Dialectical materialism is an evolutionary philosophy and pertinent to concepts of evolution throughout all scientific disciplines.Usually it is passed off as intellectually unimportant and sterile by scientists outside of the area of influence of the Soviet Union.Moreover, the tendency is to dismiss references to dialectical materialism in the writings to Soviet scientists as merely being gestures to the political system, not as indicating a sincere belief that it can serve to orient thinking in scientific investigations.More often than not the principal identification is with Lysenko and the mid-century tragedy of Russian genetics.Loren Graham, after more than a decade of study, has written a book which treats the role of dialectical materialism in the development of Soviet Science and its place in the current scene.He has a vast knowledge of Soviet literature in both science and the history and philosophy of science.He combines this with a first-hand knowledge of science in the western world.Dr. Graham has studied at length in the Soviet Union and has discussed the subject matter of his book with many Russian scientists and philosophers.His treatment of the role of dialectical materialism is sympathetic, but objective.He corrects many of the false impressions which the barriers of language and politics have created.This book deserves the attention of western scientists both for this reason and because it may broaden our outlook beyond the confines of our own ways of looking at scientific problems.The book covers a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines in both physical and biological areas.Chapter I is primarily an introductory statement.The following chapter is devoted to a much needed, lucid account of the nature and development of dialectical materialism.This should go a long way toward dispelling some of the misunderstandings and myths about the subject.Both the strengths and weaknesses of dialectical materialism are explored in considerable detail.Most important is the point, often stressed by Soviet scientists and philosophers in writing and conversations, that dialectical materialism today
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