Contemporary Authors

• Unintended Thought Guilford Press (New York, NY), 1989
• The Psychology of Action: Linking Cognition and Motivation to Behavior Guilford Press (New York, NY), 1996
• The Use and Abuse of Power: Multiple Perspectives on the Causes of Corruption Psychology Press (Philadelphia, PA), 2001
• Unraveling the Complexities of Social Life: A Festschrift in Honor of Robert B. Zajonc American Psychological Association (Washington, DC), 2001
• The New Unconscious Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2005
• Oxford Handbook of Human Action Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2009
• Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do Touchstone (New York, NY), 2017

1. The new unconscious LCCN 2003021368 Type of material Book Main title The new unconscious / edited by Ran R. Hassin, James S. Uleman, John A. Bargh. Published/Created Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2005. Description xii, 592 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. ISBN 0195149955 (alk. paper) Links Table of contents only http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip049/2003021368.html Publisher description http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0614/2003021368-d.html CALL NUMBER BF315 .N47 2005 LANDOVR Copy 2 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE 2. Oxford handbook of human action LCCN 2008004997 Type of material Book Main title Oxford handbook of human action / edited by Ezequiel Morsella, John A. Bargh, Peter Gollwitzer. Published/Created Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2009. Description xiv, 648 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 26 cm. ISBN 9780195309980 (hardcover : alk. paper) 0195309987 (hardcover : alk. paper) Links Table of contents only http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0810/2008004997.html CALL NUMBER BF619.5 .O94 2009 LANDOVR Copy 2 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE 3. The psychology of action : linking cognition and motivation to behavior LCCN 95039728 Type of material Book Main title The psychology of action : linking cognition and motivation to behavior / edited by Peter M. Gollwitzer, John A. Bargh. Published/Created New York : Guilford Press, c1996. Description xv, 683 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. ISBN 1572300329 (acid-free paper) Links Contributor biographical information http://www.loc.gov/catdir/bios/guilford051/95039728.html Publisher description http://www.loc.gov/catdir/description/guilford051/95039728.html Table of contents http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/guilford041/95039728.html Sample text http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0651/95039728-s.html CALL NUMBER BF121 .P827 1996 FT MEADE Copy 2 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE 4. Unintended thought LCCN 89007582 Type of material Book Main title Unintended thought / edited by James S. Uleman, John A. Bargh. Published/Created New York : Guilford Press, c1989. Description xxvi, 481 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. ISBN 0898623790 Links Publisher description http://www.loc.gov/catdir/description/guilford051/89007582.html CALL NUMBER BF441 .U54 1989 FT MEADE Copy 2 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE 5. Unraveling the complexities of social life : a festschrift in honor of Robert B. Zajonc LCCN 00033178 Type of material Book Main title Unraveling the complexities of social life : a festschrift in honor of Robert B. Zajonc / editors, John A. Bargh, Deborah K. Apsley. Published/Created Washington, D.C. : American Psychological Association, c2001. Description xvi, 209 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. ISBN 1557986924 (cloth : alk. paper) CALL NUMBER BF20 .U57 2001 Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms CALL NUMBER BF20 .U57 2001 Copy 2 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms 6. The use and abuse of power : multiple perspectives on the causes of corruption LCCN 00062631 Type of material Book Main title The use and abuse of power : multiple perspectives on the causes of corruption / edited by Annette Y. Lee-Chai and John A. Bargh. Published/Created Philadelphia, Pa. : Psychology Press, c2001. Description xiv, 312 p. ; 24 cm. ISBN 1841690228 (case : alk. paper) 1841690236 (pbk. : alk. paper) Links Publisher description http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0653/00062631-d.html CALL NUMBER BF611 .U84 2001 Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms 7. Before you know it : the unconscious reasons we do what we do LCCN 2017008149 Type of material Book Personal name Bargh, John A., author. Main title Before you know it : the unconscious reasons we do what we do / John Bargh, Ph.D. Published/Produced New York : Touchstone, 2017. ©2017 Description vi, 343 pages ; 24 cm ISBN 9781501101212 (hardcover) 9781501101229 (pbk) CALL NUMBER BF315 .B37 2017 CABIN BRANCH Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE

• Yale - https://psychology.yale.edu/people/john-bargh

  John Bargh
  John Bargh's picture
  James Rowland Angell Professor of Psychology and Sch of Management
  Ph.D., 1981, University of Michigan
  The ACME lab researches the unconscious or implicit influences on social judgment, motivation, and behavior. Most recently this research has focused on embodied cognition effects, or influences of physical experiences (such as cleansing one’s hands, holding something warm or rough) on metaphorically related social variables (physical warmth leading to feelings of physical warmth, for example). One interesting new line of this research has focused on how social goals and political attitudes can be influenced by satisfaction of underlying physical-level motivations; for example, immunization against the flu virus influences attitudes towards immigration (as ‘invaders’ of one’s ‘cultural body’), and feelings of physical safety reduce one’s need to feel ‘socially safe’ as after rejection or other ‘cold’ social experiences.

• Social Psychology Network - http://bargh.socialpsychology.org/

  Home Page
  Curriculum Vitae
  Wikipedia Biography
  Institution
  Yale University

  Current Position
  James Rowland Angell Professor of Psychology and School of Management

  Highest Degree
  Ph.D. in Social Psychology from University of Michigan, 1981

  Blog
  The Natural Unconscious

  Online Media
  Facebook Page
  I was born in Champaign and graduated from the home-town University of Illinois in 1977. From there it was on to graduate school in social psychology at the University of Michigan, where my advisor was Robert Zajonc. I received my PhD in 1981 and that fall moved to NYU as an assistant professor. After 22 years at NYU, I moved to Yale in 2003. My dissertation received the Society for Experimental Social Psychology (SESP) Dissertation Award in 1982, and in 1989 I received the American Psychological Association (APA) Early Career Award for contributions to psychology. In 1990 Peter Gollwitzer and I received the Annual Research Prize from the Max Planck Society of Germany. In 2001 I received a Guggenheim Fellowship, and also that year was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences. In 2007 I received the Donald T. Campbell Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology for distinguished contributions to social psychology, and later that year received the Scientific Impact Award from the Society for Experimental Social Psychology.

  My lines of research all focus on unconscious mechanisms that underlie social perception, evaluation and preferences, and motivation and goal pursuit in realistic and complex social environments. That each of these basic psychological phenomena occur without the person's intention and awareness, yet have such strong effects on the person's decisions and behavior, has considerable implications for philosophical matters such as free will, and the nature and purpose of consciousness itself.

  Last edited by user: September 1, 2009
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• Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/John%20Bargh%20Ph.D./e/B075TCQX78/ref=la_B075TCQX78_st?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_82%3AB075TCQX78&qid=1524716175&sort=date-desc-rank

  "Before You Know It" is my first book for a general audience. I've edited a dozen or so academic books covering research and theory in psychology, and am approaching 200 research articles and chapters, but writing this book was a completely new experience. It is about my career as a scientist interested in free will and what human consciousness is actually for -- I wanted a better, more specific answer than "everything", which is where things were when I started in the 1970s. We are all interested in these basic questions but I got to spend my adult life trying to find the answers to them -- getting paid for what I wanted to do anyway, not bad eh?

  So I majored in psychology (and minored in Led Zeppelin, as a late night FM disc jockey) in college (Illinois) and went on to graduate PhD work in social psychology (Michigan) -- and then was very fortunate to land a job as a professor at NYU in Greenwich Village. What a life-changer, from the sleepy Midwest to the middle of Manhattan. That's where the book starts, and there are personal stories and anecdotes about my life in the big city for over 20 years followed by life in the beautiful pastoral countryside of Connecticut for the last 15 years, after I moved to Yale. And it also includes what I learned about human nature from observing that city life and then (different things!) from rural life, and especially from watching my daughter grow up while I was working on the book.

  And there are many 'inside' stories about the research going on in my lab -- how the mundane events in our day to day life can have remarkable influences on whether we like and trust someone or not, such as whether we are holding a hot or an iced cup of coffee at the moment. (Why should that matter?) And how our worries about flu viruses and germs in general can change our social and political attitudes such as about immigration, or same-sex marriage. (Huh? What does the flu have to do with immigration??) how we are able to make sense of the rapid-fire stimulus overload of a teeming metropolis packed with people, cars, noise, and craziness. How we know to seize on good opportunities and avoid danger and people who don't have our best interests at heart, something that mattered to long ago cavemen and cavewomen as much as it does to us today.

  Recently, we've been studying how thinking about the future -- what we want to get done and accomplish in the coming days and months -- change how we think about the present -- causing us to like some things we used to dislike and to make us take risks we've never taken before. Diet pills and tanning salons, for example, bad for your health maybe but if being more attractive is starting to matter -- now they are a good thing (or so we convince ourselves).

