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jensbrede's review against another edition
5.0
It took me a while until I got around to reading a summary of the actual experiments done by Milgram and others. Before I ever opened this book I read quite a bit of criticism (e.g. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2013/10/02/the-shocking-truth-of-the-notorious-milgram-obedience-experiments/#.Unlb4_mkrg4) which I leave for anyone interested to evaluate for themselves. It should be noted that any experiment that attracts as much attention as Milgram's did is bound to receive abundant criticism and Milgram unlike other pseudo scientific authors of today, responds to all the criticism that I've heard of before in this particular edition.
After getting this part out of the way, I will come to the reason this book is a must-read for every person. Whatever you may think of the validity of the experiment and it's interpretation, taking the time to reflect on why we obey and arguably when we should choose to disobey must be of central interest to anyone.
It is important to read and think about the questions addressed by Milgram for the same reason as it is important to get more insight into mechanisms behind racism and other forms of discrimination. If one believes to never discriminate against anyone, it is certain that this person is fooling only himself. No one is above their human nature and understanding and reflecting about mechanisms that are at play within us is the first step to improvement.
If people think that more than 60 years after Milgrams original experiment it is of little importance to us today, it's best to recall Guantanamo, the use of emetics, or the anti-gay movement in Russia.
So, if you haven't done so: read this book!
After getting this part out of the way, I will come to the reason this book is a must-read for every person. Whatever you may think of the validity of the experiment and it's interpretation, taking the time to reflect on why we obey and arguably when we should choose to disobey must be of central interest to anyone.
It is important to read and think about the questions addressed by Milgram for the same reason as it is important to get more insight into mechanisms behind racism and other forms of discrimination. If one believes to never discriminate against anyone, it is certain that this person is fooling only himself. No one is above their human nature and understanding and reflecting about mechanisms that are at play within us is the first step to improvement.
If people think that more than 60 years after Milgrams original experiment it is of little importance to us today, it's best to recall Guantanamo, the use of emetics, or the anti-gay movement in Russia.
So, if you haven't done so: read this book!
sputnik2057's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
awbrownie's review against another edition
4.0
Very intersting, worth a read even if it will make you a bit cynical.
anomie's review against another edition
5.0
Grim exploration of our simple-mindedness, willful blindness, and thinly-veiled capacity for evil. “It is not so much the kind of person a man is, but the situation in which he finds himself, that determines how he will act.”
glass_carousel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and War