Excerpt from Comparative Physiognomy: Or Resemblances Between Men and Animals The word preface is an indication that a book, like its author, must have a face; and unless it be a misnomer, there is no reason why it should not be illustrated with faces. That it comes first and foremost it would be useless to observe, had not certain persons been inclined to put it in the background. We will slate frankly, at the outset, that this particular preface is intended to "face down" - not by "barefaced assertions," but by a presentation of faces and arguments - the unjust treatment to which the face has been subjected. Why should a periodical, that professes to be a "Journal" of Phrenology and of kindred sciences, look out at the back of its head whenever it takes a peep at Physiognomy? We know not, but humanity claims that the eyes in such a case should be set right. Wo address ourselves, therefore, to answering the objections contained in two articles on this subject in the "Phrenological Journal," both of them new-year's presents, for which we have reason to be thankful. The first formidable obstacle we meet with is this: "The naked skull of poor Yorick, notwithstanding its yawning eye-sockets and ghastly grin, presents the evidences of his former warmth of affection and his racy wit, although the signs of these emotions in the face are obliterated for ever." Is there, then, nothing left of the skull but the cranial portion? and does not Physiognomy claim that the character is indicated in the features of the face, as well as in the expressions? About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This book explores the science of physiognomy, which is the study of facial features and their relation to character traits. The author offers insights into how to read the faces of the people around you and make decisions based on their appearance. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

In 1872, a woman known only as "An Earnest Englishwoman" published a letter titled "Are Women Animals?" in which she protested against the fact that women were not treated as fully human. In fact, their status was worse than that of animals: regulations prohibiting cruelty against dogs, horses, and cattle were significantly more punitive than laws against cruelty to women. The Earnest Englishwoman's heartfelt cry was for women to "become–animal" in order to gain the status that they were denied on the grounds that they were not part of "mankind." In this fascinating account, Joanna Bourke addresses the profound question of what it means to be "human" rather than "animal." How are people excluded from political personhood? How does one become entitled to rights? The distinction between the two concepts is a blurred line, permanently under construction. If the Earnest Englishwoman had been capable of looking 100 years into the future, she might have wondered about the human status of chimeras, or the ethics of stem cell research. Political disclosures and scientific advances have been re–locating the human–animal border at an alarming speed. In this meticulously researched, illuminating book, Bourke explores the legacy of more than two centuries, and looks forward into what the future might hold for humans, women, and animals.