  I've personally learned some new things myself in the course of writing the book -- such as following Norman Mailer's advice and giving myself assignments days in advance of when I need them done. This allows my mind to work on them unconsciously in the background while I am doing other things, and then when I did sit down to write the next chapter, I knew already how I wanted to organize the different stories and studies, maybe even how to put things in just the right way. Letting my mind work on important tasks in the background and in advance was a huge help to writing the book, and a tactic I'd never used before I read Mailer's advice.

  But the other really helpful advice is something I've known about for over 20 years -- how to make the good intentions we all have much more likely to be acted upon and carried out. There's a simple but very effective, and research-tested, way of doing that called "implementation intentions" and I've used them in my personal and home life to do the right thing, and to avoid unwanted unconscious influences (such as to take my office problems and stress home with me in the evening).

  Hey, there are some dumb jokes as well. I tried to make reading the book a fun and interesting experience as much as I could. Hopefully you get useful science and helpful advice out of it but also have fun reading it as well.

  Basic info: born in Champaign, Illinois. Graduated Champaign Central High School 1973. Graduated University of Illinois 1977. PhD from University of Michigan 1981. Professor at NYU (Psychology) from 1981-2003. Professor at Yale (Psychology) 2003-present. Currently James Rowland Angell Professor of Psychology, and director of ACME lab. Major awards: Guggenheim Fellowship (2001), Early (1989) and Distinguished (2014) Career Achievement Awards from American Psychological Association, Honorary Doctorate from Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands (2008), Donald T. Campbell Award for Distinguished Career in Social Psychology (2006), inducted into American Academy of Arts & Sciences (2011).

• The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/dec/08/yale-psychologist-john-bargh-politicians-want-us-to-be-fearful-theyre-manipulating-us-for-their-own-interest

  Interview
  Yale psychologist John Bargh: ‘Politicians want us to be fearful. They’re manipulating us for their own interest'
  By Decca Aitkenhead
  Don’t make the mistake of thinking you have free will – a book by a US academic has analysed the unconscious, evolutionary instincts driving modern society and the results are a chilling indictment on how far we are yet to come

  Decca Aitkenhead
  Fri 8 Dec 2017 13.30 EST Last modified on Wed 14 Feb 2018 16.18 EST
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  ‘Democracy is an advance past the tribal nature of our being’ … John Bargh.
  ‘Democracy is an advance past the tribal nature of our being’ … John Bargh. Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian
  As the year’s end draws near, many of us look back and reflect on what we got right and got wrong during the past 12 months. For some, this will be a less agreeable experience than for others, but however you feel about your behaviour in 2017, you will almost certainly assume that the choices you made were your own.

  You could not, according to John Bargh, be more wrong. The Yale psychologist has just written a book, Before You Know It, about the eye-opening extent to which our actions are dictated by forces within us to which we are almost entirely oblivious. Who knew, for example, that we feel less hostile to people different to ourselves after washing our hands? Or that the reason why you’re feeling so friendly is the cup of piping hot coffee you are holding? Or that parents who want to encourage their children to be generous will have more success by turning the room temperature up than by telling them to share? Bargh’s book, as Malcolm Gladwell puts it, “moves our understanding of the mysteries of human behaviour one giant step forward” – not least in helping make sense of some of the big stories of 2017.

  The 62-year-old American is a big, smiley man, but his demeanour is at odds with the rather depressing message of his work. Human beings’ brains, it explains, are primed by prudent and rational evolutionary instincts to trust people who look like us, and to fear those who look “other” as a threat. This goes some way to explain why, despite all of modern society’s efforts to promote progressive values of openness and equality, and for all our stated intolerance of prejudice, social progress is so agonisingly slow. That’s pretty dispiriting, isn’t it?

  “Yes, I hate to say it, but yes. Democracy is an advance past the tribal nature of our being, the tribal nature of society, which was there for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years. It’s very easy for us to fall back into our tribal, evolutionary nature – tribe against tribe, us against them. It’s a very powerful motivator.” Because it speaks to our most primitive self? “Yes, and we don’t realise how powerful it is.” Until we have understood its power, Bargh argues, we have no hope of overcoming it. “So that’s what we have to do.” As he writes: “Refusing to believe the evidence, just to maintain one’s belief in free will, actually reduces the amount of free will that person has.”

  Bargh found that even TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy that tried to show black and white characters of equal status still contained unconscious racial bias towards the white characters, according to a study of viewers.
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  Bargh found that even TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy that tried to show black and white characters of equal status still contained unconscious racial bias towards the white characters, according to a study of viewers. Photograph: Five
  If unconscious racism is an ancestral legacy, it is also reinforced by contemporary culture. Bargh offers a study of popular prime-time US TV shows – Grey’s Anatomy, CSI, Bones – in which participants who had never seen the programme before were shown scenes in which the main character interacted with either a black or white character. The scenes were edited, however, to show only the main character. The audio was also removed, so that participants could see only the main character’s non-verbal communication – facial expressions, gestures, body language – towards the off-screen character. They were then asked to judge how the visible character felt towards the unseen character.

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  “These are shows, remember,” Bargh says, “that intentionally tried to have equal-power black and white characters. It’s not like the black people on the show are all the criminals, and the white people are all the detectives. They have the black detective and white detective; they actually have equal power.”

  The findings were chilling. The main character was consistently judged to be conspicuously more positive towards the show’s white characters, and more negative towards its black characters.

  “They don’t script it that way. And it’s not intended by the producers or actors of the show. There are programmes that do intend it – but we’re even talking about the ones that don’t, and it still has this massive effect. It’s conveyed so powerfully to people watching that, after they see it, they have more negative automatic attitudes towards black people. The research found that the more they see of shows like that, the more they have more of a racist attitude.”

  Anyone who has ever wondered why minorities often object about what colour a doll comes in, say, might reconsider their scepticism about the importance of culture after reading Bargh’s book. He presents a study of two sets of Asian-American five-year-old girls, who were asked to perform maths tests after being “primed” with activities designed to trigger their unconscious sense of identity. One group was asked to colour in pictures of Asians eating with chopsticks; the other to colour in pictures of a girl holding a doll. The first group dramatically outperformed the second in the maths test. By the age of just five, they had absorbed the cultural stereotypes that Asians are good at maths and girls are bad.

  “These Asian-American girls are not hearing at home that girls can’t do maths,” Bargh points out. “These are Harvard preschool kids; the parents are, like, tiger mums and dads. A lot of them brought the children into the study thinking that being in this Harvard study at age five would help their girl get into Harvard at age 18: that’s how motivated they are. They’re not the ones who are telling the girls they can’t do maths. It’s in the culture we soak up, without even knowing it.”

  Bargh decided to test his own unconscious racial bias, using a complex system of word association and physical reflexes devised to eliminate any possibility of him consciously dictating his responses. He was dismayed to discover that his unconscious associated “white” with “good” and “black” with “bad”. However, he found he could override his bias by deploying the power of imagination. He sat the tests again, and got opposite results, “simply by really trying to feel as if I was a black person. Now obviously with no experience, it’s laughable that I could try – but I really did try to convince myself temporarily that OK, I’m a black person. And I reversed the results.”

  There’s a reason that US department store Walmart plays Céline Dion on a loop, says Bargh – it wants shoppers to feel sad because studies show that sad people spend more.
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  There’s a reason that US department store Walmart plays Céline Dion on a loop, says Bargh – it wants shoppers to feel sad because studies show that sad people spend more. Photograph: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images
  In a fascinating study conducted by Bargh, participants were invited to imagine they had a superpower that rendered them safe from all physical harm, and were then quizzed on their social attitudes. Half the participants were liberals, and half conservatives. The imaginary superpower had no impact on liberals’ social attitudes. “Feeling physically safe,” however, “significantly changed the conservative participants’ social attitudes to being similar to those of liberals.”

  This worked, he explains, because research has found that “conservatives have larger fear centres of the brain. They’re more concerned with physical safety than liberals.” Once we feel afraid, our own fear can further distort our perception of actual danger. For example, research has found that when people become new parents of a tiny, vulnerable baby, they begin to believe their local crime rate is going up, even if it is falling. “That happened to me,” Bargh admits. “After my daughter was born, suddenly we felt that the neighbourhood was getting so dangerous that we had to leave.”

  Even more pertinent to current world events is Bargh’s research into sexual harassment. In the 1990s, an esteemed law professor had studied supreme court cases of sexual harassment and concluded that 75% of the accused genuinely did not realise they were doing anything wrong. Intrigued, Bargh devised a study to see if this could really be true.

