Coon About the Origins of Negroes

**cosmocreator** · Thursday, July 3rd, 2003

I am reading Coon's The Living Races Of The World. I just finished the section on Africa. In it he writes that some people think that the negro was created not more than 15,000 years ago by mixing Caucasian Mediterraneans and Pygmies. Anyone have thoughts on that?

While we're on the subject. I found this book in a public library. There was another, The Races of Europe, I think. It's gone missing. I'm thinking of keeping this book. If I don't, chances are it's going to end up lost as well. Possibly by an anti-racist. I've already enquired about what would happen. It will cost me $5 for the book and $10 administration fee. $15 for the Living Races. Is this a rare book?

**Vigilant** · Thursday, July 3rd, 2003

You can get it for $9.90 at Alibris. Plus shipping.

**Allenson** · Thursday, July 3rd, 2003

Do you mean "The Living Races of Man" by Coon? If so, I've read this one as well. It's a pretty good overview of the world's races. As far as it being rare, I don't think so....not as hard to find as "The Races of Europe".

You can buy it used on line at any used book site like abebooks.com for similar prices as to what it would cost you to swipe it from the library. Whereas the cheapest copy of TRoE is $50.00 and the highest is over $300!

As for the Negroids having the origins that he mentions in this book.....hard to say. I haven't studied this matter yet.

**Conquistador** · Friday, July 4th, 2003

Originally posted by cosmocreator
Is this a rare book?

Yes. Especially since, they are disappearing without a trace.

**Louky** · Friday, July 4th, 2003

Originally posted by cosmocreator
I am reading Coon's The Living Races Of The World. I just finished the section on Africa. In it he writes that some people think that the negro was created not more than 15,000 years ago by mixing Caucasian Mediterraneans and Pygmies. Anyone have thoughts on that?

Are you sure it's the Pygmy? It's been awhile since I read that theory, but I thought it was the Khoisan, the yellow skinned, pepper-corn haired people that evolved in N. Africa and were driven into the east and then south, reducing along the way.

I have no idea what made Coon think that. He did post some pictures of Caucasian/ Khoisan mixes that he thought were more negroid-looking than what he expected. I didn't see it.

I think it's a case like the Elektra complex where Freud concocted a theory off the top of his head because someone pointed out he didn't have a cognate of the Oedipus complex for women. I don't mean to imply Coon was a humbug like Freud, just that Coon may have erred here.

Coon starts off the chapter on Negroes in, Origin of Races with an anecdote about a black house servant asking, "What about my ancestors?" and he couldn't answer her.