Try free for 30 days

Free with 30-day trial
A 30-day trial plus your first audiobook free.
1 credit/month after trial—to buy any title you like, yours to keep.
Listen all you want to a selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The Mismeasure of Man cover art

The Mismeasure of Man

By: Stephen Jay Gould
Narrated by: Arthur Morey
Free with 30-day trial

$16.45/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $34.99

Buy Now for $34.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

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
Psychology Social Sciences Sociology Biological Sciences
Show More Show Less

Critic Reviews

"A rare book---at once of great importance and wonderful to read." ( Saturday Review)

What listeners say about The Mismeasure of Man

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com.au reviews

Amazon Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Amazon Customer

must read on the topic of IQ and scientific racism

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

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.