Stand Up Straight!

Gilman illuminates the historical significance of posture in the workplace, in our bodies and minds, in the military, and in culture. Underpinned by medicine, anthropology, and social engineering, never before has race, disability, and citizenship been so astutely linked to the ideal and image of standing up straight. A tour de force analysis, accompanied by extraordinary illustrations. --Ana Carden-Coyne, University of Manchester Ambitious. . . . Gilman's multidisciplinary approach draws on theology, philosophy, the military, medicine, and art. . . . He deftly threads the striking image of the plumb line throughout, using this trope to turn anecdote into data. . . . Stand Up Straight!'s illustrations are wonderful. . . . Gilman's authoritative voice marshals a crowd of examples into a cogent, illuminating analysis. . . . What he demonstrates so successfully is that any history of posture is always a history of perception. The title's bold imperative is a command barked at those whose posture supposedly imperils the nation, causes moral degeneration, or decreases productivity. He has produced a valuable book. --Times Higher Education There is a grandeur to certain works of scholarship, a singularity of vision by which genius is defined. In this respect, Gilman's Stand Up Straight! can be aligned with Simon Schama's rapturous Landscape and Memory--another masterpiece of romantic historical philosophy--in terms of its cultural significance. . . . Stand Up Straight! is more than a joy to read. It is a privilege to wander the labyrinths of Gilman's gorgeously eccentric and intricate mind. --Australian