The Origin of Races

by Carleton S. Coon

Hardcover w/dust jacket. From Private Collection.

Genres: Anthropology, Race

724 pages

First published January 1, 1962

Reviews

[Da1tonthegreat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the mid-twentieth century, Carleton Coon led the forces of science-based physical anthropology in a losing battle against the science-denying cultural anthropology of the Franz Boas school. In this work, he lays down the evidence that mankind can be grouped under five distinct races - caucasoid, mongoloid, congoid, australoid, and capoid. They all evolved along parallel paths to their present states. The theory lines up not just with the archeological and anthropological evidence, but with the evidence of our eyes and ears.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carleton Coon's books were popular when I was first getting interested in anthropology in the sixties, and I read them with interest. He boldly addressed questions about race that others shied away from. In this book you will find data-supported speculation on how differences in skin and eye evolved along with differences in bones and teeth. For that I give him four stars.

Even then, as a teenaged scientist, I realized that Coon's reasoning was flawed. He never said so outright, but he evidently wanted the races to be as separate as possible. Coon argued that the races have been distinct for a very long time indeed, that each evolved into Homo sapiens separately from Homo erectus. Their development would have been a remarkable example of parallel evolution, one that would invite the interpretation that perhaps some races have evolved further than others. But it is incredibly unlikely that every race would have developed from one species to another independently, and molecular genetics has put this hypothesis to rest at last; there is no question now that we are all descended from one Homo sapiens stock. I was not surprised to find later that Coon argued against the integration of schools. If you are interested in the history of anthropology, do read this book, but with caution.

[TR · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy to read, informative study on the human races, how they physically differ, and how they might've branched off. Not an obsolete book. Just buried by the new controllers of schools/publishers.

[KQ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although Coon's idea of "parallel evolution" hardly finds empirical support from contemporary population genetics, the book contains a wealth of gems (data) for independent analysis. I proofread some of his craniometric data, and it aligns pretty well with contemporary benchmark figures.

[Matal “The Mischling Princess” Baker · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is absolutely atrocious, but it is important for studying the history of anthropology.

[Adrian Dane · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book.