Physiognomical Follies

BISBA

Alfred Armstrong — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:59:44 +0000

Crime and the Man

Alfred Armstrong — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:59:44 +0000

This large and very seriously intended publication from one of America's major academic presses explored the supposed connection between crime and physiognomy. Of course, the notion that criminals might have different facial features or shape of head was far from a new one, even back in the 1930s: folklore has long had it that someone whose eyes are “too close together” is not to be trusted, for example.

The Selling Compass

Alfred Armstrong — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:59:44 +0000

Sales people are notoriously always looking for a way to get an advantage - over their customers, their competitors, and their co-workers alike. The most able seller can almost read the minds of prospects and understand their hidden motivations, their needs, their fears, but most are not so gifted. Hence the continuing market for works which purport to teach such skills.

Moles and Their Meaning

Alfred Armstrong — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:59:44 +0000

This little book is something of a classic of its kind. It first came to my notice through Ash and Lake's Bizarre Books (1985, 1998), an admirable publication which I strongly recommend, though its authors take a fairly light-hearted approach to their material, eschewing any more profound analysis, such as you will find here.

A Square Peg in a Round Hole

Alfred Armstrong — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:59:44 +0000