Kürschner's Pocket Dictionary of Conversation

Berlin and Stuttgart, W. Spemann publishing house

To compile the most necessary information from all branches of knowledge on 840 pages, as has actually been done here, was only possible thanks to Professor Kürschner's remarkable prudence and skill in literary matters. The book is intended to meet a twofold need: firstly, to enable those for whom the small editions of Meyer and Brockhaus are still too expensive to purchase an encyclopedia, and secondly – and this is arguably more important – to serve the needs of the moment. The act of looking up information, which is often time-consuming and laborious in the larger works of this genre, can be done here in the shortest possible time, so that the book will be useful in many cases even for those who own a larger encyclopedia. The small size was not achieved at the expense of content, but by using easy-to-understand abbreviations to maximize the space available. The small book was produced at relatively great expense. In addition to Kürschner, it had eighteen contributors. The greatest care was taken to ensure that the articles were complete. It should be emphasized that, in addition to the articles usually included in an encyclopedia, it also contains information about courts, life, fire and pension insurance companies, military districts, legations, consulates and more. Brought about with great sacrifice and true diligence, the book should soon enjoy a corresponding distribution.

Rudolf Steiner.