The Elephant Man A Study in Human Dignity by Ashley Montagu. "The book on which the Tony Award play was based...with photographs and original medical documents. Merrick suffered from a genetic disorder that made him appear monstrous...he spent most of his life as a monstrosity exhibited at fairs and circuses, eventually he was befriended by a famous London surgeon. Dr. Ashley Montagu, anthropologist and social biologist, has written more than 40 books whose subject areas range from anthropology, anatomy, sociology, physiology, and history to discussions of race, evolution, religion, genetics, and society."139 pp.