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  Participants were asked to fill out an anonymous questionnaire devised to reveal their willingness to use power over a woman to extract sexual favours if guaranteed to get away with it. Some were asked to rate a female participant’s attractiveness. Others were first primed by a word-association technique, using words such as “boss”, “authority”, “status” and “power”, and then asked to rate her. Bargh found the power-priming made no difference whatsoever to men who had scored low on sexual harassment and aggression tendencies. Among men who had scored highly, however, it was a very different case. Without the notion of power being activated in their brains, they found her unattractive. She only became attractive to them once the idea of power was active in their minds.

  This, Bargh suggests, might explain how sexual harassers can genuinely tell themselves: “‘I’m behaving like anybody does when they’re attracted to somebody else. I’m flirting. I’m asking her out. I want to date her. I’m doing everything that you do if you’re attracted to somebody.’ What they don’t realise is the reason they’re attracted to her is because of their power over her. That’s what they don’t get.”

  Perhaps the single most confronting revelation of Bargh’s work is its implications for consumer capitalism. It’s not that our economic model makes us sad – although it does – so much that making us sad is good for consumer capitalism.

  He describes a study by a Harvard social psychologist. “It found that sad people not only buy more, but they pay more. They’re willing to pay more because, basically, when we’re sad, we want to change state.” Someone feeling sad would rather spend £100 than £10, “because it changes the state more. And stores know this.”

  Ever wondered why shops like to pipe out mournful music, or why Walmart plays Céline Dion on a loop? Well, Bargh grins – there’s your answer.

  “They don’t want us to be happy; they want us to be sad. Politicians want us to be fearful. All these things are not in our own interests at all. They’re manipulating us for their own interest, and against our own, and I think that’s horrible.”

  Before You Know It; The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do, by John Bargh, is published by Penguin Random. To order a copy for £17 (RRP £20) go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders minimum p&p of £1.99.

• The Independent - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/conservatives-into-liberals-yale-psychologist-simple-thought-experiment-turned-switch-politics-left-a8013576.html

  NewsScience
  A Yale psychologist's simple thought experiment temporarily turned conservatives into liberals
  Hilary Brueck, Business Insider Sunday 22 October 2017 09:28 BST1 comment

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  Social scientists have long known how to turn liberals into conservatives in the lab - all they have to do is scare them.

  "Research has shown that you can make liberals more conservative by threatening them and making them somewhat afraid," Yale psychology professor John Bargh writes in his new book, "Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do," which was released Tuesday.

  Several studies have shown that when social scientists get liberal-leaning experiment subjects to think about their own deaths or make them feel threatened, some left-wingers adopt more conservative values. This phenomenon played out after 9/11 -- researchers found that there was a "very strong conservative shift" in the US after the attacks, with more liberals supporting Republican President George W. Bush and favoring increases in military spending.

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  The hypothesis social scientists developed about this effect is perhaps best summed up in a 2003 review of research on the subject: "People embrace political conservatism (at least in part) because it serves to reduce fear, anxiety, and uncertainty; to avoid change, disruption, and ambiguity; and to explain, order, and justify inequality among groups and individuals," it said.

  There's evidence that this fear plays out in how conservative and liberal brains are shaped, too. Researchers have taken brain images of people with different political leanings and found that those who self-identify as conservative have larger and more active right amygdalas, an area of the brain associated with the expression and processing of fear. A 2011 study looked at MRI scans of self-described conservative young adults and found they had more grey matter volume in the right amygdala than their liberal counterparts. In 2013, another team of scientists expanded that research to show that conservatives generally have more activity in their right amygdala when taking risks than liberals do.

  But while inducing fear might shift a liberal mindset, conservatives have generally been more difficult for social scientists to sway in experiments -- until now.

  In his new book, Bargh details two separate experiments that he conducted with his colleagues that swayed folks who identified as conservative to express more liberal attitudes.

  corbyn-supports.png
  (Jeremy Corbyn has amassed a large amount of dedicated supporters since he became Labour leader, Getty)

  How They Did It

  The researchers behind the psychology experiment told a group of participants to imagine that they'd been granted a superpower by a magic genie and were suddenly as invincible as Superman -- bullets bounced off them, fire couldn't scorch their skin, and "a fall from a cliff wouldn't hurt at all," Bargh writes in his book. The study's control group was simply told to imagine they could fly.

  Then the researchers asked the participants to weigh in on some political statements, including whether they "would be reluctant to make any large-scale changes to the social order," and whether "it's okay if some groups have more of a chance in life than others."

  Liberal participants' attitudes on social issues didn't shift at all. The conservative participants, on the other hand, started adopting more liberal views on social issues (though not economic ones.)

  Participants who imagined themselves with the ability to fly had no change in their political views.

  The study authors say this is some of the first experimental evidence that making people feel completely safe can (temporarily) change their politics and make them more liberal.

  What Else Are We Doing Unconsciously?

  Bargh argues in his book that these results are but one example of the way humans are still living with the "hard-won lessons" of evolution.

  "The fundamental drive for physical safety is a powerful legacy of our evolutionary past" he writes. "It exerts a pervasive influence on the mind as it navigates and responds to modern life, often in surprising ways -- like who you vote for."

  Bargh's book suggests that a myriad of unconscious influences impact our everyday decisions. Holding a cup of piping hot coffee can make us friendlier, he suggests, becuase the association between physical warmth and social warmth is something we learned unconsciously as infants when we were held close to a loved one's warm chest.

  In another study, Bargh showed how washing hands with soap and water can make people less hostile to individuals who are different than they are. Bargh says that's because to some extent, our modern prejudices are shaped by the way we've evolved to avoid unknown, foreign threats like disease.

  In general, Bargh writes, people "don't fully understand why we do what we do all of the time."

  "We have one mind, and it can operate consciously and unconsciously," he told Business Insider. But Bargh says that's generally not a bad thing. He believes the unconscious forces at play are generally "on our side," since they help us get through the day without needing to reason through every decision we make.

  Read more:

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  Read the original article on Business Insider UK. © 2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.

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  Why is it that journalistic articles reporting on scientific findings never provide links to the original publication? This is not specific to this article; it occurs across most scientific journalism. However, this is shoddy and is not helpful for ensuring transparency / upholding the quality of reporting.
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• Psychology Today - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/experts/john-bargh-phd

  John A Bargh Ph.D.
  John Bargh
  Bargh has been fascinated by the existential questions of free will and personal responsibility since reading BF Skinner's "Beyond Freedom and Dignity" while taking a high school psychology class. Thirty years ago in graduate school at Michigan he initiated an empirical approach to these questions using priming and subliminal presentation techniques to trigger internal states such as attitudes and intentions without the person's conscious awareness. This research has consistently shown that these external triggers produce social judgments, social behavior, and motivations in an entirely unconscious manner. These findings suggest that conscious processes are not necessary to produce the higher mental processes, including social judgment and behavior, and have clear implications for those basic questions of free will and personal responsibility.

  AUTHOR OF
  The Natural Unconscious
  Automaticity in cognition, motivation, and emotion. Read now.

• Philosophy For Life - http://www.philosophyforlife.org/interview-with-john-bargh/

  WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009
  Interview with John Bargh
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  Further to my post below on John Bargh and automaticity, I got in contact with John through Yale University to ask for a quick interview with him about his ideas, and in the great tradition of brilliant yet accessible academics, he accepted.

  Bargh is a professor of psychology at Yale, and one of the leading social psychologists of his generation. He is the leading thinker of a school known as the ‘social intuitionists’, who have challenged the idea that we are ‘masters of ourselves’ through our reason and free will, and suggested instead that a great deal of our judgements about and responses to the world are automatic and unconscious, and that our reason often acts as a sort of butler, or even a lawyer defending the decisions we have already automatically made.

  This view obviously has great implications for philosophy and psychology, particularly Stoicism, which very much emphasizes our ability to become ‘captains of our soul’. Now read on…

  Thanks for your time, John. Could you give my readers a brief summary of what ‘automaticity’ means?

  Well, the word itself has a long history. It comes from an engineering context of automatic guiding systems, things like thermostats, and from the idea of the obligatory nature of things: when x, then y, and so on.

  In the 1980s, it was extended into social psychology, to the idea of humans’ immediate, unintentional reactions to things. For example, our automatic racial stereotypes.

  Tell us about your experiments in this area.

  We did an experiment back in the early 1990s, where we flashed photos of African-Americans to Caucasian-Americans on a computer screen, for 13 milliseconds, so quickly they weren’t consciously aware of them. We then put them into a mildly provocative situation, in a room with another Caucasian-American, where there was a chance of reacting hostilely, to test how they perceived that person and reacted to the provocation. And we discovered those that had been primed with the subliminal photo of the African-American were more likely to react with hostility in the following situation, though they didn’t know why.

  So it seems we have an automatic primer towards negative racial stereotyping?

  Yes. Now, that primer could have come from different sources. It could be cultural, of course. It could also be evolutionary: there’s new evidence, for example, that women are at their most racist when they’re at their most fertile.

