The Mind of Primitive Man

One of the earliest studies of the relationship between race and culture which comprehensively presents known facts rather than implications of superiority and inferiority.

The first edition of the book appeared in 1911, and went through several printings before Boas revised it, as he said, to take into account of the findings of research carried on since the book was initially written. His conclusions, were that …there is no fundamental difference in the ways of thinking of primitive and civilized man. A close connection between race and personality has never been established. The concept of racial type as commonly used even in scientific literature is misleading and requires a logical as well as biological definition.