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The Man Who Shocked The World: The Life And Legacy Of Stanley Milgram Posters
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Rating:  -
I enjoyed reading Dr. Blass's book on Stanley Milgram.
Besides growing up in the same area in the Bronx as Milgram the book is a good read and does not drag. The Author really captured the character of his subject.
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I am not a psychologist and have absolutely no grounding in the theory or practice of psychology but something about Milgram has always fascinated me.
It was therefore with some degree of trepidation that I ordered this book. I was worried that it would be full of jargon and too "heavy" for a non psychologist to deal with. This is certainly not the case. Dr Blass writes in a style that is easy to read and the whole book is very compelling. He has an obvious affection for Milgram as well as a huge and well researched knowledge base.
Stanley Milgram conducted experiments which often revealed unpleasant aspects human nature, his work is both alarming and revealing and should be essential reading for everyone. This book provides not only an account of Milgram's life but also a great overview of his work.
I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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Stanley Milgram was clearly a genius! His research on obedience to authority gave the world surprising insights into such phenomena as the role of ordinary people in the Nazi Holocaust. His innovative studies on the small world problem gave rise to the notion of six degrees of separation-which in recent years has been applied as a general principle in such diverse fields as physics, epidemiology and neuroscience. Whether we consider cognitive maps of cities, the lost letter method of assessing attitudes, the concept of the familiar stranger or Cyranoid communication, the mark of Milgram's research was its originality and brilliance in conceptualizing everyday events in a manner that elucidated the phenomenon, yet was never tried before.
In this beautifully written biography of Milgram by Thomas Blass, we not only get a superb overview of Milgram's work, but we also find out about Stanley Milgram-the person. By learning about his parents and his childhood we can now understand what drew his interest into Holocaust relevant research. Following his graduate career, we can gain insight into the personalities and social dynamics that existed at the Harvard Department of Social Relations and how these forces shaped Milgram's research agenda. His European travels, studies and adventures (amorous and otherwise) fill out the picture of Stanley Milgram's early interests.
Fortunately, Milgram was a prolific writer of letters to his friends that expressed his feelings at that moment. It appears that the author gained access to practically every word ever written by Milgram and through extensive interviews with Milgram's family, colleagues and students Blass compiled an even larger database of quotes and anecdotes which he appropriately shares with the reader. Some of these anecdotes are not complimentary, but I believe they give us an honest view of this very complex person. These firsthand testimonies paint an intriguing image of one of the most influential social scientists of our time.
Rating:  -
I've been a fan of Stanley Milgram's work since my psychology grad school days in the late 60's. Fortunately, I also had the pleasure of hearing him speak and the honor of meeting him. So I waited with anticipation when I learned that Thomas Blass was writing a biography on Milgram. I was hoping that I would lean more about Milgram's groundbreaking research and that I might also end up liking him as a person, although I know that's certainly not the purpose of biography.
Well, thanks to Blass's book I did learn a lot about Milgram, not all of it very pleasant. And even at that, it seems to me that Blass pulled some punches to avoid making Milgram even less attractive as a person, perhaps in deference to Milgram's wife and his children who cooperated in the writing of this biography. For example, Blass reports that Milgram delayed his departure from Paris until he found out if his French girlfriend was pregnant. Blass doesn't say whether she was or not or what happened if she in fact was. Blass frequently references Milgram's sexual appetite and conquests but avoids discussion of whether this carried over to Milgram's later life. When I met Milgram, he was in the company of a tall, beautiful young woman who was described simply as his "traveling companion".
Blass does repeatedly mention Milgram's arrogance, snobbishness, and abrasiveness but also offers up what seem to be pedestrian acts of kindness attributed to Milgram and that he was a good family man. This "on the other hand" approach by Blass is apparently intended to imply that underneath it all Milgram could be very sensitive and kind or that he was "complicated". Blass also briefly mentions Milgram's drug use as a possible explanation of his mercurial behavior.
Overall, I was left with the impression that although Milgram was certainly funny, clever, creative, and intellectually curious, he was also driven by a strong need to gain status and recognition and that he could be deceptive and manipulative, e.g., he wrote letters to politicians representing himself untruthfully and falsely claimed to be a French student in order to get a rent subsidy from the French government. Later in his career, he even hired a professional clipping service to find all the reviews of his books but then, despite his substantial income, complained about the cost of his children's education.
Does this matter? In terms of Milgram's significant influence on social psychology and our understanding of obedience, the small world effect, etc., probably not. But in terms of biography just for the sake of recreational reading, to me it does. I almost hate to admit it but it's just more fun to read about someone you end up caring about, much like identifying with the main character in a movie. Although I was constantly reminded of Milgram's methodological cleverness and powers of observation, I couldn't shake the notion that Blass was too easy on him and that I would not have liked him very much as either a teacher or as a colleague. But perhaps this very type of personality is exactly what was needed to do the kinds of studies Milgram did, i.e., a "nicer" person wouldn't have done them.
Despite these opinions, I would still recommend the book because Milgram's work is so socially significant, unconventional, and methodologically clever. You might also gain some insight into the department politics at two prestigious universities when Blass writes about Milgram's unsuccessful attempts to land a tenured position at Harvard and Yale. If you decide to read a psychologist's biography other than this one, I would definitely recommend "Love at Goon Park", the biography of Harry Harlow by Deborah Blum. I believe Harlow was even more influential than Milgram. Better yet, read them both.
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Due to the high level of excitement and anticipation surrounding the arrival of this important biography, I was eagerly looking forward to receiving it, yet naturally concerned it might not live up to expectations. Fortunately, I am pleased to say this couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, it's a fascinating and well-written book by Blass, who is recognised as the authority on Milgram.
Since I am not a psychologist myself, what struck me initially was how readable an account this actually is. I was also extremely impressed by the incredible level of detail and nuance that Blass offers about Milgram's life and work. I've read some earlier material on Milgram that Blass wrote over the years, which is one reason I was looking forward to the publication of the biography.
In my view, it offers a very important and unparalleled glimpse into the life as well as full range of research of a man who became so controversial--in large measure--for revealing a disturbing side of human behaviour that has proven to transcend boundaries of time and culture. Now more than ever--given the current state of affairs on the world stage--I feel this book is a very important contribution to the field of psychology, and obedience to authority in particular. Moreover, given the far reaching implications of the subject matter and the readability of this book, it should appeal to an even broader audience.
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