The Mismeasure of Man

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

Reseñas de la Crítica

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

A capable tour de force

Magisterial no, Stephen Jay Gould is too conversational for that and too willing to find the humor and humanity in what is his ethical stance , which shines a clear crisp light on a mostly American history of the misuse of intelligence tests for fairly eugenic purposes by the roaring twenties. It is a baseline of the key historical figures and theories used to as the title says mis measure man, for active or even benign is that possible racial and heredity outcomes based on race theories. I only wish the promise of a direct address of Bell Curve in the introduction was delivered to the same degree as his critiques, exposés, and take downs of earlier researchers. He does an admirable ethical job by the inclusion of two essays and some related works but only an adequate job by a scientific critique of the exact data sets and methodology followed as he did for prior research, and yet it’s still SJG and his writing is good , it flows , it is thoroughly enjoyable and educational no matter my critique.

Timely refutation of wrong views on race

Only criticism is that the original book very frequently quotes historical material at length. If one listens on and off, sometimes you may hear something a bit off the wall when you come back. You hope it’s not Gould’s words, and it isn’t: it’s the material Gould is quoting. The producers could have found some technological way to make these quotes sound differently, or the narrator could have given slightly different vocal cues.

Simply the best book I have ever read

An avid reader all my life and at 61 to have happened upon this masterpiece that absolutely should be made required reading for undergrads worldwide…..but then again, The Mismeasure challenges the very foundation that every “esteemed” professor measures his/her degree on—-imagine the irony.
Darwin: To paraphrase, The misery of our poor having nothing to do with their innate inferiority but as a result of our institutions, great are our sins.

Robert Bryan

Excellent and eye opening

Any additional comments?

A story of history that makes you shake your head in disbelief but also an excellent story of cognitive bias and its influence on science. A story that can still occur today.

Totally changed my view of Darwin

Many thanks for such an amazing book. Glad that I finally find time to read it.