Review of Student personnel services in general education

Abstract

Reviews the book, "Student personnel services in general education," by Paul J. Brouwer (see record 1949-03440-000 ). This book covers the period from 1939 to 1944. It includes a description of participation by an original group of 22 colleges and universities minus 7 drop-outs, plus three late additions. It is a bewildering book. Basically, it is a report of the findings about school personnel services offered by an extremely heterogeneous group of colleges sampled to include "the land-grant college, the municipal university, the state teachers college, the independent liberal arts college, the Catholic college, the Protestant church-related college, the Negro college, the four-year college for women, the junior college for women, and coeducational junior college." Some of its best parts are those which reflect the thinking of a particular author, rather than the agreements of the group which participated in the program. The heterogeneity of participating institutions, plus individual viewpoints in the writing of various sections, contribute to uneveness in writing, and some lack of coherence. Unfortunately, there is neither a subject-matter nor author index. These omissions offer the usual handicap which drives the interested but baffled reader to frenzy. General criticisms of the book include failure to give adequate attention to biological heredity, to special aptitudes and abilities, to mental organization as a basis for curriculum building, to trait variability, and to multiple curricula. Despite these shortcomings, parts of the book are valuable to an extent that causes the reviewer to recommend it for purchase. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)