WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
The Fall of Man; Or, The Loves of the Gorillas / A Popular Scientific Lecture Upon the Darwinian Theory of Development by Sexual Selection cover

The Fall of Man; Or, The Loves of the Gorillas / A Popular Scientific Lecture Upon the Darwinian Theory of Development by Sexual Selection

By Richard Grant White
Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

HumourPlays/Films/Dramas

About This Book

A comic, satirical lecture presented as the translation of an African gorilla's address to its tribe, offering a mock-scientific reading of Darwinian sexual selection. The speaker reverses the usual hierarchy by depicting humans as a degenerate offshoot of ape-like ancestors and compares gorilla anatomy, mating customs, and aesthetics to human behaviors. Through ironic comparative examples, playful anthropomorphism, and an editor's framing, the piece lampoons Victorian science and social pretensions while explaining sexual selection, courtship, and reproduction in witty, exaggerated terms.

About the Author

White, Richard Grant portrait

Richard Grant White

Richard Grant White was an American author and lecturer known for his contributions to popular science and literary criticism in the 19th century. He is particularly recognized for his work "The Fall of Man; Or, The Loves of the Gorillas," which presents a popular scientific lecture on the Darwinian theory of development through sexual selection. White's writings often aimed to bridge the gap between complex scientific ideas and the general public, making them accessible and engaging. His efforts contributed to the broader discourse on evolution and its implications during a time of significant scientific advancement.

You May Also Like

6 picks
"... Mutta -- naivat tummaverisiä" cover "... Mutta -- naivat tummaverisiä" by Anita Loos "And That's How It Was, Officer" cover "And That's How It Was, Officer" by Ralph Sholto "Ask Mamma"; or, The Richest Commoner In England cover "Ask Mamma"; or, The Richest Commoner In England by Robert Smith Surtees "Bones": Being Further Adventures in Mr. Commissioner Sanders' Country cover "Bones": Being Further Adventures in Mr. Commissioner Sanders' Country by Edgar Wallace "Excelsior" cover "Excelsior" by Bret Harte "Gentlemen prefer blondes" cover "Gentlemen prefer blondes" by Anita Loos