Social Studies Books

Good quality used book, required for my high school AP Psychology course. Took about 12 days to arrive, which is too long.

A very good book for general psych. It will will help to lay the ground work for all your future psych courses.

Exeptionally good study guide. Has helped raise my son's grade in his AP physcology class.

This is the best textbook I've ever used. It is interesting and engaging. The content is excellent, but the charts, photos, quotes, cartoons, etc. make studying even more enjoyable. If you want to learn the basics of pyschology, but this book!

I finished reading this book about a month ago. I loved it. It covers many aspects of human behavior, albeit much of it rather superficially- but that's to be expected from an introductory Psych text, where a LOT of ground is covered in ~700 pages! Dr. Myers's writing style is very engaging, and the book is a joy to read. Practically every sentence in the book is backed up by at least one scientific study (the References section is downright intimidating... 97 pages!). The book is full of illuminating graphs & illustrations, quotes, captions, even relevant and humorous comic strips. Each section concludes with a "Review and Reflect" section that briefly summarizes the material and tests your understanding (answers are in the back).

I began reading this book in my spare time for my own enjoyment, and to sort of brush up on the introductory material (I'm a Psych major in school). During that time, I transferred schools and was told I would have to retake Intro-Psych because it didn't transfer credit. I sped up my reading so that I finished the book literally 2 nights before the semester started. So far, the class has been a breeze, and looks like it will continue to be. I am more than prepared - I feel like I'm almost as qualified to teach the class as the grad student that they have doing it. Thanks, Dr. Myers, for writing such a great introductory text on Psychology.

I finished reading this book over the weekend and it is now marked up, underlined and dog eared. Roz cuts to the heart of the matter without a lot of fluff and fru fru to wade through. It has made me look deep into some things I have avoided and with her insight and way of saying things it is all so much more clear. I have a list of friends I am going to buy copies for. I have never been one to keep a good thing to myself.. and this is one book that needs to be read by anyone and everyone. I told my boss and good friend about the book and while he can not bring himself to write out panties in a message he does write PYBGONADWI...but today he sent a reply to a "gripe message" I had sent with this DGYBGPIAW. I will let you figure it out. Read this book and put it into action. You will be oh so glad you did!

Put Your Big Girl Panties on and Deal with it---provides women with a no excuse framework that frees them up to live life authenicly and outrageously. Roz's stories are powerful and potent. They highlight the key messages in her book about how to get what you want in your life! It's about designing your life so you end up where you want to be. A great book for women of all ages!

Although this short, little book is MUCH better than many books bigger and more expensive it still had several disappointing aspects to it. I bought both this book and the tile that matches the title and they would make a great gift for a gal facing forty or any other life milestone once she was out of her twenties and early thirties. My reasoning behind that comment is all the stories of people making BAD decisions--including the author being honest herself--and then needing to dig themselves out of the pit they originally threw themselves into. We all make mistakes. But rather than a look back, why not a more insightful anticipation of making good decisions! Experience may be the best teacher, but I prefer my experiences teach me how to love, wear big diamonds and be happy. Instead of repairing my battered self and self-esteem after too many relationship mis-steps, bad job decisions, etc. Good book but a little sad at how foolish so many people can be at building their lives.

If you have been waiting to find that one book that will help you pull your life together, your lucky day has arrived. Put On Your Big Girl Panties and Deal With It is that book--one that you will hold close to your heart--my copy is dog-eared and yellow highlighted page after page. Roz Van Meter offers solid advice on how to face life as a grown-up based upon her years of experience as a life coach--and she does it with grace, charm, and a wicked sense of humor. Warning: you will laugh out loud more times than you can count. Simply put, Roz is warm, wise, and the girlfriend you have always wanted. Buy this book for yourself, give copies to your daughter and to your sisters (both bio and chosen) because this is advice you will want to share and talk over with people you really care about.

Have you ever had a girlfriend who just got you and could make you see that you were overreacting but would also make you feel completely at ease with your idiosyncrasies? Aren't they the best? Roz Van Meter offers her psychologically qualified yet girlfriend-friendly advice in her book, "Put Your Big Girl Panties On and Deal With It..." and it's just like having that special girlfriend by your side or a life coach with a fantastic sense of humor on speed dial.

