The Commonwealth Fund has again sponsored a most important book. Recent years have clearly shown that the problems of nursing service cannot be adequately handled by the available supply of trained nurses. Hence, the development of practical nurses to supplement the work done by highly trained experts becomes an obvious need. Mrs. Deming's comprehensive study covers the problem of the practical nurse from every standpoint—historical, educational and economic. It is a book which will be essential to all dealing with problems of nursing service as well as a land mark in the philosophy of nursing education.