弗朗茨·博厄斯是现代人类学的开创者之一，享有“美国人类学之父”的美誉。本书收录了他在1887－1939年间发表的62篇重要论文，围绕着种族、语言与文化三大主题，通过展示不同环境下的生命历程和人类行为，深入探讨了外部环境对人的身体、语言、思维方式和行为方式等的影响，以及文化对人的塑造作用。本书以更自由，更全面的视角来研究人类学中的种种问题，对人类科学的发展产生了深刻的影响。

PREFACE
RACE
RACE AND PROGRESS (1931)
MODERN POPULATIONS OF AMERICA (1915)
REPORT ON AN ANTHROPOMETRIC INVESTIGATION OF THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES (1922)
CHANGES IN BODILY FORM OF DESCENDANTS OF IMMIGRANTS (1910-1913)
NEW EVIDENCE IN REGARD TO THE INSTABILITY OF HUMAN TYPES (1916)
INFLUENCE OF HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT UPON GROWTH (1913)
THE TEMPO OF GROWTH OF FRATERNITIES (1935).
CONDITIONS CONTROLLING THE TEMPO OF DEVELOPMENT AND DECAY (1935)
REMARKS ON THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDY OF CHILDREN (1912)
GROWTH (1892-1939, revised and condensed)
STATISTICAL STUDY OF ANTHROPOMETRY (1902)
THE HALF-BLOOD INDIAN (1894)
REVIEW OF DR. PAUL EHRENREICH, "ANTHROPOLOGISCHE STUDIEN UEBER DIE UREINWOHNER BRASILIENS" (1897)
REVIEW OF WILLIAM Z. RIPLEY, "THE RACES OF EUROPE" (1899)
REVIEW OF ROLAND B. DIXON, "THE RACIAL HISTORY OF MAN" (1923)
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LANGUAGE
CULTURE
MISCELLANEOUS
术语汇编与简释