Mark Twain, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, and the Head Readers: Literature, Humor, and Faddish Phrenology

Mark Twain was interested in phrenology, the pseudoscience that claimed to correlate skull features with specialized brain areas and higher mental traits. He was influenced by Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, who used humor to assail head readers and educate the public. This study examines a fascinating topic at the intersection of literature and the history of neuroscience and will appeal to readers interested in phrenology, science, medicine, American history, and the lives and works of Twain and Holmes.

Format: Hardback
Length: 332 pages
Publication date: 06 April 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The nineteenth century saw a surge in popularity for phrenology, a pseudoscience that claimed to link skull features with specific brain areas and higher mental traits. Mark Twain, renowned author Samuel Clemens, had a lifelong fascination with phrenology, despite it being largely overlooked. His books are filled with phrenological terms and concepts, and he humorously mocked head readers in Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Twain was influenced by Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, another prominent figure who used humor to critique phrenology and educate the public.

While both humorists acknowledged certain aspects of phrenology, they rejected its skull-based theories. Through an examination of this intriguing topic at the intersection of literature and neuroscience, this engaging study will appeal to readers interested in phrenology, science, medicine, American history, and the lives and works of Twain and Holmes.

Weight: 658g
Dimension: 159 x 236 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009301299