Controlling Human Heredity: 1865 to the Present

by Diane B. Paul

In the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century, it was widely assumed that society ought to foster the breeding of those who possessed favorable traits and discourage the breeding of those who did not. Controlled human breeding, or "eugenics" as it was called, was a movement with broad support that lasted into the 1930s. In this concise historical account, the author answers the questions of why eugenics, the search for means to propagate only "good genes," was so attractive earlier in the twentieth century, why it then fell into disrepute, and whether it has returned today in the new guise of genetic counseling.

Genres: History, Eugenics, Nonfiction, Science

170 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1995

Reviews

[Grady]

Interesting content, however it read like one long run-on sentence. Could not read more than a few pages at a time without losing interest.

[Aleksandr]

A good and compact introduction to the history of eugenic movements. Neutral (considering the topic) and well-written.
The focus lies more on the United States.