Twins : superstitions and marvels, fantasies and experiments / William Viney.

  • Viney, William
Date:
2021
  • Books

About this work

Description

"Human twins have many meanings and different histories. They have been seen as gods and monsters, signs of danger, death, and sexual deviance. They are taken as objects of wonder and violent repression, the subjects of scientific experiment. Now millions are born through fertility technologies. Their history is often buried in philosophies and medical theories, religious and scientific practices, and countless stories of devotion and tragedy. In this history of superstitions and marvels, fantasies and experiments, William Viney--himself a twin--shows how the use and abuse of twins has helped to shape the world in which we live. This book has been written not just for twins, but for anyone interested in their historical, global, and political impact."--Publisher.

Publication/Creation

London : Reaktion Books, 2021.

Physical description

224 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some colour) ; 24 cm

Contents

Introduction -- Twins are myths -- Twins are monsters -- Twins are dangerous -- Twins are global -- Twins are birds -- Twins are experiments -- Twins are made -- Twins are performers -- Twins are words -- Postscript: a note towards a collective history.

Bibliographic information

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Languages

Subjects

Where to find it

  • LocationStatus
    History of Medicine
    UNY /VIN
    Open shelves

Permanent link

Identifiers

ISBN

  • 1789144086
  • 9781789144086