THE MERCHANT-MILLERS OF THE HUMBER VALLEY: A STUDY OF THE EARLY ECONOMY OF CANADA. Fisher, Sidney Thomson. Toronto, NC Press, cl985. 188pp, cloth, $16.95, ISBN 0-9200S3-78-5.CIP Grades 10 and up Reviewed by Allan S. Evans Volume 14 Number 4 1986 July There is a unique charm to history books that are written by non-historians. Sidney Thomson Fisher is a very able and highly distinguished individual with a special interest in the history of the nineteenth-century mills of the Humber Valley. This interest is in no small measure attributable to the fact that he is a direct descendant of one of the more prominent milling families discussed in the book. The author provides a wealth of highly detailed research on the various individuals who became involved in the milling business on the Humber River. He traces the evolution of these enterprises, from their beginnings in the late eighteenth century, through their hey day in the early nineteenth century, to their inevitable decline after 1850, due to advancing technology and the repeal of the British Corn Laws. This book will be of particular interest to a relatively small group of people: those who are familiar with the region of the Humber River Valley; those with a special fascination for the old grain and timber mills; and those who share with the author a familial identification with the subject. Not being a trained writer of history, the author gives no great emphasis to organization, and apparently feels no need to evaluate the significance of the facts and events that he narrates. The subject is thus addressed on a very narrow base. There is no attempt to place it within a broader historical context. This is nowhere more evident than in the conclusion, which is extremely brief and comes upon the reader very abruptly. The relative dearth of analysis might be pleasing to some readers, but will doubtless be disconcerting to others, who will leaf through the back pages in a vain search for a more extensive summary of what all the preceding detail really means. Allan S. Evans, Emery C.I., North York, Ont.