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bittersweet_symphony's review
3.0
The Lucifer Effect in many ways reads like an introductory social psychology book as Zimbardo trudges through experiments that have become staples for undergraduate psychology courses: Stanley Milgram's obedience experiment, Asch's conformity experiment, and, of course, the Stanford Prison Experiment.
Zimbardo makes a strong case for how bad systems, or "bad barrels" produce "bad apples", that atrocities are committed by regular people, often, because of situational factors. Evil acts aren't just isolated incidents. This includes police brutality, child abuse in the catholic church, and war crimes by the American military. It's a shame Zimbardo doesn't turn his critical eye toward the political system as a whole. Each of us is part of bad systems, and once inside of them, any of use are capable of great evils, or what Zimbardo refers to as the "banality of evil." Abu Ghraib. Nazi concentration camps. Gitmo. Routine police abuse of citizens. Lynchings. Imprisonment and torture of innocent people. Each of us are capable of these things, given the right circumstances--according to Zimbardo.
One of the most fascinating threads I found weaved throughout the book was the question of free will. Zimbardo tries with all his effort to avoid having to address the question. He doesn't want to alienate his readers. He wants to be true to his assumptions, and make his case. Yet, he walks a thin, ambiguous line between free will and determinism. He comes as close as possible as one can to say we are objects left purely to the whims of genetic, biological, and social factors without saying it. On the other hand, he frequently states that we should hold individuals responsible for their 'evil acts.' He doesn't explore this philosophical quandary, which to be fair, would distract from the great psychological contributions of the book. I don't necessarily fault him for this, I only wish he would clearly state his assumptions up front.
That aside, I found his book to be too tedious, full of excessive quotations and details--especially from the Stanford Prison Experiment. He spent half the book recounting this with obsessive attention. The Lucifer Effect seems more like Zimbardo's effort to clear his name and his work. He wants the world to know the nuts and bolts of his ground-breaking experiment, to own up to the harm he caused to its participants, and to show the great insights gained from it. He wants to make the case for the Abu Ghraib torturers he defended, for which he feels he weren't fairly heard out--that they were too harshly punished for something most of us would have taken part in, given the circumstances. This book felt more like a "look at me and my great work" display than a more general presentation implied by the book's title. I expected something far less in the weeds, something less limited to the SPE and Abu Ghraib. I wanted something that covered the wider history, and broad theory behind the subject.
I find this book helpful, and full of great observations. It isn't light reading. I would offer up this book as a psychologically-rooted source for my personal criticism of the State, and why political systems continue to produce such bitter, and toxic fruits. One shouldn't think this book is all darkness and cynicism. Zimbardo writes humanely, and almost warmly about a terrifying matter, ending the book on a positive note. We are not constrained to our systems, even if we find ourselves inside intoxicating ones. If we want to make a difference in the world we should change the systems, which create our situational factors, which influence--the intellectually honest Zimbardo would use the word cause--our behavioral outcomes. Evil may be banal and common, but so is heroism and goodness.
Zimbardo makes a strong case for how bad systems, or "bad barrels" produce "bad apples", that atrocities are committed by regular people, often, because of situational factors. Evil acts aren't just isolated incidents. This includes police brutality, child abuse in the catholic church, and war crimes by the American military. It's a shame Zimbardo doesn't turn his critical eye toward the political system as a whole. Each of us is part of bad systems, and once inside of them, any of use are capable of great evils, or what Zimbardo refers to as the "banality of evil." Abu Ghraib. Nazi concentration camps. Gitmo. Routine police abuse of citizens. Lynchings. Imprisonment and torture of innocent people. Each of us are capable of these things, given the right circumstances--according to Zimbardo.
One of the most fascinating threads I found weaved throughout the book was the question of free will. Zimbardo tries with all his effort to avoid having to address the question. He doesn't want to alienate his readers. He wants to be true to his assumptions, and make his case. Yet, he walks a thin, ambiguous line between free will and determinism. He comes as close as possible as one can to say we are objects left purely to the whims of genetic, biological, and social factors without saying it. On the other hand, he frequently states that we should hold individuals responsible for their 'evil acts.' He doesn't explore this philosophical quandary, which to be fair, would distract from the great psychological contributions of the book. I don't necessarily fault him for this, I only wish he would clearly state his assumptions up front.
That aside, I found his book to be too tedious, full of excessive quotations and details--especially from the Stanford Prison Experiment. He spent half the book recounting this with obsessive attention. The Lucifer Effect seems more like Zimbardo's effort to clear his name and his work. He wants the world to know the nuts and bolts of his ground-breaking experiment, to own up to the harm he caused to its participants, and to show the great insights gained from it. He wants to make the case for the Abu Ghraib torturers he defended, for which he feels he weren't fairly heard out--that they were too harshly punished for something most of us would have taken part in, given the circumstances. This book felt more like a "look at me and my great work" display than a more general presentation implied by the book's title. I expected something far less in the weeds, something less limited to the SPE and Abu Ghraib. I wanted something that covered the wider history, and broad theory behind the subject.
I find this book helpful, and full of great observations. It isn't light reading. I would offer up this book as a psychologically-rooted source for my personal criticism of the State, and why political systems continue to produce such bitter, and toxic fruits. One shouldn't think this book is all darkness and cynicism. Zimbardo writes humanely, and almost warmly about a terrifying matter, ending the book on a positive note. We are not constrained to our systems, even if we find ourselves inside intoxicating ones. If we want to make a difference in the world we should change the systems, which create our situational factors, which influence--the intellectually honest Zimbardo would use the word cause--our behavioral outcomes. Evil may be banal and common, but so is heroism and goodness.
pkiwi's review
3.0
Both the Stanford Prison Experiment and the situation in the Abu Ghraib prison are very interesting as psychological cases and instructive as to how things shouldn't be done. It's a pity Zimbardo is too repetitive when explaining the underlying mechanisms. The first part of the book, a day to day description of the SPE reads like a novel. Everything else is mostly a much too long exposition on situational forces. Three stars for interesting subject and good beginning of an otherwise much too long book.
roshanraju's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Genocide, Mental illness, Biphobia, Police brutality, Rape, Gun violence, Racism, Body shaming, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, War, Sexual violence, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Confinement, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
syringaflower's review against another edition
4.0
It was a heavy read-- but necessary.
It gives so much information- that I think everyone should read.
The only reason I took a star off, is because it got a little repetitive at times.
It gives so much information- that I think everyone should read.
The only reason I took a star off, is because it got a little repetitive at times.
stephg95's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
2.5
2.5 stars.
Some really interesting theories in here and compelling evidence. But it does veer into overkill territory sadly. The book is so long that I frequently lost track of what was going on. Most of the points made could have been done with about half the information actually provided.
Also, the audio books narrator did a lot of voices for people quoted throughout and for some reason this really irked me.
Some really interesting theories in here and compelling evidence. But it does veer into overkill territory sadly. The book is so long that I frequently lost track of what was going on. Most of the points made could have been done with about half the information actually provided.
Also, the audio books narrator did a lot of voices for people quoted throughout and for some reason this really irked me.
dannybailey's review against another edition
This is a very dense volume of very niche information from a very niche social experiment that I currently do not have time to focus on or the money to keep/borrow, so I'm afraid I'll probably drop this until I've encountered a time in the future where this book becomes more relevant to my life and studies.