  And automaticity is the idea that our minds are full of these sort of automatic primers?

  Yes, they’re ubiquitous. You expose someone to a subliminal stimulus, for example a picture of a clown, and they’re primed to make more positive evaluations, it puts in an approach motivation, it even relaxes the muscles you use to approach something. And the person won’t be conscious of why or how this evaluation has happened.

  So if we agree that the mind does make all sorts of automatic evaluations and judgements based on primers, what’s the theory to explain how and why this happens?

  What we think is it’s the default back-up system which existed in the days before consciousness. Alot of animals today still use this operating system. We also have a conscious, reflective system, but it’s the automatic system that keeps us grounded in the present.

  And is this older operating system the limbic system?

  It’s all over. I know very little about neuro-anatomy, so I’m not going to try and localize it.

  So how much of our mind is the older system, and how much is the more recent conscious system?

  The estimates are that 99% of all the things going on in body and brain are automatic. Gregory Bateson uses the example of a TV screen: consciousness is what’s happening on the screen, but behind that you have all the machinery of the TV, and behind that you have the wires and cables connecting it to the TV station, and so on.

  So we might have preferences – eating some potato chips, going for a run, calling a friend – but these preferences came from somewhere, it’s not magic.

  So what does this mean for free will?

  Well, I’m in the middle of a big discussion about that with the psychologist Roy Baumeister, who does alot of work on self-control, on models of the self and so on. We debated each other at the annual Society for Personality and Social Psychology convention in Tamba Bay, and we’re now continuing that discussion on our blogs on Psychology Today.

  Sounds like you have a good rivalry!

  He and I have always done that for each other. It’s sort of a dialectic. It makes both of our arguments better. He’s a very worthy opponent.

  So anyway, to get back to your question, what this means for free will. Personally, I don’t believe it exists. But that’s a personal belief. We can at least say that the scope, range and domain of it is much less than people thought 20 or 30 years ago, when people like [sorry, I didn’t get the names of the people he mentioned] asserted that we’re always aware of the reasons why we do things.

  That’s obviously not true. Clearly, through these primers, we’re being played by the world.

  And in some ways, the problem is this idea that we have free will, that we’re the masters of our soul.

  Tim Wilson has shown that people’s theories of why they do what they do are pretty far off. People are worried about subliminal adverts playing them, for example, which have been shown to have a minimal effect, but they are not worried about the effect of regular TV on them, or of negative campaign adverts, for example, which do have a real effect on people.

  OK. But the idea of being ‘master of the soul’ comes from ancient philosophy, from Plato and the Stoics in particular. And they never said that all humans were masters of their soul – on the contrary, they said the vast majority of humans sleep-walked their way through life. They said that we could become masters of our soul, but only through years of training, Socratic self-enquiry and struggle. The same idea is found in, for example, the idea of Buddhist or Christian monks, training themselves over years to become more aware of what they’re thinking and whether their automatic responses make sense. So this idea that we can develop free will is at the heart of the spiritual aspirations that have guided humanity for millennia. What do you think of this idea?

  I’m a social psychologist. I’m interested in the normal, the mundane. And the normal is for people not to challenge their automatic thinking. It doesn’t mean people can’t change it, but whether they will make the effort is debatable.

  If you do change your automatic behaviour, it will take alot of training. Will most people do it? Probably not. Why? Because they’re busy surviving, and it requires the realisation ‘I’m not in full control’. Most people don’t learn that theory.

  So you accept we can consciously change our automatic responses?

  It’s not as simple as conscious versus automatic. We’re often motivated by goals that can be unconscious. A lot of good things can come automatically, for example, pursuing goals or projects. We can do this outside of our own awareness.

  But I’m interested in whether we can consciously change our automatic responses. Let’s say you suffer from depression or anxiety, and your automatic responses to the world are obviously serving you badly. In that instance, do you accept you can consciously change your automatic responses?

  Well, it could be your conscious thinking that is serving you badly in that instance – it could be your conscious thoughts and ruminations that ‘I can’t do it’ which are making you depressed.

  So let’s say you have a belief – conscious or unconscious – along the lines of ‘I can’t do it’: can we consciously change that belief?

  Yes. This is the nice thing about the way we keep approaching the true nature of the will and agency. Thirty years ago, consciousness was seen as a bottleneck for everything. It was clearly too much for the system to do. By taking some things off the table, it helps us to know what it is for. There are only a few things left on the table. We’re beginning to understand the ability of the mind to change, the plasticity, the ability to adapt to new circumstances.

  So the mind can re-programme itself to some extent?

  Well, often it comes from outside the mind. In earlier stages of our history, for example, we took our orders from the elders. We weren’t free agents. Change came from top down. When we came out with our research on racist stereotyping, one psychologist tried to show how you can change people’s negative stereotypes through cognitive training. But you can’t cognitively change each individual. Change has to come from the top down. An African-American is elected president and then things change. [To which one might reply, yes, but the people elected him, so that was still the free choice of individuals.]

  But at the individual level, do you agree that people suffering from emotional problems can learn to change their automatic responses?

  Yes, I think that’s definitely true. Beck and Ellis [the two inventors of CBT] gave us one of the original models of automatic thought. CBT really influenced me in the 1970s. Aaron Beck, for
  example, talked about the chain of human thinking, how it moves too fast for us to follow it. It’s like a rubber band snapping. But Beck insisted that, if you listen carefully, you can hear it. I actually tried this, in the 70s, and he’s right, you can hear it, you can follow it, if you slow it down.

  It’s the speed that’s the problem. You have to listen right after an external stimulus, and you can still hear it, and try to follow the chain.

  Mindfulness, in a word.

  Yes. Ellen Langer talks about this in her book, Counter-Clockwise – the idea of taking control over automatic things. It’s even being made into a film, where she’s played by Jennifer Anniston!

  So this top down system of ours allows us to do this, to chart a course. We’re still not sure where this ability comes from, or why. But we know how we can use it to adapt to circumstances.

  It’s been fascinating, John. Thanks very much for your time.

  Thank you. It’s useful for me too.

  0 0 0
  3 thoughts on “Interview with John Bargh”

  lightwarrior
  December 10, 2011 at 3:56 pm
  A good interview,opens one's mind to other schools of thoughts regarding humanistic or social behaviorism.I will stick to Becks (CBT) and Rogers (PCT)when working with my clients from my perspectives in psychotherapy.I agree that humans have the tools to self regulate given the proper training to develop their consciousness.It is the awareness of being aware that starts the process of change.

