Pitiful tales

Jan Bondeson’s The Two-Headed Boy is an affecting book about
anomalies of human development. You may find yourself feeling horror, pity,
incredulity and wonder, in quick succession. The historical parade includes
women with the faces of hogs, giants and cases of extreme dwarfism. And
tragically, many of the people cited here were forced to make a living out of
their deformities. Published by Cornell University Press, £18.50, ISBN
0801437679.