Brainwashing: The science of thought control (Oxford Landmark Science)

My purpose for reading this book was to understand why most people continue believing the official 9/11-lies, which for me is absolutely the greatest brainwashing ever performed in history. The irony is that the author gives a full account of all the methods used in (mass) brainwashing, but without those arguments having any effect on her whatsoever. She continues to stick to the official Bush-version of 9/11, although she literally says : "A clearly labeled enemy (e.g. Al-Qaeda) is always handy, especially if the enemy agents themselves are not always clearly identifiable". She even quotes Adolf Hitler : "The greater the lie, the greater the chance that it will be believed". But somehow, it doesn't trickle down on her. Therefore, this is a very weird reading experience. It's like having a teacher explaining some theory he doesn't understand at all.Anyway, I still recommend this book, since all arguments are present to understand why the brainwashing of 9/11 was so successful. In chapter one, the author quotes the work of Robert Lifton on totalitarian states. More than half of those elements are copied by our *corporate-controlled* "democratic" states. Let me single those out:a) The power of authorityStanley Milgram demonstrated that 2/3 of the people commit murder if ordered so by somebody "showing authority". This translates specifically in the *desire to believe* anything a leader expresses - remember how the Democrats "backed up the president in this emergency" ? Of course, the leader abuses of his authority in democratic states the same way as Lifton found to be happening in totalitarian states. The same tricks are used :1. "Loading the language" with thought-terminating cliches: "bin Laden is a terrorist and the mastermind behind 9/11". Those government lies have the advantage of *simplicity* over the 9/11-truth, *catchy one-liners* that can easily be used in the news, and repeated over and over again;2. "Mystical manipulation" : "America is strong", and the use of big words like God and the Flag (the point is that a flag is a piece of cloth and I don't believe in God, but I do believe Bill Hicks was right when he said : "WE are the Evil Empire");3. "The demand for purity" : "either you're with us, or with the terrorists" (this means that any 911-truthseeker is in fact... a terrorist... - Oh, my God !).b) Milieu controlThanks to the total corporate control over all mass media (including the so-called leftist publications like The Nation, The Progressive, Mother Jones, etc), the official version is spread continuously. Now, there is a very good reason for this. The government has no other choice than reinforcing the belief that Al Qaeda was behind 9/11, if not why would the US-army still be occupying two foreign countries at this precise moment ? Anybody expressing a contradictory view is made fun of (a "conspiracy theorist", a "lunatic", etc.). 9/11-truthers must rely entirely on the *internet* to spread reason.c) The use of science as ideologyScience used for propaganda is nothing but *junk science*. This is what the "reports" produced by the NIST are.There is a fourth aspect that is important to mass brainwashing, also discussed by the author, and it is the use of *strong emotions* to impose the lies. Look at 9/11 : none less than *fear* and *anger* were employed, powerful *primary emotions*. It certainly deeply affected me. I was in shock when I saw the images of the people preferring to jump from the smoking twin towers instead of dying from asphyxiation. I felt very, very sorry for them. All news channels all over the world reproduced the speeches of Bush *live*. He was blaming Al Qaeda ! I remember thinking : who ? But I swallowed it entirely.At the same time, the US administration came with the *solution* on what should be done about it, and went to war in Afghanistan first and later in Iraq. And I am not afraid to admit that I believed the reasons behind the first war, but on Iraq I knew they were lying before going in. So, at some point, reason begins slipping through. At some point, a *reality check* must be performed. For instance : (1) the FBI isn't accusing bin Laden for what happened on 9/11. (2) The hole in the Pentagon was way too small for a jet to enter. (3) Never before in history has a skyscraper collapsed due to a fire, and certainly not at free fall speed. So I finally ended up joining the Architects and Engineers for 9/11-truth, and gave up on the Bush account of what happened. I can assure anybody that giving up on Bush isn't as hard as giving up believing in Santa Claus.Socrates considered the pursuit of the truth as the noblest task for a human being. Of course it can't be denied that the truth - any truth - is *complex*. You'll have to think, and you'll have to look for solid arguments. This requires certainly much more brain activity than believing in the emotional outcries of the government and the mass media, but hey : aren't we supposed to be "homo sapiens" ? Are people really happy being dummies ? I don't think so. Only in the pursuit of truth can happiness be found. Following Sonja Lyubomirski, the activity of concentrated thinking "leads us to be involved in life (rather than be alienated from it), to enjoy activities (rather than to find them dreary), to have a sense of control (rather than helplessness), and to feel a strong sense of self (rather than unworthiness). All these factors imbue life with meaning and lend it a richness and intensity. And happiness." She therefore recommends : "Learn until the day you die."

