The Old Paths

B.A. Robinson was a freelance reviewer from Toronto.

Benson has written a book that is part nostalgia, part autobiography, and very much prejudiced, cliché-ridden, and simplistic. He seems to believe that the past, especially the Victorian era, was worthy of veneration. He recalls only the “good” aspects of history (for example, British dominance in world history in the 1800s) and neglects to mention child labour, poor houses, and all the scandals of which Dickens wrote so dramatically.

His grasp of the world economy is non-existent as he tries to criticize the current inflation-recession situation and justify his own monetary successes.

The reviewer is in no position to criticize Benson’s religious conversion or commitment to evangelical works. It is regrettable that he has not studied the forces that he is trying to comment upon: history, economics, and world governments. Of these he has a limited and simplistic view not necessarily based on reality. While his nostalgic recollections are interesting, there have been better books more eloquently written.