It's a no-nonsense guide to getting what you want, but it's also a little book of inspiration to getting what you need. Roz shares her own stories to relay some messages and also those of people she knows. It's the latest thoughts on self help psychology, marriage, relationship and sex therapy, and life coaching, but it is done in such a light hearted and easy going tone that you don't realize you're getting a bigger message until it has already sunk in. The book is made light and fun by the analogy of knickers in every form and relating them to what you want in life. For instance, figuratively (or literally) putting on those practical, comfortable, business like panties to get a goal attained, or sliding into that risqué g-string when the lights go down in the city for some fun. Humor aside, the book offers advice on everything from how to say no and mean it to how to say yes and feel free enough to enjoy it. It explores ways in which you can reconnect with your inner child and nourish her and also take control and know when to get that kid out from behind the driver's wheel. This book is about organizing your life, one drawer at a time, learning to laugh at yourself, being a friend, and charging head on into passion for life.

Roz Van Meter is a psychotherapist, but she writes like that best friend who spells it all out for you in a fun and endearing way. Buy a copy of "Put Your Big Girl Panties On and Deal With It..." for yourself, one for your husband (who just might learn a thing about the female persuasion), and one for every close girlfriend you have. You'll be looking at yourself and your underwear drawer in a whole new light.

This is a lovely picture book that talks about babywearing around the world. We are a babywearing family, so it's a nice addition to our collection, but it's valuable for any family that wants a beautiful picture book, or a book that talks about families around the world. Highly recommended!

This book is not only colorful and entertaining, it is very educational. There is a picture of babies and their family members carrying them in a variety of carriers and positions. The author took the time to write a sweet little story of what they do and how they live in different countries. It truly is a sweet little book that will encourage you to carry your baby and connect with someone else in the world who carries their baby too!

If you babywear then this is the book to get your kids.. this is a great book full of vidid illustration and color :) It's a great educational tool for any babywearing meetings as well. Would definately like to see more of this type of material offered:)

My daughter loves this book,she loves looking at all the pictures and enjoys hearing about the babies and kids around the world that are lucky enough to be worn. Plus as a bonus she enjoys finding which people go where on the map on the inside cover of the book. This is one book I don't mind reading over and over again.

My 2-year-old and I love this book. While the text is a bit long for her, it is easy to read just some of it, as each page can stand by itself (each page spread is about a different child and family in a different culture). The global map on the end pages show where each family lives, and there are notes at the end about each culture -- very helpful since it was a long time since I took geography! This book helped us talk about babies as we prepared for our family's second child, about nursing/feeding the baby, and caring for the baby... but this is also a book that will continue to be useful as my children grow and we can talk about other cultures and their traditions.

I read this story about Zoya, the young Afghan woman and her story of refuge in Pakistan and trips into Afghanistan. This is an OK story, although I prefer My Forbidden Face, another Afghan woman's story. Zoya's comments about the Mujalideen being as bad as the Taliban has some truth. Her resistance to these two regimes through RAWA is brave and principled. It goes to show that Afghan society is very traditional in the sense of repressing woman throughout society. The Soviet regime was probably the best in representing women in the society, but of course they were invaders and Zoya was not happy about their occupation of the country.

This is a pretty basic story detailing the crimes of the Mujalideen and the Taliban. Zoya loses both parents, probably to the Mujalideen. Then she is forced to flee and her opposition to the Taliban makes up the latter part of this book.
Hers is a difficult position. Friends in RAWA place her in a school and she becomes liberated with knowledge. She refuses to leave her countrymen and lives in a refugee camp. Her life is spent for the betterment of her countrymen, including women.

