How to Read Character: A New Illustrated Handbook of Phrenology and Physiognomy for Students and Examiners with a Descriptive Chart

by Samuel Roberts Wells

Phrenology, the practice of studying character and mental capacity from the confirmation of the skull, has always been a fascinating subject. As Pope said: "The proper study of mankind is man."

Here is a book with a lot of character--in fact, many characters, some famous and others infamous, from misers and murderers to presidents, philosophers and plenipotentiaries. These many and varied personalities are presented as illustrations of character traits. An example of Mirthfulness is Artemus Ward, the noted American humorist of a century ago. The contrast between his head and that of Kanosh an Indian chief, is striking if not exactly hair-raising. Sublimity is represented by William C. Bryant, the famous American poet and author of "Thanatopsis." The "organ" of Sublimity is situated on the side-head, directly above acquisitiveness and behind Ideality. "The function of Sublimity, "The book tells us, "is to give perception of grand and sublime in nature, art, and literature--to appreciate lofty mountains, the vastness of the ocean, the grandeur of a thunderstorm, the roar of artillery, the clash of armies…It is also an element in religious faith, and assist our conceptions of God and immortality."

265 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1971

Reviews

[Tejaswi Subramanian]

To be read purely for the joy of understanding symbols in human behaviour and motivation. =D

P.S.: Accepted Pseudoscience.

[Ahmed Suliman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read the book out of curiosity, not to rate it.
I simply wanted to know the rules that past experts laid down for the study of phrenology, and from this book, I discovered that PURE RACISM is the foundation of this field.

From a medical POV, the book contains numerous countless fallacies, such as misconceptions about brain functions, the relationship between senses and qualities with anatomical regions. Therefore, the foundation of the field is based on nothing.
However, this led me to believe that perhaps the cornerstone in the discovery of "Broadman's area" in neurology could be due to this numbering system .. maybe.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hilarious in an awful way.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though we may now consider phrenology a bunk “science,” this handbook is a great way to get a sense of the 19th century study. Makes me appreciate those trendy ceramic busts even more now...