Review by Choice Review
Once so influential that their author is still sometimes remembered as Italian anthropology's "founding father," the writings of Paolo Mantegazza (1831-1910) have virtually disappeared from view since their heyday in the late 19th century. Not everyone will regret their fate: this substantial selection, which includes many texts never before published in English, all too clearly shows that both science and social attitudes have moved on, to the point where many of Mantegazza's ideas will appear to 21st-century readers at best almost endearingly quaint, at worst downright repellent. But there are doubtless some for whom Mantegazza retains at least a historical interest, and this volume is extremely well-suited to their needs. This book presents a lightly modernized 1894 translation of The Physiology of Love, Mantegazza's most famous book, along with newly translated excerpts from his contributions to various other subject areas and genres, from ethnography to travel writing to the novel. Pireddu (comparative and Italian literature, Georgetown Univ.) provides a lucid, comprehensive introduction, which gives as much information as most readers are likely to require and makes a brave (if not altogether convincing) case for Mantegazza's significance as a forerunner of contemporary cultural studies. Summing Up: Optional. Graduate students, researchers, and faculty. S. Botterill University of California, Berkeley
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
