Saturday 5 July 2008
Book 5 - The Lucifer Effect - How Good People Turn Evil By Phillip Zimbardo
Well finally back, had a minor problem with viral outbreak on computer, was not good, but sorted out now.
Well now to the next book i shall review. This is The Lucifer Effect: How Good People Turn Evil
by Phillip Zimbardo. This name maybe familiar to some people in the United States as the man in charge of the Stanford prison experiment. It was not to me until I began reading this book.
Book Review
Well after reading this book, i have to say it did have an effect on myself. It started out covering details about several situations where people behaviour turned from good to evil. It covered the horrible atrocities carried out in the past, from Rwanda to how people were effected by the situation which the author was in charge of in the stanford experiment. The book then moved on to cover more recent torture crimes committed in abu ghraib in iraq and also in guantanamo bay
Now after reading this book, it was definately a suprising experience. It did make me wonder, how would i have coped under the circumstances under the terrible psychological pressures that were inherent in the situation. The author main argument that situations are responsible for the evil carried out, rather than the individuals has strong backing from the evidence and i found myself more persuaded by it than before reading it, although i am not totally convinced by it. This is because, thankfully leaving some room for hope, that some people resisted this pressure. I was also impressed by the author honesty in admitting his own failings in the stanford experiment. I found reading this book made me look at my own behaviour more closley than i had before. One word of warning, this book can make you cringe at some situations, how people could be so callous can make difficult but important to see reading.
All of this is why i shall award this book the AK 5 star rating of excellent.
Well now to the next book i shall review. This is The Lucifer Effect: How Good People Turn Evil
by Phillip Zimbardo. This name maybe familiar to some people in the United States as the man in charge of the Stanford prison experiment. It was not to me until I began reading this book.Book Review
Well after reading this book, i have to say it did have an effect on myself. It started out covering details about several situations where people behaviour turned from good to evil. It covered the horrible atrocities carried out in the past, from Rwanda to how people were effected by the situation which the author was in charge of in the stanford experiment. The book then moved on to cover more recent torture crimes committed in abu ghraib in iraq and also in guantanamo bay
Now after reading this book, it was definately a suprising experience. It did make me wonder, how would i have coped under the circumstances under the terrible psychological pressures that were inherent in the situation. The author main argument that situations are responsible for the evil carried out, rather than the individuals has strong backing from the evidence and i found myself more persuaded by it than before reading it, although i am not totally convinced by it. This is because, thankfully leaving some room for hope, that some people resisted this pressure. I was also impressed by the author honesty in admitting his own failings in the stanford experiment. I found reading this book made me look at my own behaviour more closley than i had before. One word of warning, this book can make you cringe at some situations, how people could be so callous can make difficult but important to see reading.
All of this is why i shall award this book the AK 5 star rating of excellent.
Labels: Abu Ghraib, Book review, Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Reading, Situational Pressure, Stanford Experiment, The Lucifer Effect Rwanda atrocities, Torture
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