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Non-Fiction Book Club - Opening Skinner's Box by Lauren Slater to be discussed Thursday, August 2nd @ 6:30pm

Opening Skinner's Box Book Cover

A long time member of the our Non-fiction book club suggested and lobbied for what looks to be a fascinating read that will surely engender an interesting discussion. We have before us Lauren Slater’s Opening Skinners Box:  Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century. Part memoir, part investigative history, the book traces the evolution of modern psychology.

From the jacket:

An illuminating exploration of the human drama of modern psychology, bringing to life exceptional stories with unforgettable protagonists…Through nine examples of ingenious experiments by some of psychology’s most innovative thinkers, Slater traces the evolution of the century’s most pressing concerns—free will, authoritarianism, conformity, and morality.

Slater dusts of the fodder of academic psychology journals and serves the fascinating stories up in everyday language for laypersons like us to chew on.  I for one am looking forward to digging into this book.

While we do ask you obtain your own copy of the book for discussion (and there are many such copies available in the library system), the Non-Fiction book club is free and open to the public. If you have any questions contact me, Sean Thibodeau, Community Planning Librarian at 978-674-1542. Happy reading.