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Print Marked Items
Bargh, John: BEFORE YOU KNOW IT
Kirkus Reviews.
(Sept. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Bargh, John BEFORE YOU KNOW IT Touchstone/Simon & Schuster (Adult Nonfiction) $26.00 10, 17
ISBN: 978-1-5011-0121-2
Must humans be stupid and wrongheaded? Not if they take greater pains to shape their environments and
understand what's going on inside their heads.The human mind lives in the past, present, and future all at
once, writes Bargh (Psychology/Yale Univ.; co-editor: Oxford Handbook of Human Action, 2009, etc.), and
it may not be trustworthy in any of those temporal dimensions. If we form decisions in less than the wink of
an eye, our hidden assumptions, prejudices, and interpretations mean "that 'blink' responses are in fact
considerably more fallible than many of us think." Sometimes those hidden aspects of mind are just this
side of inexplicable; why, for instance, should someone who, fearing the flu, cleans his or her hands form a
more positive view of immigration than someone whose hands remain unwashed? If anything, writes the
author, such things suggest that we are wrong to think that "our thinking emerges only from rational
principles and ideologies." As Bargh notes, given the monstrous thinking that so many children soak up
from so many adults, it's a wonder that we can live in the world at all. It's refreshing that after so much
biology-oriented neuroscience, the author isn't afraid to look at the nurture side of the nature/nurture divide.
So it is that people can be trained to change their minds: to examine and retool biases and snap judgments
as if acquiring a new good habit--no stretch there, for Bargh observes that just as smoking has been reduced
by making environmental changes that make it harder to smoke, it's possible to alter environments to make
people cultivate better habits of mind. "If you want to be less racist and sexist," he writes, "then use
implementation intentions such as 'When I see a person of color, I will remind myself to be fair!' " That may
seem a touch Pollyannaish, but it's backed by interesting science and experimental findings, all ably
reported. Pop and academic science with a dose of self-help, all rolled up into a satisfying package.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Bargh, John: BEFORE YOU KNOW IT." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A502192168/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=2855fd9b.
Accessed 26 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A502192168
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Before You Know It: The Unconscious
Reasons We Do What We Do
Publishers Weekly.
264.31 (July 31, 2017): p73.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do
John Bargh. Touchstone, $26 (352p)
ISBN 978-1-5011-0121-2
In this impressive debut, Bargh, a professor of social psychology at Yale University, dives deep into human
behavior and social psychology to unlock the enigmatic human unconscious. This aspect of the mind, Bargh
convincingly demonstrates, is more influential in daily life than we might think. The majority of the book is
devoted to revealing and analyzing various unconscious factors on our emotions and actions. These range
from the experience of holding a warm beverage--which studies have shown can lead to "warmer" feelings
toward nearby people--to dreams, which often involve important life decisions. Bargh observes that even in
infancy, before the brain can register memories, the unconsciousness is taking shape. Moving onto
attachment theory, Bargh cites and explains ongoing research at the University of Minnesota into how we
learn to trust and form relationships, based on how babies bond with their mothers. Elsewhere, he discusses
how, depending on the circumstances, trusting unthinking "gut" reactions can either be lifesaving or life
ending. In the final chapter, Bargh explores developing "mind control" over one's own mind by better
understanding how the unconscious works. He has assembled a fascinating compendium of landmark
social-psychology research, both by himself and his colleagues. Bargh's clear, accessible style will appeal to
general readers and specialists alike. (Oct.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do." Publishers Weekly, 31 July 2017, p.
73. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A499863450/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5d0d587b. Accessed 26 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A499863450
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Social sciences
Library Journal.
142.15 (Sept. 15, 2017): p83+.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No
redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
BIOGRAPHY
Guo Xiaolu. Nine Continents: A Memoir In and Out of China. Grove. Oct. 2017.336p. ISBN
9780802127136. $26. MEMOIR
In this forthright memoir, acclaimed writer and filmmaker Guo (honorary associate professor, Univ. of
Nottingham; I Am China) recounts the difficult, at times traumatic, circumstances she endured while
growing up in late 20th-century China. Guo's parents left her as an infant with her illiterate and
impoverished grandparents in a small fishing village on the East China Sea. Shockingly, the author
witnessed her grandfather's suicide as a young child. Additionally, her grandmother's care was inconsistent,
and owing to their limited means, hunger was Guo's constant companion. Although often overcome with
hopelessness, the author ultimately developed unwavering determination to move beyond her desolate
situation. After realizing her creative talent, Guo became steadfast in her desire to reach her potential.
Eventually reunited with her parents, she persevered against tremendous odds to attend university in
Beijing. Working within and against the complex political constraints of the Communist regime, she honed
her literary skills with the goal of immigrating to the West, where her freedoms would be greater.
VERDICT This compelling story set against the incredible growth and cultural changes of one of the
world's most powerful countries will engage those fascinated by the resolve of the human spirit to succeed.-
-Mary Jennings, Camano Island Lib., WA
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Mazower, Mark. What You Did Not Tell: A Russian Past and the Journey Home. Other. Oct. 2017.400p.
photos. maps. notes. ISBN 9781590519073. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9781590519097. BIOG
Mazower (history, Columbia Univ.; The Balkans: A Short History) illuminates Russian revolutionary
politics and emigre life in Britain in this fascinating family history. Max Mazower, the author's Russian
grandfather, was of the same generation as Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, but as a Bundist (member of the
secular Jewish socialist movement Bundism) was a revolutionary of a different stripe. Remarkable twists
and turns sent Max to interwar England, where he brought his wife, Frouma, and her daughter from Russia
and became a businessman. The family also included Max's son from a previous relationship, and William,
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the author's father, who was born in England. Delving into these lives, Mazower shows how his father
absorbed his unique background and became a quintessential Englishman. As with David Laskin's The
Family, entire family branches disappear in the chaos of war and Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union, and famous
Chekists and anarchists make surprising appearances. Mazower lovingly explores how his father, the
youngest in a family marked by upheaval, found comfort living in a close radius of his childhood home for
most of his life. VERDICT Readers of family histories and those with an interest in the Jewish Labour
Bund will appreciate this book.--Laurie Unger Skinner, Coll. of Lake Cty., Waukegan, IL
* Mitchell, Barbara. Mapmaker: Philip Turnor in Rupert's Land in the Age of Enlightenment. Univ. of
Regina. Oct. 2017. 352p. illus. maps. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780889775039. $29.95. HIST
This biography of the first inland surveyor for Canada's Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) is a testament to the
benefits of rigorous genealogical research. Mitchell's investigation of her great-great-great-great grandfather
Philip Turnor (1751-99) starts with HBC's hiring of an "observer" who was "not marry'd brot up in farming
business." The account continues through the surveyor's life in the wilderness, his encounters with the Cree
and marriage to a Cree woman, and the realities of working for the king while enduring badly provisioned
camps. Narrated in two "voices," the primary one a detailed history gleaned from material in HBC archives
and elsewhere, Mitchell's chronicle also offers "journal entries," which she composed as Turnor. Both
devices are effective; while the historical portion is marred slightly by overly frequent speculation, it is
based upon meticulous research--for example, a discussion of the canoe Turnor likely used is supported
with details on Cree vessels. There are a number of reproductions of period maps and other illustrations, as
well as high-quality notes and bibliography sections. VERDICT Where books on Canada, indigenous life,
exploration, or genealogy are favorites, this historical account is a must.--Henrietta Verma, National
Information Standards Organization, Baltimore
* Nelson, Anne. Suzanne's Children: A Daring Rescue in Nazi Paris. S. & S. Oct. 2017.336p. illus. notes.
bibliog. index. ISBN 9781501105326. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781501105340. BIOG
While researching Red Orchestra: The Story of the Berlin Underground and the Circle of Friends Who
Resisted Hitler (2009), Nelson (international & public affairs, Columbia Univ.) came across an intriguing
photograph of a woman named Suzanne Spaak within the memoirs of a Soviet agent. What Nelson learned
of Suzanne's background stoked her interest even more--a Belgian national who married into the political
and social elite of her country, but a resident of Paris during the Occupation who was later executed by
German officials in the last days of World War II. Nelson met with Suzanne's daughter in 2009. "Everyone
said Mama was a Soviet spy...I wouldn't care if she was, but she was something completely different." This
is the story of Suzanne; a heroine who saved more than 100 Jewish children from certain death and paid for
it with her life, a martyr honored decades later by Israel as one of the Righteous Among Nations. VERDICT
This heartfelt story is almost a model for how popular history should be written; it will satisfy lovers of
history, Jewish history in particular.--David Keymer. Cleveland
Stillman, Deanne. Blood Brothers: The Story of the Strange Friendship Between Sitting Bull and Buffalo
Bill. S. & S. Oct. 2017.288p. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781476773520. $27; ebk. ISBN 9781476773544.
BIOG
Stillman, a writer for the Los Angeles Review of Books, utilizes a plethora of primary and secondary
sources to recount the story of two American West icons: Lakota chief Sitting Bull (1831-90), and
American scout William F. Cody, aka Buffalo Bill (1846-1917), and the time that their lives intersected. For
