Destinies of the Soul (published in French as Des destinées de l'âme) is an 1879 book notable for being bound in human skin.
The book entered the collection alongside a note detailing its origins and instructions for how to preserve human skin.
[3] In 2014, when researchers were able to confirm that the material used was indeed human skin, Harvard said it was "good news for fans of anthropodermic bibliopegy, bibliomaniacs and cannibals alike".
[4] The advent of peptide mass fingerprinting made such a confirmation possible, as it allowed researchers to distinguish human skin from other materials like sheepskin.
As of 2024, Harvard University has removed the human skin from the book and placed it in storage as a temporary measure before disposal.