[ book tip by Michael Boyle ] This book is comprised of 5 parts:
* to page 228 - Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE)
* p.229 to 323 - The SPE: Ethics and Extensions
* p.324 to 441 - Abu Ghraib
* p. 444 to the end - Examples of Heroism

I can't remember when I read such a roller coaster of a book.

The first part concerning the SPE utterly consumed me to the point where I am now constantly questioning what is situational and what is dispositional in my everyday life. My mind wanders through those elements we encounter in our lives (joblessness, homelessness, mobbing, racism and discrimination) and wonder how a society bases many of these elements on free will.

The second part is self-serving gibberish and almost ruins the entire book for me. In case you do read this book, I strongly suggest you to skip this part.

Part 3 concerning Abu Ghraib is poignant as the author raises an important question of why we find it easier to blame individuals than the system itself. In spite of the compelling subject matter, I still felt this section to be disjointed.

The last section was of interest, but my life would not have been poorer had I not read it. Again, disjointed...

Because of the first section, I have no regrets about reading this book. My suggestion to you is to stop at page 228.

[ Favourite quote ] The intense, extended experience is enriching my appreciation of the complexity of human nature because just when you think you understand someone, you realise you know only the smallest slice of their inner nature derived from a limited set of personal or mediated contacts.

On one side are Us, Our Kin, and Our Kind; on the other side of that line we cast Them, Their Different Kin, and Other Kind. Paradoxically, by creating this myth of our invunerability to situational forces, we set ourselves up for a fall by not being sufficiently vigilant to situational forces.

[ book info ] Zimbardo, Philip: The Lucifer Effect. Understanding How Good People Turn Evil. (original language: English) Random House, New York, 2008 (2007). ISBN: 978-0-8129-7444-7.