Book excerpt: This is Volume four of ten of the selected works of I.A. Richards from 1919 to 1938. Originally published in 1929, this study looks at literary judgement. The ‘Practical Criticism’ experiment began to take shape in late 1923. A. C. Benson, then Master of Magdalene College, records in his diary for the 13th of October ‘that at dinner Richards had suggested as a good examination for English students to print five extracts of poetry and prose, with no clue as to author and date, and containing one really worthless piece – and ask for comments and opinion’. This volume is the evidence of that experiment.