I like the other book better, but this is an OK read about the difficulties faced by Afghan women.

zoyas story is a tale of one girl whose mother was an advocate for womens rights, and she followed suit after her mothers death and after discouraging life changes. living under the taliban was a historically tragic event for all women who endured this horrific regime that ruled afghanistan without mercy or compassion for women or their rights. zoyas entire life has been uprooted and yet she has such a strong heart and mind and will not let her people suffer alone, he courage and strength is a guide to those who have equally or more suffered and lost all theyve ever had. an example to live by, a great inside look into an awful time in afghanistans history. this book will also take you into pakistan where many refugees fled, and zoya continued to be a help to many people.

If you've been unable to make sense out of the conflicting regimes and wars in Afghanistan during the past 2 decades, this intimate account of one young woman's life will help put it in a human prospective. Zoya is the nom de guerre of a 23-year old Afghan woman who fled her homeland after her parents were murdered on orders of the thuggish Mujahideen.

I found the first part of the book more interesting than the last, as Zoya describes her life as a lively little girl playing in the streets of Kabul and as the beloved only child of educated parents. She becomes gradually aware that her parents are involved in clandestine activities to undermine the increasingly repressive political regime. One day her father, and somewhat later, her mother simply disappear. As more women are victimised in the streets and in their own homes, Zoya and her grandmother decide to take refuge in Pakistan. There Zoya grows to adulthood and joins the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA).

Zoya is involved in assisting Afghan refugees and later becomes a spokeswoman and fund-raiser for the organization. There are brief accounts of secret travels to Afghanistan to photograph Taliban activities such as the cutting off of hands. I wish Zoya had been less vague about the work of her organisation and her actual role in it, but it is apparently necessary for reasons of personal security. Considering the venomous hate-mail she & RAWA received from American supporters & former friends after 9/11, it is understandable and very sad that they cannot afford to trust anyone.

I loved the book and love the courage of Zoya. Women like Zoya should become all oppressed women's role models!
This book is entertaining and the same time educating!

Having grown up with the priviledges of living in the United States one can only imagine the devestation this amazing young woman has gone through in her short, inspiring life.
At the tender age of 7, this courageous girl already started her early beginnings helping her mother work for RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan). Living in a country that had been overtaken by the Russians in what they called "the puppet regime", one couldn't imagine that life could get worse in this destitute country, ravaged by war and poverty. "The bleeding wound" Gorbachav called it.
Zoya's graphic, heroic and saddening story told with such detail brings you to a life, I would say you "could just imagine", but I can't imagine that life. orphaned at a young age, under two controlling fundamentalist Moslem regimes, life in Afghanistan only seems to grow worse. Under the control of the Taliban, you will read of the most inhumane, torturous treatment. The taking of lives. I always knew how awful the Taliban was, but I never knew from an individual's personal experience what it was REALLY like to live there.
This incredible young woman has done so much for the woman and people of Afghanistan, helping refugees, teaching women to read and write in a country where 90% of the women are illiterate, spreading the words of freedom, where her life can be taken at any time. Zoya is a true hero and inspiration.
There is one line in the book that I will never forget, and I believe it is how Zoya truelly loves and feels for her country. It is a line from an old Afghan folklore "I am ready to die for my love, but I want my love to be ready to die for my country." This is the passion Zoya lives with on her crusade to make life better for people in Afghanistan.

Wonderful and compasionate book about death and dying. I read Elisabeth Kubler-Ross' landmark book "On Death and Dying" and this book applies most of her principal ideas into practice. The fact that book is written by a medical doctor, Ira Byock, also helps better understanding of both physiological and psychological aspects of dying and how it affect dying person and people around them. This book definitely promotes hospice and helps educate about preparation for the death and grieving process before, during and after death. One knows that this is a comapassionate physician after reading a first chapter describing death of author's own father from cancer. I was crying by the end of it - that is how moved I was about the beauty of it. In spite of Dr. Byock's assurances that pain and discomfort can be eliminated, it is very important to have a right mix of dictors, nurses, bath aids and volunteers willing and capable to make such assesments. Having family willing, understanding and able to take care of dying person is one of the best blessings one could hope for. But for people with no children, or family around (immigrants, exiles, etc.) it may be difficult to navigate modical system without adequate help. I would say - get acquanted with your local hopisce care on your own and learn about people in that office especially if you know you or someone you know is terminally ill, very old or otherwise close to dying process. If in today's world we shop for best schools, best homes, best cars why not look around for the best talent in palliative care for the purpose of making sure our last days are filled with comfort, care and best possible support? Stories in this book are very powerful, probably because people in these stories are real and in some way they have touched Dr. Byock too. There are times when I can picture them and I find myself crying. There are some good practical advices too in this book such as taking care of living will, power of attorney and getting legal things in order before death. I would strongly recommend reading this book to anyone.

