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Also by Daniel McNeill:

The Face, July 2000
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The Face
Daniel McNeill

A Natural History

Back Bay
July 2000
384 pages
ISBN: 0316588121
Trade Size
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Non-Fiction

rom the Sphinx to Mona Lisa, from strangers in a crowd to the people we love, the face beguiles us. It is our social signature, our passport into the hearts and minds of those around us, and provides a constant flow of richly complex information. We rely on its signals, yet they form a language we cannot describe and may not even consciously notice.

In The Face, bestselling science journalist Daniel McNeill unravels these mysteries. He examines the face from many perspectives - physiological, social, psychological, evolutionary, and artistic - and creates a portrait that is as fascinating as it is illuminating.

Drawing on these disciplines, he explores the four great realms of the face: its anatomy, its singularity, its ability to communicate, and its beauty. McNeill begins with a guided tour of the face and each of its components. Why do we have a face at all? Why is it hairless, and how do beards benefit us? Why do noses jut out, and why do we, alone among creatures, have chins?

The face is the badge of our identity, and in a universe of faces, we can recognize a single one instantly. From the criminal in the police lineup to the image in the mirror, from masks to caricature, McNeill probes this ability and the meaning of facial identity itself. How do we instantly distinguish a male from a female face? Why are icons like Mao and Marilyn Monroe so powerful? Why do unknown faces like the Lone Ranger's tantalize us? What is the face of God?

We can convey an astonishing range of feelings and thoughts through our faces, with the pursing of the lips, the raising of an eyebrow, or the inexhaustible number of looks in our eyes. The Face explores this amazing expressiveness, examining the secrets of actors, theories of laughter, weeping, blushing, the evil eye, and more. What is the full range of meanings behind the smile? Why are stares so powerful? How does the face reveal a lie?

Beauty is a breathtaking enigma, and scientists still probe why it matters, and even what it is. McNeill investigates the allure of the face and the age-old quest to enhance it. What qualities make a face good-looking? Are notions of beauty culture-bound or universal? How do we judge people based on their looks?

Daniel McNeill has mapped the world of the face and its mysteries in a captivating transformation of one of the most familiar sights in everyday life.

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