four months in 1885, Sitting Bull toured with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, which traveled across the
United States and then to Europe, reenacting frontier events. Biographical information sheds light on their
roles as charismatic leaders who provided for peoples' needs. Sitting Bull was present at the Battle of the
Little Big Horn, in which Col. George Armstrong Custer was defeated; the Lakota leader ushering his
people to sanctuary in Canada. Later, Sitting Bull surrendered to the U.S. Army and took up residence on
the Standing Rock reservation. Buffalo Bill's life as a scout, fighter, and bison hunter was fodder for dime
novels and stage plays. After gaining popularity through his performances with Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull
returned to the reservation and in the 1890s became entangled in the Ghost Dance religious movement.
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Both men endured the consequences of changing times. VERDICT This well-written, poetic book will
appeal to general readers interested in Western Americana. [See Prepub Alert, 3/27/17.]--Patricia Ann
Owens, formerly at Illinois Eastern Community College, Mt. Carmel
* Weir, Alison. Queens of the Conquest: England's Medieval Queens. Bk. 1. Ballantine. Sept. 2017.592p.
illus. maps. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781101966662. $30; ebk. ISBN 9781101966679. BIOG
Best-selling author Weir (The Lost Tudor Princess) pens another readable, well-researched English history,
the first in a proposed four-volume series on England's medieval queens. Starting with Matilda of Flanders
(1031-83), Weir also focuses on the lives of Matilda of Scotland (1080-1118), the wife of Henry I of
England, and Matilda of Boulogne (1113?-52), who married King Stephen of England and fought a civil
war on his behalf. The narrative ends with the death of the Empress Maud, commonly called Matilda, in
1167. Besides examining the political life of these monarchs, Weir provides a detailed picture of the period
by describing clothing, food, religious worship, and other aspects of daily life. Along with several primary
source documents, the work includes a comprehensive royal family tree, maps, a glossary, and an annotated
bibliography. Note that this new series will not include Eleanor of Aquitaine or Isabella of France owing to
the author's previous biographies of both women. VERDICT Weir's research skills and storytelling ability
combine beautifully to tell a fascinating story supported by excellent historical research. Fans of her fiction
and nonfiction will enjoy this latest work.--Hanna Clutterbuck-Cook, Harvard Univ. Lib., Cambridge, MA
COMMUNICATIONS
Favilla, Emmy J. A World Without "Whom": The Essential Guide to Language in the BuzzFeed Age.
Bloomsbury Pr. Nov. 2017.400p. illus. notes. index. ISBN 9781632867575. $26; ebk. ISBN
9781632867599. COMM
Favilla's (global copy chief, BuzzFeed) observational guide to diction on the Internet begins with a playful,
humble introduction in which the author downplays the "dogma" of a style guide by harpooning what she
calls "the sacred prescriptivism/descriptivism dichotomy." Some featured examples are the redundancy of
"reasons why" in contrast with the tendency of language arbiters to acknowledge how people actually speak
(and thus how they may write). Favilla follows such explorations with insights on loaded diction, including
"actress" vs "actor," and suggests avoiding the term millennials completely. This work also contains an
official BuzzFeed word list with examples such as "judgy" (to stand as an adjective), "shit ton" (as two
words, not hyphenated or used as a compound), and even "mac 'n' cheese." VERDICT A smart and amusing
work that will appeal to those who enjoy the fun point of contact between language's inherent ambiguity
and its cultural and technological biases.--Jesse A. Lambertson, Georgetown Univ. Libs.
* Young, Kevin. Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News.
Graywolf. Nov. 2017.480p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781555977917. $30; ebk. ISBN
9781555979829. COMM
Fake news and alternative facts have a long and complex history in American culture. Young, an awardwinning
poet and director of the New York Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, explores the
deep roots of hoaxing in entertainment, literature, journalism, sports, and public life. Opening with a
discussion of P.T. Barnum's argument that people enjoy being fooled, Young examines the variety of hoaxes
that permeate daily life. He looks at the development of the penny press in the 1800s and a mix of stories,
including detailed reports of life on the moon, that made it challenging for readers to sort truth from fiction.
Young draws on many examples throughout history to argue that the false presentations of forgers,
plagiarists, euphemism-wielding public officials, and other purveyors of fraud distort our understanding of
the world. He untangles both the subtle and overt forms of racism embedded in perverted presentations of
reality. The final chapter touches on the current "post-fact" world and its rejection of expertise, raising
important questions about how we can know the truth. VERDICT This dense and wide-ranging critique
offers a fascinating view of the impact of fraud on truth. American studies scholars and readers interested in
contemporary culture will appreciate it.--Judy Solberg, Sacramento, CA
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ECONOMICS
* Riel, Jennifer & Roger L. Martin. Creating Great Choices: A Leader's Guide to Integrative Thinking.
Harvard Business Review. Sept. 2017.256p. illus. notes. index. ISBN 9781633692961. $32; ebk. ISBN
9781633692978. BUS
In 2007, Martin (academic director, Martin Prosperity Inst., Rotman Sch. of Management, Univ. of Toronto)
penned the book The Opposable Mind: Winning Through Integrative Thinking. This new work, coauthored
with Riel (management, Rotman Sch. of Management, Univ. of Toronto), is an evolution of its earlier, more
conceptual predecessor, retooled as a practical how-to. Drawing on examples of integrative decisionmaking
from the world of LEGO to the Toronto International Film Festival to the construction of
hydroelectric power plants, the authors dive into decisions that at first glance seem to be lose-lose
situations. By presenting a system that evaluates opposing options and creatively generates alternative
paths, they have built a workable structure to assist in those no-win circumstances. They successfully
present the information in a clear fashion, which allows the reader to move toward great choices in times
when there seem there be none. While the authors make no guarantee that following their steps will work
every time, they offer a solid starting point from which anyone can benefit. VERDICT With clear steps,
appropriate illustrations, and relevant real-life examples throughout, this book is recommended for anyone
seeking to improve their personal or professional decision-making process.--Mark Hanson, Maranatha
Baptist Univ. Lib., Watertown, WI
Simon, Morgan. Real Impact: The New Economics of Social Change. Nation. Oct. 2017. 256p. notes.
index. ISBN 9781568589800. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781568589817. ECON
Impact investment is "selecting for-profit investments in light of...awareness of the social and
environmental outcomes of such investments," writes Simon (coleader, Candide Group), who sees great
potential for impact investment to foster positive, systemic economic change. This book is in part a warning
to impact investors to avoid what the author regards as the failures and limitations of philanthropy,
microfinance, and fair trade. Her critiques of these three methods are thought provoking, as is her argument
that the nub of poverty is the lack of economic autonomy. The more distinctive, second part of the volume
discusses practical ways to implement impact investment using three principles: "engage communities in
design, governance, and ownership"; "add more value than you extract"; and "fairly balance risk and return
between investors, entrepreneurs, and communities," followed by real-life examples of such
implementation. One need not share Simon's progressive political sensibility to make use of the principles
and tools she proposes. VERDICT Though at times emotional and needlessly autobiographical, this book's
focused, practical aspects are insightful and informative and will appeal to those seeking realistic ways to
alleviate poverty.--Shmuel Ben-Gad, Gelman Lib., George Washington Univ., Washington, DC
EDUCATION
*Hechinger, John. True Gentlemen: The Broken Pledge of America's Fraternities. PublicAffairs. Sept. 2017.
320p. notes. index. ISBN 9781610396820. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781610396837. ED
The film Animal House (1978) has long shaped Americans' view of fraternity members as hard partying but
ultimately harmless, nitwits. Yet there is a far more sinister side to "Greek life." This is where Bloomberg
News editor Hechinger's book comes in handy. Using the notorious fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE)
as a case study, the author focuses each chapter on a different facet of the fraternity story. This can make for
sobering reading, as Hechinger traces the racist and anti-Semitic legacy of many of today's traditionally
white fraternities to the rape culture that pervades these institutions to such an extent that on many
campuses, SAE stands for "sexual assault expected." Hechinger travels across the country to interview
individuals at places such as the University of Alabama, where the SAE's century-old chapter has yet to
"pledge" a black student. Although there are mountains of evidence linking fraternities to an outsized share
of sexual assault charges and hazing-related injuries and deaths, college administrators have been
ineffective at reining in "problem chapters." As Hechinger demonstrates, this has a lot to do with
fraternities' fund-raising clout and lobbying power (including the political action committee FratPAC).
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VERDICT An exemplary work of investigative reporting. Recommended for all academic libraries.--Seth
Kershner, Northwestern Connecticut Community Coll. Lib., Winsted
Koretz, Daniel. The Testing Charade: Pretending To Make Schools Better. Univ. of Chicago. Sept. 2017.
288p. illus. notes. index. ISBN 9780226408712. $25. ED
For decades, the focus of the American education system has been on high-stakes tests with policies
attached that have forced schools to take drastic measures to keep scores up. Koretz (Henry Lee Shattuck
Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate Sch. of Education; Measuring Up) breaks down the simplistic
thinking of testing culture to shed light on the ways in which educational reform has gone horribly wrong.
Illustrating how exams create an atmosphere ripe for cheating, how the concentration on test prep has
supplanted a focus on real learning, and how teachers are unfairly judged by test results, Koretz uses realworld
examples as well as analogies from other industries to convey his arguments. This zeroing in on the
