About the Author

Robert Wald Sussman was Professor of Physical Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis.

Reviews

Not only is this book a significant contribution to the view of race and racism in traditional 'four-field' anthropology in the U.S., but it is also important to the understanding of global notions of contemporary racism...The Myth of Race encourages us to understand where stereotypes and misinformation fit in our consideration of whether and how notions of biological race remain pervasive in today's discourse and policy.-- (12/11/2014)
Robert Sussman's penetrating study of the major figures who constructed concepts of race lays bare the personal biases, enmity, and corruption that influenced the intellectuals and politicians who framed modern industrialized societies. It also reveals unexpected heroes whose clear-minded insights into human diversity presaged our modern understanding. The Myth of Race is a suspense-filled and richly scholarly tour de force.--Nina G. Jablonski, Evan Pugh Professor of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University
What is most remarkable is how Sussman manages to tie in past attitudes toward race with ongoing political developments. He demonstrates a seamless continuity of current attitudes with past ones in a way I have not seen attempted elsewhere, and in my view he succeeds brilliantly: the final chapters, in particular, make chilling reading. This is a book written straight from the heart, and it reads that way.--Ian Tattersall, author of Race? Debunking a Scientific Myth