Death is a hard subject to talk about. In this book the author relate histories of dying persons with respect and love, letting the reader know that's possible die without pain and surrounded by loved ones.

This is an immensely valuable book for anyone with a friend or family member (or one's own self)dealing with end of life issues. With deeply moving personal stories of patients treated by a hospice physician, the book often reads like a novel. But integrated into these stories is a very important message about the value of the dying process, both to the dying person and his or her loved ones. While not an overtly religious book, the author makes a strong case for hospice care for the dying, including effective pain management and maintaining dignity for the dying person. This becomes a strong refutation of the euthanasia movement.

Many of these stories will create a strong emotional response in the reader, but there is never a maudlin or overly sentimental tone to any of the stories. An incredible amount of wisdom is imparted by the author, and will provide much that can help families working through life and death issues. Particularly valuable are insights on the appropriateness of forgoing treatment, including feeding tubes, the effects of the dying process on the body (including the transition to "other-worldliness" that is often seen in the dying who let go of their attachments to the things of this life), and the reminder that the dying are, in fact, still living. Dealing with physicians, who are trained to "cure disease" versus provide "dying care," is, in itself, reason to read this book.

This is a "must-read" for those who are interested in hospice care issues, who want to be able to have an intelligent conversation about end of life issues in a personal or academic setting, or those who just want to know what it means to die well. The fact that the poignant stories remain in the reader's mind well after they have been read put a human face (so to speak) on the issue. If it can be said (and, many would argue, aptly so) that Americans have an ingrained avoidance of thinking about dying (except to fear it or deny it), a widespread reading of this work will help us to deal with the inevitably of our death more wisely.

This book is about all the lessons he learned during his fathers death and how they transformed his life and practice.

I wanted to take a few minutes and thank you for the inspiration, hope, and peacefulness that I got out of reading your book, "Dying Well". My Mom, who was 84 last December, had been ill with cancer for about 2 years, and these last few months had been really rough with her oncologist chasing tumor after tumor. Just about a month ago, I purchased your book, and read it, and it gave me great hope in the process. Also that there is a real opportunity with patients who have a terminal disease, to let them know how much they mean to each other, and an opportunity to give them as much love, and show as much compassion as possible. Finally, I'd like to thank you again, for helping me understand the process of Dying Well, and for the knowledge of making the end of life meaningful by showing love and compassion to our beloved Mom, and for the inspiration of your personal stories, and the stories of your other patients who were in similar circumstances as my family. And thank you for Hospice, a great and compassionate service for which our family is grateful.

I am still reading the book and have been quite pleased with all the details of Mr Sylvester James Jr. Life, I am sure when a read the final pages it will be as smashing as the life he lived!! I also found a DVD, Filmed in San Francisco, in 1985 or 1987 when he celebrated his birthday, the video is grainy and not what I expected which was Him and the Famous (Two Tons of Fun,) what I have is Sylvester in his what I call break out years his voice was not as vibrant during this period but to have anything of him suits me just fine. He came into his own he perfected his voice and character, I still miss his presence on earth just as I do all the Great Ones.

Sincerely,
LEE

At last, a beautifully-written book about a beautiful artist - Sylvester. I have been waiting for this book to arrive for years and, finally, here it is!

I was hooked by the opening chapter which tells the story of a young boy named Tiki Lofton who sneaks out of his bedroom window at night and over to a friend's apartment where, in 1960's South Central, with the help of a young Sylvester, he transforms himself into a "Disquotay." The Disquotays were a group of boys who liked to dress up as sophisticated ladies. And Sylvester, or Dooni as he was known then, was in charge of the wigs.

