QUETELET, A. (LAMBERT ADOLPHE JACQUES).

Ueber den Menschen und die Entwicklung seiner Fähigkeiten, oder Versuch einer Physik der Gesellschaft. Deutsche Ausgabe, im Einverständniss mit dem Herrn Verfasser besorgt und mit Anmerkungen versehen von Dr. V. A. Riecke. Nebst einem Anhang, enthaltend die Zusätze des Herrn Verfassers zu dieser Ausgabe. Mit 7 Tafeln.

Stuttgart, 1838.

8vo. Contemporary black bardborard binding with gilt lines and gilt title to spine. Corner of front board bent, and extremities worn. Light brownspotting to first and last leaves. Half title woth owner's stamp and old owner's inscription. XXIV, 656 pp + 7 plates. Numerous tables in the text.  

First edition of the first German translation of Quetelet's main work (Sur L'Homme et le Développement de ses Facultés, 1835), which founded a new statistical science. "With Quetelet's work of 1835 a new era in statistics began. It presented a new technique of statistics or, rather the first technique at all...There were not very many statistical figures in the book, but each figure reported made sense. For every number, Quetelet tried to find the determining influences, its natural Causes, and the pertubations caused by man. The work gave a description of the average man as both a static and a dynamic phenomenon...Quetelet's impact on 19th century thinking can in a certain sense be compared with Descarte's in the 17th-century. He certainly gave science new aims and tools...(DSB XI:p. 237).

Order-nr.: 59411