{"product_id":"hereditary-genius-an-inquiry-into-its-laws-and-consequences-paperback-4","title":"Hereditary Genius: An Inquiry into Its Laws And Consequences - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eFrancis Galton\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eStatistician, world traveler, eugenicist, and pioneer in the use of fingerprints as a method of identification, \u003cb\u003eSIR FRANCIS GALTON\u003c\/b\u003e is best known for his investigations into heredity and human intelligence. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eGalton was born on February 16, 1822, in Sparkbrook, England, into a prominent Quaker family. His maternal grandfather was physician Erasmus Darwin, who penned a book that outlined his ideas of botany and generation. The youngest of seven children, Galton was also a cousin of Charles Darwin--a profound influence on Galton's scientific work. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eGalton attended King Edward's School in the late 1830s and later pursued a medical career, at his family's insistence, first at King's College in London and later at Trinity College, Cambridge. Displeased with his choice of study, Galton switched to mathematics before falling ill, which, coupled with his father's serious health problems, rendered him unable to finish his degree. Following his father's death in 1844, the financially secure Galton began to travel abroad, initiating his scientific career with an excursion to Africa. Although unsuccessful in his attempt to find a southwest passage to Lake Ngami, situated north of the Kalahari Desert, Galton was elected a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in 1853, the same year he married Louisa Jane Butler. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSix years later, Charles Darwin published his famous \u003ci\u003eOrigin of the Species\u003c\/i\u003e, which reversed Galton's train of thought. Instead of thinking that all humans have essentially the same capabilities at birth, Galton now believed that heredity, not just the environment, played a role in shaping a person. In fact, Galton coined the phrase nature versus nurture, a concept still used today in the debate over the factors that influence human development. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eUsing his background in mathematics to add scientific validity to the fledgling field of heredity, Galton devised new statistical concepts, such as correlation, a measure of the relationship between two variables, and regression, which predicts the average of a random variable based on other random variables. About the same time that Gregor Mendel crossbred sweet peas in his study of genetics, Galton hypothesized that qualities such as intelligence were passed to each generation through heredity. He supported this argument with an analysis of obituaries in the (London) \u003ci\u003eTimes\u003c\/i\u003e, resulting in his 1869 publication, \u003ci\u003e Hereditary Genius\u003c\/i\u003e. This built the foundation of Galton's work in eugenics, another term he invented for his notion that the human race could be improved upon by selective breeding. Galton's \u003ci\u003eNatural Inheritance\u003c\/i\u003e (1889) summarized his work on correlation and regression. Statistician Karl Pearson furthered Galton's work at University College, London. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAmong the data that Galton gathered were collections of fingerprints. Galton demonstrated that not only did fingerprint patterns remain the same on an individual from childhood through adulthood, but also each person has a unique set of prints, which can be used as a basis of identification. Galton, in collaboration with Sir Edward R. Henry, persuaded Scotland Yard to use fingerprints as a method of identifying criminals in 1901. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAwards that Galton received are the Royal Society's Royal, Darwin, and Copley Medals (1876, 1902, and 1910, respectively); the Anthropological Institute's Huxley Medal (1901); and the Linnean Society's Darwin-Wallace Medal (1908). The British Association's general secretary between 1863 and 1867, Galton was knighted in 1909. In Surrey, England, Galton died on January 17, 1911. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eGalton's bibliography remains incomplete because he wrote prolifically in a variety of publications, some well known and some obscure. Galton published at least 340 books and papers, some of which are still cited in current scientific articles. Books by Galton include \u003ci\u003eTropical South Africa\u003c\/i\u003e (1853), \u003ci\u003eEnglish Men of Science: Their Nature and Nurture \u003c\/i\u003e(1874), \u003ci\u003ePsychometric Facts \u003c\/i\u003e(1879), \u003ci\u003eRecord of Family Faculties\u003c\/i\u003e (1884), \u003ci\u003eFinger Prints\u003c\/i\u003e (1892), and\u003ci\u003e Probability, the Foundation of Eugenics \u003c\/i\u003e(1907).\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 360\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 8.4 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 30, 2006\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46400709656711,"sku":"9781591023586","price":23.02,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/Hzvxz_TGqX9781591023586.webp?v=1793594893","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/hereditary-genius-an-inquiry-into-its-laws-and-consequences-paperback-4","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}