How and why did biological determinism engender racism? Determinists hold that the behaviour of human groups and the differences between them are innate, and so they invariably conclude that the oppressed and the disadvantaged are inferior and therefore deserve their status. Stephen Jay Gould points out the scientific errors and logical inconsistencies of these theories and describes the political context in which they were developed, revealing the prejudices that resulted in false conclusions.

When it was first published in the United States, The Mismeasure of Man received several prestigious awards.

This is an essential work for anyone wishing to understand the nature of racism.

Stephen Jay Gould is a palaeontologist. He has taught geology and the history of science at Harvard University.