The Mismeasure of ManThe Mismeasure of Man
Score Classic
What it's about
Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould examines the history of attempts to measure intelligence, from skull measurements in the 19th century to IQ tests, and shows how scientists' prejudices shaped their results and were used to justify ranking races, classes and sexes. It's a history of how bad science can do real harm.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Critics Circle Award and is on the Modern Library's list of the best nonfiction. It remains an influential, if debated, critique.
You'll love it if you liked
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Cosmos
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of CancerGood to know
Some of its claims have been challenged by later researchers. It's scientific but written for general readers.
By the numbers
- Readers61 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics86 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller9 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #31 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #161 of the 762 classics we rank
- #499 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
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Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Classic booksTop 25 · 762 ranked
Books of the 1980sTop 25 · 202 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is The Mismeasure of Man worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award and is on the Modern Library's list of the best nonfiction. It ranks #499 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Mismeasure of Man about?
Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould examines the history of attempts to measure intelligence, from skull measurements in the 19th century to IQ tests, and shows how scientists' prejudices shaped their results and were used to justify ranking races, classes and sexes. It's a history of how bad science can do real harm.
How long does it take to read The Mismeasure of Man?
About 9 hours (352 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Mismeasure of Man won?
NBCC Award (Nonfiction) winner (1981).
What should I read after The Mismeasure of Man?
If you liked it, try The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn, Cosmos by Carl Sagan or The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee.