In
the Name of Eugenics: Genetics and the Uses of Human Heredity
by Daniel J. Kevles
ALL the world knows of Adolf Hitler and the
atrocities committed under his leadership during the Nazi era. But were
he and his small band of accomplices alone? Psychiatrists supplied the
flawed theories and ideas of eugenics and biochemistry which provided the
justification for wholesale slaughter of the "inferior". Timely reading
because modern psychiatry is treading down the same path once again - forgetting
about healing and concentrating instead on biology, genetics, and brain
chemistry.
The author, Daniel J. Kevles, November
11, 1998
I did my best when writing this book...
please check it out!
I did my best when writing this book, and
I'm fairly confident that it contains information that should be of use
to anyone interested in modern genetics. Thank you for paying attention.
Synopsis
This book is an attempt "to
trace the history of eugenics, mainly in the US and Britain, from the 19th
century when Francis Galton wrote Hereditary Genius (London, 1869) to the
present. . . . Individuals, such as Galton, Karl Pearson, C.B. Davenport,
R.A. Fisher, and J.B.S. Haldane, who have been associated with eugenics
in various ways, are discussed." (Choice) Index.
Amazon.com
In the 19th century, when the idea of eugenics
(selective breeding to generate superior members of a species) was invited
off the farm and into the parlor, it was a far-fetched notion with little
possibility of success driven by clearly racist motivations. But at the
end of the 20th century, biotechnological techniques and other agendas
are making forms of human eugenics plausible. Rich in anecdote, narrative,
and fact. An important book.
Description from The Reader's Catalog
"It stands as a powerful warning
against anyone today who would use the fruits of legitimate science to
bolster arguments and policies that echo the social and racial prejudice
of the past" - Washington Post
Reviews
From M. LaBar - Choice
Scholarly, but readable, the
book should be available in all libraries serving budding physicians, educational
testers, or human geneticists.
From Horace F. Judson - The New Republic
{The author} is copious always,
occasionally repetitious to the point of irritation, bemusing and horrifying
by turns. He keeps many things in balance - biographical sketches, social
history, the self-immolating quotations, and the science, which last is
central. The book's import is not directly polemical - and is all the more
powerful for confronting folly in such bulk with urbanity and a clear eye.
Yet Kevles's analysis could be crisper.
New York Times Book Review
Kevles makes clear the symbiotic relations
between the genuine science of genetics [and] the political programs and
prejudices of the eugenicists.
Scientific American
Kevles's lively and informative books makes
[informed] debate possible. It deserves a wide audience.
Customer Comments
Davide Maspero (davide.maspero@uni-bocconi.it)
from Milan, Italy, June 12, 1998
Rich, vivid history of eugenics and genetics
Accessible even to a non-specialist like
I am, this book is a deep, fascinating, sometimes provocative travel along
almost 2 centuries of scientific thought on genetics. And it is not just
a book about science, but about scientists as well, shown with all their
human virtues and weaknesses. The book collects a huge amount of historical
and scientific information, and impressive bibliographic references. I
strongly recommend it.
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