author
Melvin M. (Melvin Moses) Knight
1887–1981
An economic historian and teacher at Columbia and later the University of California, Berkeley, he wrote clearly about Europe, the Caribbean, and the social ideas of his time. His books range from broad surveys of history to a notable study of family and sex customs.
1 Audiobook
Taboo and genetics : A study of the biological, sociological and psychological foundation of the family
by Melvin M. (Melvin Moses) Knight, Phyllis Blanchard, Iva Lowther Peters
About the author
Born in 1887, Melvin Moses Knight became an American economist and economic historian whose work often crossed into politics, society, and culture. He taught history at Columbia University before joining the Department of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, where he spent the central part of his academic career.
Knight is remembered for books such as The Americans in Santo Domingo and Economic History of Europe, as well as the collaborative Taboo and Genetics. That mix gives a good sense of his range: he could write about imperial policy in the Caribbean, large historical developments in Europe, and controversial social questions that interested early 20th-century readers.
For audiobook listeners, Knight is an interesting figure because his writing sits at the meeting point of scholarship and public argument. Even when his subjects are large and serious, his works open a window onto the concerns, methods, and debates of the era in which he wrote.