BOOK REVIEWS127Commercial Growth and Consumer Behaviour in Suburban Salisbury, Rho-desia By M. A, H. Smout. Salisbury, University of Rhodesia, Series inSocial Studies Occasional Paper No. 1, 1974, 69pp., 13 Figs, 10 Tables,2 Appendices, Rh$2,00.This Occasional Paper by Smout is the first in a new series of Social Studiespapers to be published by the University of Rhodesia. Unfortunately thereis no preface or editorial statement sketching the aims and objects of theseries. Such a statement would appear to be desirable and in its absence itis up to the reader (or reviewer) to infer what the aims and objectivesare Š a somewhat invidious task. In its own introduction the paper underreview makes it clear that it aims at providing an explanation and descriptionof the changes that have taken place in the composition of shopping centres insuburban Salisbury, together with associated consumer behaviour during theperiod 1969-1974. As such it must be regarded as a work essentially empiricalin nature although the opportunities for methodological and technical dis-cussion were obviously present. The fact that the paper chooses not to setout much detail on these latter points prompts this reviewer to regard thePaper as directed more towards general readership by intelligent laymen asopposed to urban researchers. In these terms the Paper is successful andcertainly provides a good insight into the growth, structure, planning problemsand way of life of consumers in this Third World City (p.53) and one thatmust be regarded as representing a colonial-type of enclave in a Third Worldcountry.In the body of the text the author shows how and why the suburbanshopping centre development has proceeded. This development appears to bestrong and is surprising bearing in mind that the study covers virtually thewhole period since U.D.I. Nevertheless, the developments must be seenagainst the relative perspectives of Southern Africa balanced by the relativesize of Salisbury. The larger South African cities appear to have seen greatdevelopments in suburban shopping over the same period. However, Salis-bury in terms of its total development is still in the little league (68 suburbancentres as compared with more than 700 in Cape Town in 1970). However, thepopularity of the suburban centre appears to be due to the life style adoptedin the suburbs (and in this respect the white suburbs in particular). Attentionis drawn to the fact that the median distance between residence and citycentre is only 6 km, that parking problems are not really great in the down-town area, but that the residents 'become impatient [when visiting theCentral Business District] if car parking is not available where and whenit is wanted' (p.41). These factors coupled with the apparently good range ofshops easily accessible in the suburban shopping centres appear to accountfor their growing popularity and economic success.Some criticisms must be levelled at the Paper, notwithstanding the abovecomments. The section on African shopping and shopping behaviour istantalisingly brief. The difficulties of collecting data are appreciated but it ishoped that later studies in the series will throw more light on this aspect ofSalisbury's urban life. As mentioned in passing above there is only littleof interest for the urban theoretician or those involved in intra-urban centralplace theory. These shortcomings, however, may be attributed to the aimsas inferred by the reviewer.On editorial and production matters the paper exhibits both attractive andirritating features. On the positive side is the attractive binding, clear typestyle, and letterpress setting, the whole printed on good quality paper. Amongthe more irritating features are the rather heavy reduction of some of the128BOOK REVIEWSFigures (e.g. 1.2) to less than a page size as compared to the rather overlarge Figures (1.4 and 5.1). The style of referrencing by means of footnotesappears both antiquated and shortsighted, particularly as there is no fullreference list at the end of the work. The greatest pity is that the discussionends in mid-air. There is no attempt at a solid conclusion and in this respectthe last chapter, on the African retail system, appears to be a mere appendix.Nevertheless, if seen in terms of the objectives inferred at the outset ofthis review, the Occasional Paper is largely successful; certainly on thestrength of it, a standing order for the Series would appear to be worth con-sidering.University of the WitwatersrandK. S. O. BEAVONStatistics of the Roman Catholic Church in Rhodesia By R. H. Randolph.Gwelo, Mambo Press, Occasional Paper, Missio-Pastoral Series No. 6,1976, 38pp., Rh$0,50.The title of this pamphlet is misleading, since only twelve of its thirty-eightpages are actually devoted to statistics of the Roman Catholic Church in Rho-desia. Relevant statistics are given on Catholic education, Catholic seminarians,Catholic priests and religious, and the Catholic population, in which figuresfor Rhodesia are compared with world figures and those of other specifiedareas. The rest of the pamohlet contains statistical tables on a multiplicitv ofaspects of Rhodesian society, ranging from 'Land Apportionment in Rho-desia 1890-1969' to 'Full-time Students at the University of Rhodesia 1971-1975'.The statistical tables are not only poorly presented, but are also largelyunsystematic duplication of figures from various original sources such as theStatistical Year hook of the Church 1975 and the Rhodesian Census ofPopulation 1969- There is no attempt to interpret the statistics, and the graphi-cal representations of the figures given below the first five tables are notreadily comprehensible and do not clarify the statistics. Furthermore, some ofthe data presented are not comparable and therefore are meaningless. Forexample, in the Table 'Christian Churches in Southern Africa' (p. 10), SectionA refers to Rhodesia in 1974 and Section B to South Africa in 1970. Inaddition, Section A gives a comparison of European,and African membershipof the main churches in Rhodesia; the figures for the European populationare taken from the 1969 census, while the figures for the African populationare presumed to be estimates for 1974. Moreover, in the same Table 1975figures represent the Roman Catholic population for both races.This small pamphlet may become more intelligible if it is read in con-junction with Fr Randolph's other work in this series, Aspects of CatholicLife in Rhodesia, but regrettably, on its own it adds little to our knowledge.The pamphlet has no obvious framework and since there is neither an in-troduction nor a conclusion, the question of the author's intention and pur-pose in publishing this work, and of his perception of this conglomeration ofstatistics remains unanswered.University of RhodesiaDIANA SEAGER