Stob Paul (104 results)

Hardback. Condition: Good. Today, everyone remembers phrenology - the study of the formation of the skull as indicative of mental faculties and traits of character - as pseudoscientific at best and racist at worst. And it most certainly contains elements of both. But, as author Paul Stob presents in Empire of Skulls, phrenology also has the unique distinction of marking the birth of the self-help movement, right alongside the birth of America. The science of phrenology was premised on a simple yet revolutionary idea: The bumps, spans, and masses on your head mirror those on your brain, and they are the keys to your past, present, and future. Discovered in Europe in the late-eighteenth century and promulgated across the U.S. in the decades before the Civil War, phrenology captured the imagination of millions of Americans thanks largely to the efforts of one family: the Fowlers. Viewing the science as essential to personal and social advancement, siblings Orson, Lorenzo, and Charlotte Fowler set about transforming American life by unlocking the secrets of skulls. Year after year, the Fowlers delivered lectures from Maine to the Great Plains, performed hundreds of thousands of hands-on character examinations, created a wildly popular tourist attraction, the Phrenological Cabinet, in New York City, and established a preeminent publishing firm, Fowlers and Wells. And they examined the heads of the full range of humans - pirates, murderers, rapists, thieves, prisoners and the insane, as well as presidents, statesmen, inventors, activists, writers, artists, and, most importantly, ordinary Americans. These efforts led first to a profitable business, then to a cultural movement, and finally to an empire of influence - one built on the promises and perils of human skulls. Though their names are seldom remembered today, this entertaining and absorbing read shows how their empire reshaped American life at a pivotal time in the nation's history.…

Hardback. Condition: Good. Today, everyone remembers phrenology - the study of the formation of the skull as indicative of mental faculties and traits of character - as pseudoscientific at best and racist at worst. And it most certainly contains elements of both. But, as author Paul Stob presents in Empire of Skulls, phrenology also has the unique distinction of marking the birth of the self-help movement, right alongside the birth of America. The science of phrenology was premised on a simple yet revolutionary idea: The bumps, spans, and masses on your head mirror those on your brain, and they are the keys to your past, present, and future. Discovered in Europe in the late-eighteenth century and promulgated across the U.S. in the decades before the Civil War, phrenology captured the imagination of millions of Americans thanks largely to the efforts of one family: the Fowlers. Viewing the science as essential to personal and social advancement, siblings Orson, Lorenzo, and Charlotte Fowler set about transforming American life by unlocking the secrets of skulls. Year after year, the Fowlers delivered lectures from Maine to the Great Plains, performed hundreds of thousands of hands-on character examinations, created a wildly popular tourist attraction, the Phrenological Cabinet, in New York City, and established a preeminent publishing firm, Fowlers and Wells. And they examined the heads of the full range of humans - pirates, murderers, rapists, thieves, prisoners and the insane, as well as presidents, statesmen, inventors, activists, writers, artists, and, most importantly, ordinary Americans. These efforts led first to a profitable business, then to a cultural movement, and finally to an empire of influence - one built on the promises and perils of human skulls. Though their names are seldom remembered today, this entertaining and absorbing read shows how their empire reshaped American life at a pivotal time in the nation's history.…

Condition: Very Good. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc.

Condition: very_good.

Condition: Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.

Soft cover. Condition: Like New. No markings.

Hardcover, no dust jacket. Slight perfume scent. Boards are slightly edge worn. 377 pp.

Condition: Fine. Used book that is in almost brand-new condition. May contain a remainder mark. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. With dust jacket. It's a well-cared-for item that has seen limited use. The item may show minor signs of wear. All the text is legible, with all pages included. It may have slight markings and/or highlighting.

Condition: New.

Hardcover. Condition: new. Hardcover. This fascinating history of phrenology reveals how one family, despite their flawed framework, helped shape early understanding of the human mind-reflecting both the limits of early science and the ongoing evolution of scientific inquiryFor readers of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, The Emperorof All Maladies, and Radium GirlsAn absorbing tale of science and showmanship, ideology and enterprise, that provides not just a fascinating history of our country, but also crucial insight into the deep currents that continue to propel modern lifeDuring the contentious and progressive antebellum era, the Fowler family preached a gospel of self-improvement to a nation eager to embrace its foundational beliefs. For the first time, this new "science" of phrenology offered all Americans the ability to improve their station by unlocking their innate mental and emotional truths. Revered politicians, quirky celebrities, infamous criminals, and social outcasts all found their way to the Fowlers for skull readings.Brimming with the energy to change the world, the Fowlers connected phrenology to practically every aspect of life in the young nation-from abolition to women's rights, temperance to prison reform, spiritualism and mesmerism to vegetarianism and sexual education. But there was a dark side to this fad and to the Fowlers, and soon nefarious forces co-opted this once-hopeful sensation to justify racism and xenophobia.Phrenology's complex history stands as a commentary on the dreams and follies of the American republic. Though phrenology (and the Fowlers) ran afoul of the tide of history, its aspirational insistence on an individual's ability to improve oneself became embedded in the fabric of the nation. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.…

Hardback or Cased Book. Condition: New. Empire of Skulls: Phrenology, the Fowler Family, and a New Nation's Quest to Unlock the Secrets of the Mind. Book.

Hardcover. Condition: Good.

Condition: As New. Unread book in perfect condition.

Hardback. Condition: New.

Trade Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Text clean and unmarked. Binding tight. Covers have very light wear. Edges of pages have very light wear.

Condition: New.

Paperback. Condition: Good+. Fewer than 10 pages with markings. Spine has gentle creasing but binding remains strong. Exterior looks nice. NOT ex-library. Ships same or next business day from Dinkytown in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Very Good - Crisp, clean, unread book with some shelfwear/edgewear, may have a remainder mark - NICE Standard-sized.

Paperback. Condition: Good. Good - Bumped and creased book with tears to the extremities, but not affecting the text block, may have remainder mark or previous owner's name - GOOD Standard-sized.

Paperback. Condition: Acceptable. Acceptable - This is a significantly damaged book. It should be considered a reading copy only. Please order this book only if you are interested in the content and not the condition. May be ex-library. PAPERBACK Standard-sized.

Hardcover. Condition: New.

HRD. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000.

Condition: New.

Condition: New. Brand New.

Condition: new.

Condition: As New. Unread book in perfect condition.

Condition: New.

Hardcover. Condition: Brand New. 256 pages. 9.00x6.00x9.28 inches. In Stock.

Paperback. Condition: New. At the turn of the twentieth century, no other public intellectual was as celebrated in America as the influential philosopher and psychologist William James. Sought after around the country, James developed his ideas in lecture halls and via essays and books intended for general audiences. Reaching out to and connecting with these audiences was crucial to James-so crucial that in 1903 he identified "popular statement," or speaking and writing in a way that animated the thought of popular audiences, as the "highest form of art." Paul Stob's thought-provoking history traces James's art of popular statement through pivotal lectures, essays, and books, including his 1878 lectures in Baltimore and Boston, "Talks to Teachers on Psychology," "The Varieties of Religious Experience," and "Pragmatism." The book explores James's unique approach to public address, which involved crafting lectures in science, religion, and philosophy around ordinary people and their experiences. With democratic bravado, James confronted those who had accumulated power through various systems of academic and professional authority, and argued that intellectual power should be returned to the people. Stob argues that James gave those he addressed a central role in the pursuit of knowledge and fostered in them a new intellectual curiosity unlike few scholars before or since.…