F. Matthias Alexander, Randolph Bourne and John Dewey: Review by Malcolm Williamson.

The story begins with the author finding a copy of a 1918 edition of Man’s Supreme Inheritance in a second hand book shop; not the usual 1918 American first edition (Dutton, January 1918 and May 1918 second printing), but a second UK edition by Methuen & Co. Ltd. (It was originally published in 1910.) Jeroen Staring’s investigations are two-fold: he delves into the mysteries of the “BourneDewey controversy” initiated by Bourne’s critical review of the. US edition of MSI (New Republic, “Making over the Body”, 4 May 1918) and the possible reasons for the UK edition of December 1918 being “written out of history” by Chaterson – the later publishers of FM’s books – with their 1941 edition being quoted as the “Second Edition”.

The booklet is written with all the hype of a media crime report that effectively involves the reader in the authoes fascination for the case and his obvious excitement as he uncovers further pieces of evidence.


© Malcolm Williamson ( www.alextechteaching.org.uk). Reproduced with permission.

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