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The Mismeasure of Man

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The Mismeasure of Man

By: Stephen Jay Gould
Narrated by: Arthur Morey
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About this listen

When published in 1981, The Mismeasure of Man was immediately hailed as a masterwork, the ringing answer to those who would classify people, rank them according to their supposed genetic gifts and limits. Yet the idea of of biology as destiny dies hard, as witness the attention devoted to The Bell Curve, whose arguments are here so effectively anticipated and thoroughly undermined. In this edition, Stephen Jay Gould has written a substantial new introduction telling how and why he wrote the book and tracing the subsequent history of the controversy on innateness right through The Bell Curve. Further, he has added five essays on questions of The Bell Curve in particular and on race, racism, and biological determinism in general. These additions strengthen the book's claim to be, as Leo J. Kamin of Princeton University has said, "a major contribution toward deflating pseudo-biological 'explanations' of our present social woes."

©1981 Stephen Jay Gould, Renewed 1996 by Stephen Jay Gould (P)2011 Tantor Biological Sciences Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science Social Sciences Sociology

Critic Reviews

"A rare book---at once of great importance and wonderful to read." ( Saturday Review)
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An absolute must read for anyone interested in the topic of IQ, biological determinism, and scientific racism. A great examination of bias hidden by quantification and "objectivity". Gould does something really interesting with this book. Rather than making a socio-political argument against biological determinism and scientific racism, he examines the hidden and not so hidden biases that permeate so called "objective" biological and psychological science that purports measurable and meaningful biological differences. He is a scientist, and he expertly takes these studies apart. Dense at times, particularly the discussion of factor analysis, but well worth the commitment

must read on the topic of IQ and scientific racism

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