How much of who we are is shaped by the chemistry within us?

In How Glands Affect Personality, Grace Adams introduces readers to the emerging science of the endocrine system and explores the once-revolutionary idea that the body’s internal secretions may influence growth, energy, emotion, behavior, and temperament.

Beginning with a clear definition of personality, Adams explains the difference between ordinary glands and the “ductless” glands now known as the endocrine system. She examines the thyroid, pituitary, adrenal, pineal, thymus, and sex glands, describing the roles early researchers believed each played in physical development and psychological life.

The book also considers how severe glandular imbalances were associated with recognizable medical conditions, while subtler variations were thought to help explain everyday differences in appearance, mood, energy, and character.

Originally published in 1929 during the early development of endocrinology, How Glands Affect Personality offers modern listeners a fascinating look at how scientists and popular writers first attempted to connect hormones, physiology, and human behavior.

Narrated by Jonathan Guerrero, this compact work will appeal to listeners interested in medical history, psychology, endocrinology, and the development of popular science.

Publisher’s note: This audiobook is presented as a historical scientific work. Some terminology, theories, medical descriptions, and conclusions reflect the knowledge and attitudes of 1929 and should not be considered current medical guidance.