The master of destiny

About this eBook

Author

Tilney, Frederick, 1875-1938

Title

The master of destiny : A biography of the brain

Original Publication

New York: Doubleday, Doran and Company, 1930.

Credits

Sean (@parchmentglow), chenzw, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Language

English

LoC Class

QH: Science: Natural history

Subject

Brain

Category

Text

Project Gutenberg

eBook-No. 78733

Release Date

May 23, 2026

Copyright

Public domain in the USA.

Contents

1. 1.Untitled
2. 2.Untitled
3. 3.Untitled
4. 4.THE MASTER OF DESTINY
5. 5.Untitled
6. 6.FOREWORD
7. 7.CONTENTS
8. 8.Untitled
9. 9.CHAPTER I PRIMITIVE ANCESTORS ORIGIN AND EARLY DAYS OF THE BRAIN — Earliest Forms of Animal Life — Familiar Animals of Earliest Type — Critical Changes in Animal Existence — Early Influences at Work to Form the Brain — A New Motor Device — Foundation Stones of the Brain — Nerve Concentration in Forming the Head — Development of Better Brains — Advent of Backboned Animals — Vast Ages of Animal Life — The Long Upward March Toward Humanity
10. 10.CHAPTER II ANCESTORS BEFORE THE APES THE BRAIN FROM FISH TO MAN — Practical Significance of Evolution — Evidence of Evolution in Our Bodies — The Embryo as a Witness — Value of Our Senses — The Sense Combiner — Starting with the Fish — The Beginning of Life on Land — Epoch of Giant Reptiles — Reptile Forerunners of the Mammals — Disappearance of the Great Reptiles — When the Warm-blooded Mammal Appeared — The Paths to Extinction and Progress — The Superior Brain of Mammals
11. 11.CHAPTER III MAN IN THE MAKING HUMAN PROGRESS FROM PREHISTORIC TO MODERN TIMES — Arrival of Man — The Duration of Human Existence — Four Extinct Races of Men — Javan Ape Man — Dawn Man of England — Neanderthal Man — The Old Stone Age — Neanderthal Progress — Mousterian Success and Character — Cromagnon Ascendancy — Cromagnon Cultural Periods — Motives of Cromagnon Art — Men of the New Stone Age
12. 12.CHAPTER IV EDEN OR EVOLUTION GENESIS AND THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES — Early Beliefs in Creation — Early Accounts of Creation — Creation Beliefs of Barbarous People — Primitive Ideas Foreshadowing Evolution — Growth of the Evolutionary Theory — The Lamarckian and Darwinian Theories
13. 13.CHAPTER V BIRTHPLACE AND EARLY BEGINNINGS OF MAN INFLUENCES OF FOREST AND PLAIN ON BRAIN DEVELOPMENT — Africa, Europe, or Asia — The Top of the World — Home Surroundings Necessary to Human Evolution — Effects of Tree Life — Stages in Developing the Erect Posture — The Parting of the Ways
14. 14.CHAPTER VI DAWN OF THE PRIMATE BRAIN THE LOWEST OF THE MONKEY KIND — Class Distinctions in the Monkey World — The Lemurs — Tarsius — The Marmosets — South American Howling Monkeys — Measuring the Mentality of New World Monkeys — Monkey Behaviour — Brains of the Lower Monkeys — Measurable Improvements
15. 15.CHAPTER VII ON THE WAY UPWARD BRAINS OF THE OLD WORLD MONKEYS — Baboons — Disposition of Baboons — Macacus, the Indian Monkey — Behaviour of Macacus — Mental Tests — Brains of the Old World Monkeys
16. 16.CHAPTER VIII MANLIKE TENDENCIES BRAINS OF GIBBON AND ORANG-OUTANG — The Anthropoid Gibbon — Manners of the Gibbon — Gibbon’s Resemblance to Man — The Orang-Outang — The Orang in Infancy — Psychological Tests — Brains of the Gibbon and Orang
17. 17.CHAPTER IX HUMAN IN MINIATURE THE BRAIN OF THE CHIMPANZEE — Intelligence of the Chimpanzee — The Chimpanzee’s Use of Implements — Strong Human Resemblances — Chimpanzee Sports and Nest Making — Clowning and Masquerade — Manufacture and Building — Emotions of the Chimpanzee — Surgical Interests — Morals Among Chimpanzees — The Chimpanzee’s Social Traits — In Prophecy of the Human Brain
18. 18.CHAPTER X ALMOST HUMAN THE BRAIN OF THE GORILLA — A Superlative Fighting Machine — The Gorilla’s Ancient Disrepute — Like Some Monster of a Nightmare — Training the Young Gorilla — John Daniel the First — John’s Social Behaviour — A Gorilla with a Sense of Humour — Fondness for Little Children — Like a Child in Play — John Becomes Famous — A Gorilla at Afternoon Tea — The Art of Capturing Young Gorillas — Professor Yerkes Studies “Congo the Second” — The Mind of a Gorilla — Mental Comparisons of the Great Manlike Apes — Secret of the Gorilla’s Survival
19. 19.CHAPTER XI HUMAN AT LAST THE BRAIN OF PREHISTORIC MAN — Human Superiority — The Fossil Records of Man — Brain Casts of Extinct Races of Men — Brain of Java Ape Man — Speech — More Effective Use of the Senses — The Human Hand and Foot — Brain of Piltdown Man — The Neanderthal Brain — Brain of Rhodesian Man — Changes in Human Race Extremely Slow — Cromagnons Replace the Neanderthals — The Mammoth Hunters of Prêdmost — Progress of the Human Family — Progressive Development of the Human Brain
20. 20.CHAPTER XII IMPLEMENTS OF HUMAN SUCCESS HOW THE HAND, FOOT, AND BRAIN LED THE WAY TO HUMANITY — Relation of One Part of Body to Another — History of the Hand and Foot — Locomotor Devices — The Paw in Relation to Hand and Foot — Special Uses of the Paw — Transformation from Paw to Hand — The Hand of Tarsius and Lemur — The Interesting Case of the Marmoset — Appearance of the Hand-like Foot — Strong Grasping Powers — Under Direction of the Eye — Threshold of a Great Change — Possession of too Many Hands — Brachiation and the Erect Posture — A New Grasp on Life — A Firm Foundation for Humanity
21. 21.CHAPTER XIII ESTIMATES AND VALUES ASSETS AND LIABILITIES OF THE HUMAN BRAIN — The Frontal Lobe and the Expansion of Consciousness — Caucasian Supremacy — Brains of Modern Races — Brains of Distinguished Men — Caucasian Leaders — Age of the Frontal Lobe — Old Sores and Liabilities — When the Pressure Comes — Heresy and Retaliation — Provocations of Circumstance and Time — Compounding the Essential Impulses of Life — Human Nature Has Not Changed — Handicaps and Restraints — The Cult of Success
22. 22.CHAPTER XIV THE FINAL TEST OF THE BRAIN WORLD COÖPERATION AND RECIVILIZATION
23. 23.Untitled

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