"The first Disquotay bash that Tiki went to was over on 120th and Athens, at Etta James's house, sometime around 1965. Etta, who would later be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (largely on the strength of her 1961 hit "At Last") and the Betty Ford Center (largely on the strength of her smack addiction), was already a recording star and a friend to many local Los Angeles drag queens . . . The house, with its swimming pool and fireplace, had stunned her. Women, drag queens, and guys, all sending joyful noises in Tiki's direction; the music had been jumping; Walter Jackson's version of "Lee Cross," Jr. Walker & the All Stars' "Shotgun," "Nowhere to Run" by Martha and the Vandellas, Fontella Bass singing "Rescue Me." Gay kids all perched on gigantic speakers, singing and carrying on . . . Tiki had said to herself. "This -- honey, where is this world?" Within months, she would be a full-fledged Disquotay, made-up, bewigged, bejeweled."

Joshua Gamsom recreates this world vividly in that first chapter. Simultaneously, he introduces us to the members of Sylvester's family. His beautiful and beloved mother and grandmother. His twin sisters, Dette and Dean. The quotes are full of heart and expertly placed and the story unfolds like a fine silk fan. I can't help but think that Sylvester would be very pleased to read this biography.

I had the honor of meeting with Sylvester to discuss a project a few years before his death. It was mid-afternoon and he was sewing sequins on something, which was his favorite pasttime. He was always sewing, a talent he picked up from the women who raised him. He walked over to the turntable and put on Patti LaBelle's "If Only You Knew" and said he was dedicating the song at his One-Night-Only concert the following night to his fans and supporters in San Francisco, the city in which he always felt most at home. That night, with Martha Wash at his side, they performed that song together, bouncing their voices off each other inside the Castro Theater. Those two powerful voices, the acoustics of the Castro Theater, and the magical spell he wove with Patti LaBelle's song was something to behold.

That Sylvester could hold his own with the amazing Martha Wash is a testament to the power of his falsetto. He didn't have a thin, reedy falsetto. His was full-bodied, gravelly even, and very much in evidence on one of his biggest hits, "Do You Wanna Funk."

"So when I tell you, that you're really something, baby, will you stay, or will you go away."

Joshua Gamson captures the essence of Sylvester's personality, the diva fits as well as the immense kindness and sensitivity, and wraps it all together into an highly readable book that I wholeheartedly suggest you pick up. Although some have faulted him for not having an encyclopedic knowledge of music, Gamson lets experts like Joel Selvin provide insightful commentary.

It is my hope that someone has optioned the book for a movie and we can expect to see this wild individual portrayed in all his glory.

John Waters wraps up "The Fabulous Sylvester" pretty well in his cover blurb: "A well-written, touching, dignified biography of a gay black diva who never really fit into any minority but managed to achieve his dreams of stardom. Now that's what I call a man."

Five Stars. Great Read.

Magic happens where reality and fantasy overlap. It's a space that dance music star Sylvester effortlessly occupied during the outrageous and flamboyant club scene of the mid-70s to early 80s, when those lines were happily blurred on a nightly basis.

Gamson does an excellent job of showing Sylvester's `six-degrees of separation' influence - he worked with emerging stars like Bette Midler, Patti LaBelle, The Weather Girls ("It's Raining Men"), American Idol judge Randy Jackson and Patrick Cowley (Megatone Records).

By focusing mainly on Sylvester, Gamson gives the reader an inside look and feel of the gay club scene that was a mix of Broadway and Bowery Row. Sylvester epitomized that drama and contrast with his falsetto voice but powerful vocals and androgynous but commanding stage presence. He created a propulsive musical genre ("Do Ya Wanna Funk?" "You Make Me Feel") that defined the era's manic, raw and pulsating energy.

AIDS turned the party lethal, killing off both his audience and the mood for high energy music. Soon, Sylvester, along with hundreds of others in the arts and entertainment community, was dead. There are lots of devil-may-care musicians whose audiences escape through their lives and music, but there will probably never again be a time when the audience and the artist were so intimately in synch, both feeling and living the beat.