grand failures of the testing culture highlights the most egregious abuses yet skims over some of the
complexities of the issues. However, his points are sound, and his arguments convincingly presented. The
two final chapters present solid principles for change that are then translated into actions for a new testing
paradigm. VERDICT For readers who want to delve into testing-based accountability systems, why they
have failed, and how educators can generate change.--Rachel Wadham, Brigham Young Univ. Libs., Provo,
UT
HISTORY
* Ayers, Edward L. The Thin Light of Freedom: The Civil War and Emancipation in the Heart of America.
Norton. Oct. 2017.640p. illus. maps. notes. index. ISBN 9780393292633. $35; ebk. ISBN 9780393292640.
HIST
Ayers's superb new Civil War history, which began with In the Presence of Mine Enemies (2003), is set in
Virginia's Great Valley and traces the stories of Augusta, VA, and Franklin, PA, counties from abolitionist
John Brown's raid in 1859 to the eve of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. The work begins with Confederate
troops invading Pennsylvania and two years of conflict, followed by the social and political chaos of
Reconstruction and the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870. Ayers notes that many Americans on both
sides of the war did not anticipate the unconditional surrender of the South, the end of institutional slavery,
and the reconstruction of the country based on fundamental human rights for all. Paradoxically, Ayers
concludes that without secession, the mobilization of huge countervailing armies and the threat from initial
military successes by the Rebels, there would likely have been no early postwar attempt at emancipation for
African Americans. The author finds that "Americans made each others' history, often in ways they did not
foresee or intend." VERDICT An original contribution of unimpeachable scholarship. Highly recommended
for Civil War and regional historians, military theorists, and all readers.--John Carver Edwards, formerly
with Univ. of Georgia Libs.
* de Hamel, Christopher. Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts: Twelve Journeys into the Medieval
World. Penguin Pr. Oct. 2017.640p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781594206115. $45; ebk. ISBN
9780698163386. HIST
Librarian de Hamel (Corpus Christi Coll., Cambridge Univ.; A History of Illuminated Manuscripts), a
leading authority on medieval manuscripts, has produced a veritable feast for the mind, in this work that
fleshes out the lives of 12 manuscripts. The works are organized in chronological order, beginning with the
St. Augustine Gospels (sixth century) and concluding with the Spinola Hours (16th century). Content
includes gospels (The Booh of Kells), astrological works (The Leiden Aratea), music (Carmina Burana),
and Canterbury Tales (The Hengwrt Chaucer). High culture flows from every page, as de Hamel
interweaves the histories of these medieval artifacts with the lives of the people that intersected with them.
The author also includes autobiographical details from his extensive experience with these rare and
irreplaceable collections, including his meeting with Pope Benedict XVI and Archbishop Rowan Williams.
The writing style is delightfully tangential, leading readers through the episodes and turns of hand that led
to each manuscript's preservation through the centuries. The many full-page color facsimiles of the items
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are simply stunning. VERDICT Scholarly yet personal, this book treats medievalists, art historians,
bibliophiles, and other interested parties to the closest equivalent of a seat in the great archives. A beautiful
book about beautiful books.--Jeffrey Meyer, Mt. Pleasant P.L., IA
* Freedman, Lawrence. The Future of War. Public Affairs. Oct. 2017.400p. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN
9781610393058. $30; ebk. ISBN 9781610393065. HIST
For those who favor simple answers to complex issues, this work by Freedman (emeritus professor, war
studies, King's Coll. London; Strategy: A History) comes as a historic warning that there are none. Here, the
author focuses on government predictions before, during, and after military conflicts; when diplomacy ends
the politics of war begins and opposition is a consistent factor. Freedman surveys international conflicts and
their predicted outcomes, those both "scientific" and normative, as well as those speculated by others such
as novelists. The narrative spans the end of the 19th through the 20th century, from colonial wars to both
World Wars, the Cold War. and counterinsurgency and counterterrorism. The author makes a convincing
case that the military, defense industries, government think tanks, academia, politicians, and the media are
not much better than creators of fiction when it comes to predictions of future war. VERDICT Although a
sometimes monotonous read, Freedman's latest work delivers an important message. It will most appeal to
military historians and political scientists.--William D. Pederson, Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport
Gandt, Robert. Angels in the Sky: How a Band of Volunteer Airmen Saved the New State of Israel. Norton.
Oct. 2017.464p. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780393254778. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780393254785. HIST
Israel's 1948 war of independence consisted of a mostly air battle with a hastily arranged collection of
planes and fliers from across the world with varying motivations for fighting for Israel--some were Zionists,
while others were simply looking for an adventure. This unlikely successful conflict serves as an inspiration
for prolific military and aviation storyteller and former military and commercial pilot Gandt, who tells the
stories of those who fought. While this account is based on historical research and interviews with the pilots
and their families, the writing style has the elements of a thriller, including dramatic barroom stakeouts,
aerial shootouts, and smuggling planes via Panama and Czechoslovakia. The author's personal experience
with flying and aerial warfare is evident from the detailed descriptions of navigating a war plane and the
emotional turmoil of combat. The young country of Israel is a backdrop, but not a main player in this
narrative. VERDICT This engaging book will be an excellent nonfiction choice for aficionados of military
thrillers. General readers seeking an accessible history of the Israeli war of independence will also enjoy.--
Margaret Heller, Loyola Univ. Chicago Libs.
Lewis Jr., James E. The Burr Conspiracy: Uncovering the Story of an Early American Crisis. Princeton
Univ. Nov. 2017.728p. illus. maps. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780691177168. $35; ebk. ISBN
9781400888825. HIST
In 1805, Aaron Burr, former vice president of the Republic, crossed the Appalachians on a tour of the
western United States. By 1806, he was arrested for treason. What transpired during that year has been a
topic of debate among historians. Lewis (history, Kalamazoo Coll.; The Louisiana Purchase) contributes to
the conversation with a wholly new analysis of the Burr conspiracy that focuses more on the reaction than
on the event itself. The cultural forces at work, including the dissemination of information through partisan
newspapers, the rumor mill, and Thomas Jefferson's strategic statements on the subject reveal more than
just a narrative of the conspiracy itself---but also how anxious citizens were about the newly formed
government collapsing around them. More interestingly, Lewis shows the way information circulated and
shaped public perception by preying on people's fears and biases, letting readers extrapolate how rumors
and news travel and inform society in modern times. VERDICT A meticulously researched, comprehensive
analysis essential to early American scholarship. For both academics and general readers who seek
compelling microhistories.--Jessica Holland, Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington
Manseau, Peter. The Apparitionists: A Tale of Phantoms, Fraud, Photography, and the Man Who Captured
Lincoln's Ghost. Houghton Harcourt. Oct. 2017.352p. illus. notes. bibliog. ISBN 9780544745971. $27; ebk.
ISBN 9780544745988. HIST
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In 1869, "spirit photographer" William Mumler was charged with fraud for producing photographs
allegedly containing phantoms of the deceased. Widely covered in the daily papers, the case was described
by Harper's Weekly as "remarkable and without precedent in the annals of criminal jurisprudence." In the
aftermath of the Civil War, the nation was exploding with interest in making contact with lost loved ones.
According to Smithsonian curator Manseau (Songs for the Butcher's Daughter), "It was a time when rapidly
increasing scientific knowledge was regarded not as the enemy of supernatural obsessions, but an
encouragement to them.... Now came Mumler and his camera offering sight beyond sight." After Mumler
was acquitted, he made the defining picture of his career in 1872, capturing Mary Todd Lincoln with the
spirit image of husband Abraham Lincoln. VERDICT For enthusiasts and experts alike of photography
history and post--Civil War American history. Those interested in the fringes of Lincoln-related books will
want to make room on the shelf for this work.--John Muller, Washington, DC, P.L.
Plokhy, Serhii. Lost Kingdom: The Quest for Empire and the Making of the Russian Nation. Basic. Oct.
2017.432p. maps. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780465098491. $32; ebk. ISBN 9780465097395. SOC SCI
In his latest work, Plokhy (history, Harvard Univ.; The Last Empire: The Final Days of the Soviet Union)
offers readers a better understanding of modern Russia by reviewing the country from its early years to the
present. The author provides an in-depth look at different eras in Soviet history, from Mongolian rule in the
1400s to the pivotal revolution in the 20th century. Along the way, he connects the motives and behaviors of
past rulers Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin to those of current president Vladimir Putin. The narrative
connects Russia's rich past to today's political and social climate and uses this history to provide context for
the nation's relationships with Crimea and Ukraine. Notably, the author offers insight into the motivations of
the present administration and shape of the region. Plokhy explains how other countries have moved on
from the desire to create and maintain empires while Russia continues to focus on re-creating its
romanticized past. VERDICT Recommended for anyone who enjoys world history, particularly relating to
Russia or Eurasia.--Sonnet Ireland, St. Tammany Parish P.L., Mandeville, LA
Ross, Steven J. Hitler in Los Angeles: How Jews Foiled Nazi Plots Against Hollywood and America.
Bloomsbury Pr. Oct. 2017.432p. illus. maps. notes. index. ISBN 9781620405628. $30; ebk. ISBN
9781620405642. HIST
Winston Churchill said of World War II that, "This is a war of the unknown warriors." Nowhere was this
truer than in the little-known story of attorney Leon Lewis and others who thwarted internal and external
threats to the security of America during this era. Ross (history, Univ. of Southern California; Working