Kathleen Taylor is one of my favorite authors. She has a rich, irreverent writing style — bordering on the cheeky — matched with an incredible depth of knowledge in neuroscience and human behavior. More importantly, at least to me, she tends to focus those two things onto the darkest alleys of human existence — why people do bad things.My introduction to her was through reading Cruelty: Human Evil and the Human Brain, a terrific book about the neurological sources of cruelty as shaped by evolutionary pressures, and brain function and chemistry. Brainwashing was written two years earlier and is structured in much the same way: using a negative concept — in this case, the fear, processes and outcomes of brainwashing — to explore the neuroscience of how we think and why we respond in often predictable, similar ways to the external world. It’s a rewarding journey through the architecture and function of the brain and how people have tried — with varying levels of success — to brainwash others into changing or suppressing core beliefs.Many of the examples come from politics (the Red Army, our CIA), religion (Christianity, Branch Davidians, the People’s Temple), cults (the Manson family) and culture (academia, the family unit, advertising and the news media).Some of the standout a-ha moments include the concept of emotions as a contagion, domestic abuse as an especially effective, and heinous, form of brainwashing and the “thought terminating clichés” of ethereal concepts that hide lack of meaning or complexity (especially intriguing given the jargon-heavy corporate world I work in).Had I read this book before Cruelty, it would have gotten 5 stars, but it suffers just a bit by comparison — mostly due to the “softer” final section that focuses on ways to prevent brainwashing and the effects of undue influence. The moralizing felt flat compared to the harder revelations of why we are who we are and how easily we succumb to “influence technicians.” It seems that section could have been distilled down into two simple concepts: we should be more accepting of others and we should reinforce the value of critical thinking.It’s not a book for those who consider themselves, their community, their religion or their country exceptional in any way or who are unsettled by confronting the “scary fragility of that accreted concoction of ideas we call the self.”Perhaps I’ve been brainwashed myself, but I am compelled to buy her newer book The Brain Supremacy.

Evidently you're at least somewhat interested in the subject, brainwashing. This is the only book i've seen of its kind. The title desribes the book very well -- that the book is about the science of thought control. Taylor really is a scientist, so she gets to deliver little lectures about the science of it all, which may or may not have ANYTHING to do with what's going on out in the real world; I'm referring to the neuroscience of neurotransmitters, synapses, et seq that with a wave of her hands, she implies (more than says) have something to do with brainwashing. What you get from Dr Taylor's book here that's invaluable is that you now look at brainwashing as 1. thought control, and 2. as a science. "Thought control" is the best SUMMARY of what we're dealing with as I've ever heard; actually Taylor spends some time explaining that there's a lot to discuss about what brainwashing is, and isn't, and is thought to be, etc. Then, she is able to use her training and mindset of a real scientist to give some idea of this thought control as a hardheaded inquiry via causes and effects. I hope I've given some idea here of why it's important that if you are interested in the subject of brainwashing this book by Taylor needs to be on your bookshelf at least for a while.

When you come across a book with the title "Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control", you expect to open its pages and come across a mixture of conspiracy theory and egotistical mentalism. In fact, this is a book which is probably as far from its perceived title as can possibly be, and arguably for good reason, as the author explains.The thrust of the author's argument is that the stereotypical notion of brainwashing as thought of by most people who use the term is fundamentally flawed. Specifically, we go looking for zombies and "Yes Master" style Hollywood stories, when in fact such notions belong firmly to the world of fiction rather than fact. This is not surprising when you think about it rationally for a few minutes. Instead, the author explores the much deeper areas behind the notion of brainwashing, and in doing so expands into areas that the reader probably hasn't considered before.The book is split into three themes of sorts. First, a casual look at the historical uses of brainwashing is covered. The author is keen to point out that the word and concept of what we think of as brainwashing is a relatively new concept, yet the purpose behind (to convert a person from one belief system to another) is far from new at all. Torture has been used throughout the ages to attempt to force people to accept new truths, and as you read on you see how relatively haphazard the results have been.Secondly, the author delves into the relatively advanced world of neuroscience. Taking an extremely objective and biological consideration of the brain as a reductionist computer, we look at how the brain itself is wired and works. This may seem an overtly complex tangent initially, but is key to the author's argument that simplistic notions of mind-control are pipe dreams. The brain is a fiercely complex organ, and our approaches to control are large-scale and a far distance from the fine grained ideas of individual thought modification.Lastly, the notional of brainwashing is considered from a philosophical standpoint in relation to society at large. The subject is looked at from both positive and negative perspectives, and the author takes on a fairly abstract approach, covering the very notions of community and education. This goes to show that brainwashing is not an independent process that happens, but is woven into the very fabric of our lives.This is a relatively advanced book, and if you are used to light casual reading this is not the book for you. Similarly, if you are looking for a tips and techniques to influence people tone, then you will be sadly disappointed. But, if you are willing to take a step back, and look at the wider pictures of how humans interact and what happens when opinions differ and are pushed forcefully, you will find this an enlightening read.One warning, as another reviewer has pointed out, although the author does her best to be fair and objective, there is a fairly strong anti-religion and collectivism feel to the book. That didn't bother me, and I probably agree with most of her viewpoints, but it may put others off.

Given this a four star, because it was a very thought provoking book, delivered in a style understandable to a layman.I also liked the author's obvious enthusiasm for the subject.This is not a "how to" book, but does describe the mechanisms that are work when we are influenced by or seek to influence other people.I think any one who likes books by Brian Cox, Simon Singh et al, or who has in interest in how people interact with each other would enjoy this book.

Worth a read.Very interesting.

A very deep book which brings to light very obvious indoctrinations in a society which we otherwise overlook. Some isn't easy reading, but easy reading isn't deep. Thoroughly recommended!

This book takes a comprehensive look at brainwashing. It looks at the origin, the methods, the ideas, the social and political implications, the neuroscience behind it, as well as the philosophical concepts that surround our ability to think 'freely'. A great book, well worth reading.