The Fabulous Sylvester is a fascinating recounting of the life of Sylvester, the dance scene and Sylvester's career. This book explores the life of Sylvester from his early childhood days to his development into an international dance icon. This book does not sugarcoat any part of Sylvester's life. It is detailed and honest and shows us all aspects of his life and career. This book is as interesting and fabulous as Sylvester was.

Joshua Gamson took the reader on a magical journey of Sylvester's glitter world of music, sex, and drugs with the abandonment that was the time of the 70's. Sadly, there was no gold at the end of the rainbow and we, like Sylvester, saw the decline with terrible retribution.

I highly recommend this book; it's a quick read and you won't be able to put it down.

This review is more on a personal note, than an explanation of what the book entails (the other reviews have got that covered!). As a newly natural black beauty - I was still struggling with others perecptions of me and my "new" (e.g. natural hair). And of course - I was struggling with my own perceptions of beauty as well. This book allowed me to finally see that our hair is a unique source of pride that needs to be flaunted - not "fixed". Something shifted for me when I read this book, and I finally was able to own not only my new hairstyle (a budding 'fro) but to love my hair in its natural, uninhibited glory. Black women, regardless of our hair texture - straight, wavy, curly, kinky, nappy - we are all so wonderfully beautiful! Hallelujah - I FEEL SO FREE TO BE ME! This book is a must read - share it with every black woman you know - and encourage them to teach our children and our men how to live a life that says "black is beautiful". Spread the knowledge to people of other cultures as well! God bless!

Excellent book about black hair and black culture. Would recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about both and how they relate to the "American" ideal.

This book is great begining for people that are redescovering themselfes aftermaking the decision or are trying to decide wheter go natural or not. It helps you to understand how we got here , how black beauty is not well accepted and why. It make you wonder, questionning yourself and others, and in my case keep learning.

I've recently made the decision to go natural and as I did, I pondered, "Why do I have to 'decide' to be the way I naturally am?" It was then that I realized how unfortunate it was that black women, more than half, find their "naturalness" to be unattractive. I myself have gone through hair extensions, braids, and the dreaded relaxer that has damaged my hair and scalp for years. Now I wonder what it was all for. I wasn't being true to who I was.

This book helped be to know something that I should have already known: my hair. The history of black hair is one that is very interesting and telling. I learned more about my hair in this book than I have ever learned, even from members of my own family. There is also a sense of confidence one gets from reading books like these. I am letting all of my friends and family read it as well.

You will not be disappointed in your purchase.

If you don't already know, this book is definitely worth the time that it takes to read. The book goes into detail about the history of Black hair. Prior to slavery, Africans took pride in their hair. The intricate braid designs date back to that time. It wasn't until after the slave trade that hair straightening became common. Also, it's a little known black history fact that Annie Tumbo Malone was the first black woman entrepeneur to market black hair products. Madame CJ Walker actually worked for Malone before going into business for herself. This book chronicles so much history about Black hair. After reading this book, I was really encouraged to stop chemically processing my hair.

I began Love, Sal and was unable to put it down. His relationships represent the type of relationships that me and most of my friends have experienced, both [homosexual] or [heterosexual]--the push and pull...the battle of wits and emotions...the struggle....always trying to fight for control of ourselves and/or the other person. I appreciate the very honest way he writes. Thanks Sal for writing this book.

Love Sal is addictive reading. The anecdotes that he presents from his life are beyond merely humorous; they reflect his mature insight and remarkable sense of wit. He doesn't simply bring a smile to your face -- his articulate commentary reflects his point of view on a great variety of subjects that run the gamut from sex to AIDS to what it means to be gay. A must-read. While funny, much of the book has a serious thoughtful angle to it. Yet... he uses humor to get readers to think. He writes about the his experience with such insight, affection, and honesty. I can only hope that there is more to come.

