Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads by Stephen T Asma

Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads by Stephen T Asma

This volume traces the cultural history of natural history museums from their origins in the 18th century through the present day, by tracing the changing attitudes and philosophies that influence the public displays of major natural history museums. The author includes anecdotes and stories, showing the development over time from displays of individual collectors' curios and occasionally gruesome oddities, to the more politically sensitive and intellectually ambitious exercises in public education that constitute the modern day permanent exhibitions at museums. The dichotomy between the front window, exhibit portion of natural history museums, and the backstage areas where scientific work goes forward, and the dual roles and missions served by this cultural institution, are all portrayed.

"After reading this book museum-goers will not be able to look at exhibits in the same way again", avows the authorHe could be right New Scientist As full of curious facts and mental treats as any museum display, this fascinating book shows there is more behind the museum facade than a few busy biologists New Scientist

Stephen T. Asma is Professor of Philosophy at Columbia College Chicago, where he holds the title of Distinguished Scholar.

Asma is the author of seven books, including Against Fairness: In Favor of Favoritism (Univ. of Chicago Press, 2012), On Monsters: an Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears (Oxford Univ. Press), Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads (Oxford Univ. Press), Why I am a Buddhist (Hampton Roads), and the best selling Buddha for Beginners (originally published in 1996 and reissued in 2008). His writing has been translated into German, Spanish, Hebrew, Czech, Romanian, Hindi, Portuguese, and Chinese.

Dr. Asma is a founding Fellow of the Research Group in Mind, Science and Culture at Columbia College Chicago. The Research Group is actively working on a philosophical and scientific understanding of the mind/brain that properly incorporates the emotional dimensions of mammalian consciousness.

In addition to Western philosophy, Asma has an abiding interest in Buddhism and Confucianism. In 2003, he was Visiting Professor at the Buddhist Institute in Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia, teaching a Buddhist Philosophy seminar course as part of their Graduate Program in Buddhist Studies. In addition to Cambodia, he has also researched Asian philosophies in Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Laos. He has also lived and studied in Shanghai China.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780195130508
ISBN 10	0195130502
Title	Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads
Author	Stephen T Asma
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Oxford University Press Inc
Year published	2001-04-05
Number of pages	318
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable