A review by octavia_cade
The Authoritarians by Bob Altemeyer

5.0

This is just fascinating. The twentieth century, in particular, had a lot of people willing to follow monstrous dictators without question, and there's apparently a branch of psychology that's interested in what makes individuals so easily swayed by authoritarians. The author, a psychologist involved for decades in experiments with authoritarian followers, discusses them and their characteristics here. What makes this particularly credible is that he goes into the details of each experiment, and while I know very little about psychology the results are both convincing and, frankly, chilling. They also explain a lot of the things happening in politics today, where insular in-groups are completely unswayed by factual evidence, because they prioritise obedience and social cohesion above all else. Also, I have to say that this is particularly well-written. My own background is in science communication, and if all scientists could communicate as clearly and effectively as Altemeyer no-one would need me! His prose is clear and informal and chatty, and it was a pleasure to read.

Seriously, this book is fascinating. And it's free, so go to his website and get a copy. You won't be sorry.