This is a wonderful book written in an amusing, fascinating, way. It's rich with passion and anecdote, and balanced with sharp perspective and fair objectivity. I found it refreshing and inspiring to read about and share this author's journey.

Yes, letters. This is the story of Sal's life for three years in San Francisco told through a series of letters written to his friend, Tim, who has remained in Chicago. We see life in the gay ghettos, in the gay bars, in the workplace, and in many other venues as Sal explores his new home and makes friends and has relationships none of which turn out very well. Roommates are downers too but hey that happens a lot in reallife. If you want some insight into a gay man's life at the end of the 20th century this book will give you great insights.

I began Love, Sal and was unable to put it down. His relationships represent the type of relationships that me and most of my friends have experienced, both [homosexual] or [heterosexual]--the push and pull...the battle of wits and emotions...the struggle....always trying to fight for control of ourselves and/or the other person. I appreciate the very honest way he writes. Thanks Sal for writing this book.

Are you and I any different from Heinrich Himmler or Adolph Eichmann? Of course, we want to believe that we are made from entirely different clay than those evil monsters, but reading Stanley Milgram's book, _Obedience To Authority_, will make you wonder.

The book describes an experiment that was conducted in the 1960s by Yale University psychology professor Stanley Milgram. Milgram placed advertisements in local newspapers, soliciting volunteers for an experiment in human psychology. The volunteers were told that the experiment was about memory and learning, but in reality, the experiment was about the conflict between conscience and authority. The volunteers were told to read sets of words to a man, and then test him on how well he remembered them. They were further instructed to administer an electric shock whenever the man made a mistake in remembering the words. The shocks began at 15 volts, and proceeded by 15-volt increments, all the way up to 450 volts. At the 150-volt level, the man screamed in agony and begged to be set free. At each shock level from that point up to 300 volts, the man let out a horrifying scream. At the 300-volt shock, the man stated that he would not answer any more questions. The volunteers were told to treat each non-response as an incorrect answer, and to continue with the shocks. After the 330-volt shock, no further sound was heard from the man.

Happily, the victim of the shocks was an actor who wasn't really being shocked at all. The real purpose of the experiment was to observe how the volunteers would behave when confronted with a choice between cruelty and disobedience.

The results of this experiment were amazing. Two-thirds of the volunteers continued to shock the man, all the way up to the 450-volt shock. Even after the 330-volt shock, when they had good reason to think that they might have killed the man, they continued administering shocks all the way to 450 volts. Only one-third of the volunteers defied their instructions and refused to continue the experiment due to concern for the man receiving the shocks.

This book presents insights into human nature that you will find both highly disturbing and quite fascinating. Think about the implications of Milgram's experiment. Now ask yourself... did Henry Wirz get a fair trial? Did Adolph Eichmann get a fair trial? How can we make sure that there will never be another Holocaust? Did Nelson Rockefeller do the right thing at Attica? Was justice done in the case of William Calley? These are some of the questions raised by this magnificent book. They are questions worth pondering and discussing.

Everybody should read this book.

Just finished reading Obedience to Authority for a graduate seminar, and must say that it is one of the more relevant and insightful books I've read during my training. In this highly ambitious book, Milgram, motivated in large part by the large-scale and gruesome acts against humanity that occurred during WWII, sets himself to the task of identifying the conditions under which "people would defy authority in the face of a clear moral imperative". To his (and this reviewer's) surprise, he finds that when ordinary individuals are commanded by figures of authority to carry out morally reprehensible acts, they lack the intrapersonal resources required to disobey. While his method of inquiry may be shocking by today's standards, I find his experimental designs, variable manipulations, and theoretical contributions as elegant in their simplicity and highly illuminating.

To that end, I strongly recommend this book to scholars and engaged citizens. Not only is it a fascinating read, but it reminds the reader of the importance of moral autonomy in today's world, as well.

The results of the experiments in this book are astounding and make you think about what your own reaction would be.

This book describes years of work in a very intrigant experience of obedience authority and many variants of itself. The author explains very accurately the details of the experiments and comments brightly the results.

This book was written for psichologists and social scientists as for a curious well educated public.

