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rick2's review
3.0
Very interesting book from the guy who did the Stanford Prison Experiment I’m sure y’all have heard about at some point or another. It’s a fascinating look into a dark side of human nature.
The content of the experiment is very interesting. The writing needed a good editor.
This book should have been cut by 30%. It is long winded, drones on about unimportant things, and generally progressed at the pace of cold molasses.
Content is 10/10. Delivery is 4/10.
The content of the experiment is very interesting. The writing needed a good editor.
This book should have been cut by 30%. It is long winded, drones on about unimportant things, and generally progressed at the pace of cold molasses.
Content is 10/10. Delivery is 4/10.
woyster's review against another edition
4.0
I think if you read it with a critical mind it's a very good book. Recommended to psychology students who like knowing more about the field, don't think it would be too interesting for a layman the whole way through. It does drag on a bit in the end, but the final message is good, wish it was placed with more omph as the final sentence so it would be remembered better by readers once they are done.
marinariazag's review against another edition
The first part, when it talks about the experiment is very interesting, but I guess when that is over I really dont want to keep reading. Enjoyable enough, though.
chriswoody94's review against another edition
4.0
Whenever I am reading about the Holocaust or other historical genocides or atrocities, I always tell myself, "How awful. I would never do that!" However, after reading this book, I now question that state of mind, considering how little separates me from the people who were involved in the Holocaust, who, for all intents and purposes, were regular people. This is not an easy thing to realize, but that is the entire point of this book's thesis: Situational forces are more powerful than we give them credit for, and those situations can lead good people to do horrible things. By no means does this excuse those who commit atrocities, but it also points out that a level of responsibility should be put on the situation and the conditions that led to those atrocities being possible. Along with being a great overview of the Stanford Prison Experiment (Zimbardo's own design) and the crimes committed at Abu Ghraib, this is also a good sweeping review of many facets of social psychology, especially those studies in obedience to authority and social forces that constantly influence our everyday decisions. A great read for anyone who wants to learn more about the origins of violence, oppression, and evil in human society.
jenniferbbookdragon's review
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
3.0
While a slow, methodical journey into violence and evil ( including Nazi war crimes, the Rwanda genocide, and prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib) mixed with psychological research, there are also lessons of heroism and hope. Zimbardo's life was clearly changed by his experience as the creator of the Stanford Prison Experiment.
shaekin's review
2.0
While this book had some decent points, I feel like it was mainly the author getting things off his chest. Far too detailed about pretty much every example (particularly the Stanford Prison Experiment and Abu Ghraib) and I just started to skim it. I think this book probably started as the author trying to figure out why HE had let bad things happen, rather than why people in general did. Still, has some good points, but I imagine cliff notes will cover those better than reading the book will.