The aim of this Reader is not merely to afford the student a certain amount of experience in reading scientific German, but to attack the subject systematically. The selections are not chosen at random. They are arranged progressively and consist of fundamental definitions, descriptions, processes and problems of Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Physics and Chemistry. These are linguistically the most important subjects for scientific and engineering students to read first, because they contain the terms and modes of expression which recur in all subsequent reading, and because they contain these terms in the simplest possible connections. A student who has mastered these pages will find no difficulty in reading any scientific German he may meet in his professional work.

To the Student.—Do not be content with simply translating these selections. Let your object be to acquire first a good working vocabulary for all future time and secondly the ability to understand German by merely reading it. Both ends are gained by reading over the German several times after you have translated it. The best way is to read it aloud, observing pauses and emphasis, as if you were communicating the thoughts of the book to another person. Pronouncing words, phrases and sentences is a great help to the memory.