The Mismeasure of Man

图书标准信息

• 作者 Stephen J Gould 著
• 出版社 W.W. Norton & Co.
• 出版时间 1996-06
• 版次 2
• ISBN 9780393314250
• 定价 216.30元
• 装帧 平装
• 开本 其他
• 纸张 其他
• 页数 444页
• 正文语种 英语

【内容简介】

Whenpublishedin1981,TheMismeasureofManwasimmediatelyhailedasamasterwork,theringinganswertothosewhowouldclassifypeople,rankthemaccordingtotheirsupposedgeneticgiftsandlimits.Yettheideaofbiologyasdestinydieshard,aswitnesstheattentiondevotedtoTheBellCurve,whoseargumentsareheresoeffectivelyanticipatedandthoroughlyundermined.Inthisedition,StephenJayGouldhaswrittenasubstantialnewintroductiontellinghowandwhyhewrotethebookandtracingthesubsequenthistoryofthecontroversyoninnatenessrightthroughTheBellCurve.Further,hehasaddedfiveessaysonquestionsofTheBellCurveinparticularandonrace,racism,andbiologicaldeterminismingeneral.Theseadditionsstrengthenthebook'sclaimtobe,asLeoJ.KaminofPrincetonUniversityhassaid,"amajorcontributiontowarddeflatingpseudo-biological'explanations'ofourpresentsocialwoes."

【作者简介】

StephenJayJayGouldWithhiscontroversialopinionsandlarger-than-lifepersonality,StephenJayGoulddidforevolutionarybiologywhatCarlSagandidforastronomy.TheHarvardpaleontologist'sideaslitasparkwithinthescientificcommunity,buthisbestsellingworksalsomanagedtoengagethewiderpublic.Throughhisreadableandprovocativeworks,Gouldgarneredacclaimasanauthorwhocouldwriteintelligently--andintelligibly--aboutsomeofhisfield’smostarcaneissuesandquestions.BiographyHarvardpaleontologistStephenJayGouldwasarguablytheleadingsciencewriterforthecontemporaryliteratepopularaudience.Hisexplicationsofevolutionarytheoryandthehistoryofsciencearepepperedwithoddballculturalandhistoricalreferences,fromJoeDiMaggio'shittingstreaktoCatherinetheGreat'smiddlename.ButGouldinsistedthathisworkwasn'tdumbed-downfornonscientists."Isortofoperateatoneendofwhat'scalledpopularscience,"hetoldaSaloninterviewer."NotbecauseIdon'tappreciatetheotherend,Ijustwouldn'tdoitwell,somehow.ButtheendIoperateonreallydoesn'tsacrificeanycomplexity--exceptcomplexityoflanguage,ofcourse,complexityofjargon.ButIliketothinkthatmystuffisasconceptuallycomplexasIwouldknowhowtowriteitforprofessionalaudiences."In1972,GouldandfellowpaleontologistNilesEldredgeshookupthefieldofevolutionarytheorywiththeirideaof"punctuatedequilibrium,"whichsuggeststhattheevolutionofaspeciesisnotgradualandcontinual,butmarkedbylongperiodsofstasisandbriefburstsofchange.Overthenextseveraldecades,Gouldwouldcontinuetodevelophiscritiqueofevolutionarytheory,questioningassumptionsaboutevolutionaryprogressandprovokingdebateswiththelikesofevolutionarypsychologistStevenPinker,philosopherDanielDennettandevolutionarybiologistRichardDawkins.Fromearlyoninhiscareer,Gouldwasinterestedinrevivingthescientificessay,inthetraditionofGalileoandDarwin.GouldbeganwritingaseriesofmonthlyessaysforNaturalHistory,themagazineoftheAmericanMuseumofNaturalHistory.Publishedas"ThisViewofLife,"thewell-receivedessaysaddressedabroadrangeoftopicsinthebiologicalandgeologicalsciences.Inhisessays,Gouldnotonlyexplainedscientificfactsforthelayreader,hecritiquedtheshortcomingsofcertainscientificviewpointsandtheculturalbiasesofparticularscientists.Armedwithahistoricalviewofevolutionarytheory,hetackledtheproblemofhumanintelligencetestinginTheMismeasureofMan(1981).ThebookwonaNationalBookCritics'CircleAward,whileacollectionofessays,ThePanda'sThumb(1980),wontheAmericanBookAward.TogetherthebooksestablishedGould'spresenceasoneofthecountry'smostprominentsciencewriters.Gould'spopularitycontinuedtowidenwiththepublicationofsuchunlikelybestsellersasWonderfulLife:TheBurgessShaleandtheNatureofHistory(1989),whichchallengedthenotionthathumansarethenecessaryendpointofevolutionaryhistory."Notonlydoes[Gould]alwaysfindsomethingworthsaying,hefindssomeofthemostoriginalwaysofsayingit,"TheNewYorkTimessaidinitsreviewofBullyforBrontosaurus(1993),anothercollectionofessays.In1998,GouldwaselectedpresidentoftheAmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience,andhisdescriptionofthatofficecouldapplytohiswholelife'swork.Hepledgedto"makepeoplelessscaredofsciencesotheywon'tseeitasarcane,monolithic,anddistant,butassomethingthatisimportanttotheirlives."StephenJayGoulddiedinMayof2002ofcancer.GoodToKnowInaMotherJonesinterview,Gouldmentionedthathewasteasedasachildforhisfascinationwithpaleontology.Theotherkidscalledhim"fossilface."Gouldadded,"TheonlytimeIevergotbeatupwaswhenIadmittedtobeingaYankeefaninBrooklyn.Thatwaskindofdumb."Gouldwasdiagnosedin1982withabdominalmesothelioma,arareformofcancer.Inoneofhismostfamousessays,"TheMedianIsn'ttheMessage,"heexplainedhowstatisticsareoftenmisinterpretedbynonscientists,andwhythegrimstatisticsonhisowndisease--withamedianmortalityofeightmonths,atthattime--didn'tdeterhimfrombelievinghewouldliveformanymoreyears."[D]eathistheultimateenemy--andIfindnothingreproachableinthosewhoragemightilyagainstthedyingofthelight,"hewrote.HediedinMay2002--20yearsafterhisdiagnosis.GouldmadeaguestappearanceashimselfonTheSimpsonsin1997,participatinginatowndebateovertheauthenticityofan"angelskeleton"foundinSpringfield.AlsoKnownAs:StephenJayGouldDateofBirth:九月10,1941PlaceofBirth:NewYork,NewYorkDateofDeath:五月20,2002PlaceofDeath:Boston,Massachusetts