Although I appreciate calmly's critical reading, it is clear that he or she is unaware of the 40 years of social science research that has followed the original Milgrim experiment and built on its findings.

No research exists in a vacuum, and indeed a single study is the beginning of understanding. But research in social science has replicated this study (albeit in ways more kind to its participants) many times with very similar results.

The Milgrim Experiment has been supported by data from the Stanford Prison Experiment, research on fraternity and military hazing rituals (particularly in the death squads of Central and South America), research on whites in Apartheid, etc. The list goes on.

It is true that there are always those who rise above the rest, the Nazi prison guard who used his own money to buy medicine for the concentration camp prisoners. But Kosovo, Rwanda, Darfur, the slaughter and maiming of Quakers by American Puritans, the slaughter of Protestants by the French Catholics, the slaughter of English Catholics by Anglicans, the slaughter of all non-confomists by the Spanish Inquisition, remind us that race, creed, ethnicity, or religion are no magic bullet at resisting evil.

All the book is trying to say is look at your own hubris. We may all feel that we are above all reproach. We may shudder in horror at the final scenes of Biko saying, Who could shoot those children?

But it's much scarier when you realize the answer may be you.

America through the eyes of another, and in plain black & white. "The Americans" is photographer Robert Frank's look at 1950s America, from the very pictures he took almost fifty years ago. In this new edition, Frank has enlisted the help of the newest and most cutting edge modern photo technology to bring his photos into the highest quality he could get them, a massive improvement in quality from the printing quality of the 50s. The poignant, thought provoking photos comprise what some call the most famous book of photography ever published. "The Americans" is enhanced with a forward by Jack Kerouac and is highly recommended for community library photography collections and for anyone who wants a solid coffee table book.

Captured moments of Amercian Life, often shown here with an American flag in the photo. These images in this book portray a visual artist who is creating photos by shifting angles, waiting for the right moment, using light in a different way. Its tough to describe this book other than to say that it was edited pretty well.

I've been a professional photographer, still in love with photography after 40 years shooting, still shooting every day. Thank you Robert Frank. You've had a vision that is the best photography book ever done, I wish I could do it!!!!

Si os gusta la fotografía de reportaje compradlo sin reservas.
No tiene desperdicio, ojalá encuentro más libros de fotógrafos como Robert Frank.
Muy bueno.
Un saludo desde España a todos los hispanos.

This is a wonderful monograph of Frank's early work, presented in a highly innovative sequence of images based loosly on formal and thematic topics. The book's meaning grows and changes with every read. Although it is hailed as a seminal work of progressive street photography now, it was not so warmly received in its postwar days. For instance, in 1960 a critic for Popular Photography called it, "A sad poem for a sick people." However, Frank maintained an aloof political stance and managed to escape McCarthyism's career-ending scrutiny, unlike many of his coleagues.
If you like this book, you might enjoy Walker Evans' "American Photographs" and Tod Papageorge's comparison of the two photo-books. Also see Frank's later works, as seen in the retrospective "The Lines of My Hand" and such extensive exhibition catalogues as "Hold Still-Keep Going" and "Moving Out." Frank's later body of work reveals a preoccupation with the passage of time, perhaps inspired by his 40+ years in film. These photos also bear negative scratching, collage, over-painting, and the deliberate addition of text--all of which vastly different from his Americans-era images. Although these photographic accomplishments, stunning in their own right, have been ignored by scholarship for some time, the 1990s establishment of the Robert Frank Collection at the National Gallery promises to preserve as well as present Frank's later works in a new and interesting light.

Also:
Dear Benjamin,

Per your inquiry, Robert Frank's book was published in Switzerland because the photographer is SWISS. Scalo has made an effort to publish most of Frank's books in his home country, as well as the US, England, France, Canada (where he lives now), etc. Frank emigrated to the US in 1947 and became an American citizen in 1963. Knowing these simple facts might help you examine this work with renewed clarity. Also, people in Switzerland enjoy books just as much as Americans. Perhaps you should conduct some research every now and again, it might make you look less ignorant.