{"product_id":"empire-of-skulls-paul-stob-9781640096837","title":"Empire of Skulls: Phrenology, the Fowler Family, and a New Nation's Quest to Unlock the Secrets of the Mind","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis fascinating history of phrenology reveals how one family, despite their flawed framework, helped shape early understanding of the human mind--reflecting both the limits of early science and the ongoing evolution of scientific inquiry \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor readers of \u003ci\u003eThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Emperor \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eof All Maladies\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eRadium Girls\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eToday, everyone remembers phrenology--the study of the formation of the skull as indicative of mental faculties and traits of character--as pseudoscientific at best and racist at worst. And it most certainly contains elements of both. But, as author Paul Stob presents in \u003ci\u003eEmpire of Skulls\u003c\/i\u003e, phrenology also has the unique distinction of marking the birth of the self-help movement, right alongside the birth of our country. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe science of phrenology was premised on a simple yet revolutionary idea: The bumps, spans, and masses on your head mirror those on your brain, and they are the keys to your past, present, and future. Discovered in Europe in the late-eighteenth century and promulgated across the U.S. in the decades before the Civil War, phrenology captured the imagination of millions of Americans thanks largely to the efforts of one family: the Fowlers. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eViewing the science as essential to personal and social advancement, siblings Orson, Lorenzo, and Charlotte Fowler set about transforming American life by unlocking the secrets of skulls. Year after year, the Fowlers: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDelivered lectures from Maine to the Great Plains\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePerformed hundreds of thousands of hands-on character examinations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreated a wildly popular tourist attraction, the Phrenological Cabinet, in New York City\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEstablished a preeminent publishing firm, Fowlers and Wells \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd they examined the heads of the full range of humans--pirates, murderers, rapists, thieves, prisoners, and the insane, as well as presidents, statesmen, inventors, activists, writers, artists, and, most importantly, ordinary Americans\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese efforts led first to a profitable business, then to a cultural movement, and finally to an empire of influence--one built on the promises and perils of human skulls. Though their names are seldom remembered today, this entertaining and absorbing read shows how their empire reshaped American life at a pivotal time in the nation's history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Paul Stob\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1640096833\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781640096837\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Counterpoint LLC\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/14\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 336\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.25lbs","brand":"Paul Stob","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":47474489819391,"sku":"9781640096837","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_2eb86ab0-fb2d-491c-b420-6c4e325e49cd.jpg?v=1762317076","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/empire-of-skulls-paul-stob-9781640096837","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}