It is something of a shame that Stob, who has crafted a thoroughly researched and intriguing work, does not delve into any doubts the Fowlers must have had ... The greatest flaw of the book is its refusal to consider that these men, who trafficked in their theories to great financial success, may not have always been as well intentioned as Stob charitably imagines.
Due to its lack of actual scientific value, phrenology is now dismissed as an oddity, but Stob sheds light on the complexity of the movement’s narrative. More than a tale of misguidance and gullibility, Empire of Skulls is an exploration of the lengths we’ll go in the name of self-improvement.
Captivating, well-researched ... One might think a history of bumps on skulls sounds like dry reading, but this is a fascinating, entertaining, and enlightening work ... Perfect for readers interested in medical or psychological history.
Casts an uneven light on one family’s outsize role in the rise of phrenology ... Offers captivatingly bizarre profiles of the Fowlers themselves, especially Orson ... However, the author’s fondness for the Fowlers and apparently earnest desire to reappraise phrenology, long associated with eugenics, leads him to, at times, downplay the siblings’ racist views ... Such sour notes overshadow an otherwise morbidly fascinating tale of obsession.
Stob, a professor of communication at Vanderbilt University, casts a spell with his humorous, witty storytelling and cinematic descriptions of a bygone era that is sometimes racist and foolish, yet intent on the power to improve oneself ... A fascinating tale of a nation gripped and shaped by a science/health fad that resonates today.
