Mark Twain, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, and the Head Readers

Mark Twain, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, and the Head Readers

EnglishHardback
Finger Stanley
Cambridge University Press
EAN: 9781009301299
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Detailed information

Having a phrenological 'head reading' was one of the most significant fads of the nineteenth century – a means for better knowing oneself and a guide for self-improvement. Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) had a lifelong yet long overlooked interest in phrenology, the pseudoscience claiming to correlate skull features with specialized brain areas and higher mental traits. Twain's books are laced with phrenological terms and concepts, and he lampooned the head readers in Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. He was influenced by Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, who also used his humor to assail head readers and educate the public. Finger shows that both humorists accepted certain features of phrenology, but not their skull-based ideas. By examining a fascinating topic at the intersection of literature and the history of neuroscience, this engaging study will appeal to readers interested in phrenology, science, medicine, American history, and the lives and works of Twain and Holmes.
EAN 9781009301299
ISBN 1009301292
Binding Hardback
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Publication date April 6, 2023
Pages 332
Language English
Dimensions 235 x 160 x 26
Country United Kingdom
Readership General
Authors Finger Stanley
Illustrations Worked examples or Exercises
Manufacturer information
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