Empire of skulls : phrenology, the Fowler family, and a new nation's quest to unlock the secrets of the mind / Paul Stob.
| Author/creator | Stob, Paul author |
| Format | Book |
| Edition | First Counterpoint edition. |
| Publication | Los Angeles : Counterpoint, 2026. |
| Copyright Date | ©2026 |
| Description | 324 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Subjects |
| Portion of title | Phrenology, the Fowler family, and a new nation's quest to unlock the secrets of the mind |
| Contents | Prologue: Secrets of the Pirate's Head -- Chapter One. A Meeting of Minds -- Chapter Two. Coming to America -- Chapter Three. Heads Up -- Chapter Four. A Cabinet of Curiosities -- Chapter Five. Science for the People -- Chapter Six. Celebrity Science -- Chapter Seven. What's Sex Got to Do with It? -- Chapter Eight. Life in the Octagon -- Chapter Nine. Heading Toward Freedom -- Chapter Ten. Decline of an Empire -- Epilogue: The Hope of Improvement -- Appendix: Do-It-Yourself Phrenology -- Acknowledgments -- Notes. |
| Abstract | "During 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"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references. |
| Genre/form | Family histories. |
| Genre/form | Informational works. |
| Genre/form | Documents d'information. |
| Genre/form | Histoires familiales. |
| LCCN | 2025052135 |
| ISBN | 9781640096837 (hardcover) |
| ISBN | 1640096833 (hardcover) |
| ISBN | (electronic book) |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyner | New Books | BF868 .S76 2026 | ✔ Available | Want This? |