J. Z. YOUNG - An Introduction to the Study of Man

London England, Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1971. First Edition, Binding: Cloth, Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall Harback Hardback. Previous owners name to inside cover. Very slight foxing to edge. Sunned spine to D/J. Wear to edges and corners of D/J. There are many ways of approaching the study of Man. The author believes that biological knowledge provides a useful framework to help us to understand ourselves. Modern biology embraces many disciplines, and in this book a synthesis is made tracing the sources of human activity from their biochemical basis to the highest levels of consciousness. The author thus sets out to present the basic scieentific facts about human life in a coherent scheme. There are sections on heredity and reproduction, growth, intelligence testing, ageing, and population growth; the stages of human evolution are traced from the origin of life to the beginnings of human culture. These facts provide background knowledge on many urgent problems, such as individual development, aggression and war, racial conflict, population control, and pollution. Philosophical and sociological problems raised by the biological view of man are discussed, and a main theme is that knowledge about the brain is revolutionizing our understanding of ourselves and the world. Professor Young's new book can be used as a text for a wide variety of University courses and will be of interest to all who wish to understand the scientific view of Man. 719 pp.