggs of the Cab- ee Patch?” HARPERS HARPERS HARPERS MAGAZINE BAZAR WEEKLY “SURELY, I ADMIT IT’S AN OLD, OLD HOUSE, BUT ANYWAY IT'S FIREPROOF.” Rhymed Reviews A Gift Book (By Ignotus. Any Old Publisher) In this great work behold combined The craftsmanship of all the ages! For Art and Nature, thrice refined, Have beautified its sacred pages. The paper, in a Persian mill Which antedates the reign of Cyrus, Was made by hand with patient skill From Real Old Upper Nile Papyrus; And all the leaves of texture fine Within this unexampled tome are Devoutly tinged with lees of wine From purple flagons quaffed by Omar! Its typographic beauties next Demand the connoisseur’s attention : The quaintly rubricated text From type of Caxton’s own inven- tion Is printed. All the margins fair And broad, are rich with decora- tions In tint, by well-known hands, and there Are lots of colored illustrations. ’Tis simply bound in pink Levant; Or, better still, for true book-lovers, In Flexible White Elephant, Hand tooled, embossed, with paneled covers. So, tied with silk Parisian tape, Within a pure Ancona jacket And boxed in Oriental crépe, It makes a mighty pretty packet. “ But what's the book about?” I fear That speech betrays a lack of breed- ing. Alcolite Burner For Chafing Dish, Coffee Percolator, General Cooking A Manning-Bowman Chafing Dish and a ining -Bowman Colfee Pot Style Percolator can be used interchangeably on this stove. of you can use it for any sort of cooking with your fegular stew pan, frying pan, kettle, broiler, or her utensils. Fine for summer cooking. for light housekeeo~ ing, for camping and pic- nics. Burns de- natured alcohol atacost of about & two cents an hour, Safe,clean,odorless, id with Mann- ing-Bowman Chaf- ing Dishes or senar- ately by leading dealers. Write for Free Recipe, and Catalog “'F.25” MANNING, Chafing Dish No. 380-88 liso Make Mission Style « ncpce read shcere Over e Hundred Styles and Sizes, A Gift Book, one should know, my dear, Is made for selling. not for reading. Arthur Guiterman. MELLOW AS MOONLIGHT (CASCADE s PURE WHISKY 6 The best of grain—hooest distillation ‘and purif‘cativa—real ase. That'swhy nich, put wholesome. Original bottling has old gold label, GEO.A.DICKEL&CO., Disitilers le, Tean. 100