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So Human an Animal: How We Are Shaped By Surroundings and Events
by René Dubos (Introduction: David Mechanic) (Introduction: Jill Cooper)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Transaction Publishers (1998-05-01)
ISBN: 0765804298
EAN: 9780765804297
Dewy Decimal #: 304.2
Paperback: 267 pages
SKU: 07030018
Condition: Like New as issued n
Comments: New book. Trade paperback with no marks or creases. Appears unread. Very slight mark on half-title page. Beautiful book.
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Until cloning becomes the order of the day, the author contends that each human is unique. Every person faces the danger of losing this humanness to mechanized surroundings. Is the human species becoming dehumanized by the condition of his environment? This book attempts to address this concern.
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Customer Reviews
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Profound, subtle
Rating  (5)
Date: 2006-09-05
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Another reader reviewed this as "old news". I disagree. In academic geographic, architectural, and sociological circles the content of this book may be old news, but as a layman in all of those studies, I found this to be a profound introducton to the subtleties of human development. I know I'm not alone - there are plenty of people out there who have no real understanding of the underlying principles of heredity, childhood development, human environment, and physiology. Dubos covers these topics with amazing sensetivity and wisdom. This book's illuminating treatment of the issue of race alone should be enough to keep it relevant and important 40 years after it was written.
It does read like a self-help book in a few places, but the surrounding context is penetrating enough to compensate for those few sentences.
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news so old, more trees could've been saved
Rating  (3)
Date: 2005-05-29
0 out of 5 customers found this reveiw helpful
the biggest thing to remember is that the book is written in 1968, and it well supported Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" (1970) to a T. today. Dubos makes his points well, tho spends about half a chapter to illustrate the evidence, i feel such explanations are not always needed. almost feels like he's writing to an audience of complete non-believers; as a geographer i find it dummyfying.
still not a total failure for human geographists of 2005, there are some interesting tid-bits. Some high points are why there are different races (previously mentioned by National Geographic founder in 1899 in his observations of Alaskans), and why Southeast Asians are so short and Norwegians so tall, and how archetecture affects human life and well being. Also, the significance of human life chapter is interesting (if you havent found it yet, look at any self-help book).
if you're really interested, concentrate on beginnings of paragraphs and last few pages of each chapter.
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Most Excellent
Rating (5)
Date: 1999-04-03
NOTE it was written in 1968 - and Dubos was right on about all our problems...
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A wonderful, astonishing book.
Rating (5)
Date: 1998-07-07
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
A wonderful, astonishing book. If you are interested in how we, as a species forever in a state of subtle evolution, are unwittingly influenced by our environment, this is a book to read.
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A wonderful, astonishing book.
Rating (5)
Date: 1998-07-07
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
A wonderful, astonishing book. If you are interested in how we, as a species forever in a state of subtle evolution, are unwittingly influenced by our environment, this is a book to read.
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