Class Hollywood) brings his knowledge of both history and Hollywood to weave information from the
considerable archives of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles. From 1933 until the end of
the war in 1945, Lewis and his fellow agents risked their lives to counter Nazi and homegrown nationalist
forces plotting sabotage and mass murder. Little has been written about Lewis and his network, despite that
they helped the FBI capture and contain these forces. Because state and federal law enforcement were more
focused on anti-Communist efforts, several plots came quite close to fruition. VERDICT This rich,
academic tome lends an important aspect to the typical look at Hollywood studio acquiescence to Germany,
such as Thomas Doherty's Hollywood and Hitler, and provides a counterpoint to Ben Urwand's The
Collaboration. Readers interested in a detailed look at this spy operation can have confidence in this wellsourced
account.--Maria Bagshaw, Elgin Community Coll. Lib., IL
Rounding, Virginia. The Burning Time: Henry VIII, Bloody Mary, and the Protestant Martyrs of London.
St. Martin's. Oct. 2017.480p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781250040640. $29.99; ebk. ISBN
9781466836242. HIST
With this latest work, Rounding (Catherine the Great) provides an in-depth look at the volatile conditions
Catholics and Protestants alike experienced during the reigns of Henry VIII and Mary I as people were
forced to test the strength of their faith against the constantly changing religious dogma that threatened their
lives. Through stories of the Smithfield martyrs, Rounding comprehensively examines what brought about
this dark period in history, while also making connections to the current religious climate and the possibility
of learning from the past to end these conflicts. While many books exist on some of the major players
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featured in these pages, such as William Roper's The Life of Sir Thomas More, this work stands apart by
delving into the lives of Lord Chancellor Richard Rich, a protege of Thomas Cromwell intent on gaining
power, and John Deane, rector of the Anglican church St. Bartholomew's. VERDICT Recommended for
history buffs interested in religious impacts on society, as well as those wishing to learn more about the
Tudor dynasty. However, because of the many martyrs discussed, Rounding's descriptive writing may make
it difficult for some readers to get hooked.--Katie McGaha, County of Los Angeles P.L.
Van Cleve, George William. We Have Not a Government: The Articles of Confederation and the Road to
the Constitution. Univ. of Chicago. Oct. 2017.400p. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780226480503. $30.
HIST
Van Cleve (law, history, Seattle Univ. School of Law; A Slaveholder's Union) ably demonstrates that U.S.
political and financial difficulties culminated by 1787, after the Revolutionary War's end, in unsustainable
and irreparable conditions that caused Americans to fear that the weakened Confederation, nearing collapse,
would be subject to anarchy and foreign domination. The author describes in great detail the varied and
complicated issues faced by the impotent, insolvent Congress: lack of sovereignty, crippling debt, unfunded
military to protect settlers facing threats from Native Americans and European governments, curtailed
international trade, sectional divisiveness, local uprisings over debt relief, and high taxes. Van Cleve also
convincingly explains how and why contemporary leaders with disparate political philosophies and
economic interests, though fearful of a powerful central government, became convinced that the
Confederation was in such critical straits that it was necessary to establish the Philadelphia Convention of
May 1787 and institute far-reaching compromises to produce a strong central government under the
Constitution. In the process, he refutes some historians' conclusions about the period, most significantly that
the necessity for reform was perceived, not objective. VERDICT This detailed and well-researched history
and analysis will appeal to scholars and serious popular history buffs.--Margaret Kappanadze, Elmira Coll.
Lib., NY
LAW & CRIME
* Dawson, Kate Winkler. Death in the Air: The True Story of a Serial Killer, the Great London Smog, and
the Strangling of a City. Hachette. Oct. 2017.320p. maps. notes. index. ISBN 9780316506861. $27; ebk.
ISBN 9780316506854. CRIME
Two events occurred in London in the early 1950s that would change the law. The first became known as
the Great Smog: a fog that enveloped London in 1952 with poisonous air that seeped into every nook and
cranny of the city. Even though London was renowned for its "pea-soup" fog, the Great Smog was extreme,
caused by the smoke of over a million coal fires combining with thick fog that lingered for days. Killing
over 12,000 people, the tragedy led to clean air legislation. The second event eventually led to the abolition
of capital punishment. Dawson (journalism, Univ. of Texas at Austin) tells of how in 1950, Timothy Evans
was convicted and hanged for the murder of his wife and daughter. In 1953, John Reginald Christie, Evans's
neighbor and a serial murderer who took the lives of at least seven women, was finally apprehended.
Christie's conviction cast doubt on Evans's execution, as many wondered if Christie was the actual killer.
This doubt eventually contributed to legislation suspending the death penalty in 1965. VERDICT Tendrils
of sickening fog creep everywhere in this book, and terror lurks in the shadows. Dawson skillfully weaves
these two events into a substantial narrative that will appeal to all types of readers.--Penelope J.M. Klein,
Fayetteville, NY
James, Peter "Big Pete" with Kerrie Droban. The Last Chicago Boss: My Life with the Chicago Outlaws
Motorcycle Club. St. Martin's. Sept. 2017. 304p. photos. ISBN 9781250105912. $27.99; ebk. ISBN
9781250187307. CRIME
The Godfather meets Harley Davidson in this book that tells the story of how author James became the head
of the notorious motorcycle gang the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club. With attorney and author Droban
(Prodigal Father, Pagan Son), he outlines how he rose to power with the same ambition of CEOs of major
companies; he just wanted more power. Starting at the lowest rung of the gang and working his way up,
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James took tips from leaders in other industries to be an effective leader of the Outlaws. One might not
think a motorcycle gang boss would rehearse speeches, working on dramatic pauses, but he knew what
worked. With his wife by his side, James did what he could to keep his gang together, invoking a sense of
family, but once his health deteriorated, his effectiveness could not keep up. James is candid in showing a
world that oozes with power and fear but also demonstrates that crime does not always pay. VERDICT A
good read for those interested in motorcycle gangs and how they function as well as fans of Sons of
Anarchy and The Godfather. It's gritty and seedy, and gives the reader an inside look at the world of
Outlaws.--Ryan Claringbole, Wisconsin Dept. of Pub. Instruction, Madison
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Drozdiak, William. Fractured Continent: Europe's Crises and the Fate of the West. Norton. Sept. 2017.320p.
photos. notes. index. ISBN 9780393608687. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780393608694. POL SCI
Drozdiak's (former editor and chief European correspondent, Washington Post) book is most successful is in
its analysis of the splintering of the "United States of Europe" through the scope of the challenges facing
Europe's largest cities--from Athens to Warsaw--and how politics in the United States plays a role in its
decline. Numerous works have been released in the past few months regarding the decline of Europe, but
none captures the struggles and issues influencing individual cities in the same way as this one. Drozdiak
posits that the struggle in Europe will not be confined to its continent, but rather will impact the United
States. In addition, his book seeks to define the importance of continued progressive relationships between
Europe and its allies in order to preserve Western democracies. For those who are seeking a discussion on
the ongoing political, social, and economic issues facing Europe, this volume offers a comprehensive look
into the past and the author's perspectives on how to move forward successfully. VERDICT A strong choice
for readers interested in studying the affects of changes throughout the European continent at the city level.
[See Prepub Alert, 4/3/17.]--Mattie Cook, Lake Odessa Comm. Lib., MI
Epstein, Helen. Another Fine Mess: America, Uganda, and the War on Terror. Columbia Global Reports.
Sept. 2017.262p. maps. notes. ISBN 9780997722925. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9780997722932. POL SCI
Author (The Invisible Cure), journalist (The New York Times), public health consultant, and professor
(human rights & global public health, Bard Coll.) Epstein weaves the life story of Ugandan journalist,
political activist, and professor Kiwanuka Lawrence Nsereko into the modern history of Uganda to expose
the unconscionable decades-long support by the United States and other Western governments of President
Yoweri Museveni, a murderous dictator who has plundered foreign aid and natural resource funds to gain
wealth and power and install and maintain similar strongmen in neighboring African nations. Epstein
demonstrates how Museveni played U.S. administrations from Reagan through Obama by selling himself as
the bulwark of democracy against Islamist extremism in East and Central Africa, building an army to
intervene in (and exacerbate) conflicts in neighboring countries on behalf of "Western interests" in the "war
on terror." Though others have written about Uganda in this context (Epstein cites particularly Ogenga
Otunnu's Crisis of Legitimacy and Political Violence in Uganda), Epstein's book is well written, well
documented, and brief enough that it should be widely read. VERDICT Essential for anyone interested in
American foreign policy as it relates to Africa.--Joel Neuberg, Santa Rosa Junior Coll. Lib., CA
* Golden, Daniel. Spy Schools: How the CIA, FBI, and Foreign Intelligence Secretly Exploit America's
Universities. Holt. Oct. 2017. 352p. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781627796354. $30; ebk. ISBN
9781627796361. POL SCI
Readers unfamiliar with American and foreign intelligence agencies' (mostly) covert exploitation of
America's universities doubtless will find Pulitzer Prize winner Golden's (The Price of Admission)
journalistic expose shocking. Even worse is the apparent complicity of administrative policymakers and
more than a few presidents of academia, some with intimate ties to foreign espionage. Students on the lowincome,
high-IQ side of the sociological divide reportedly are at higher risk of encountering slick recruiters
from the CIA, FBI, NSA, and other intelligence agencies, and are courted with promises of employment
and even cash payouts. The CIA, claims Golden, has gone as far as staging academic conferences in order
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to coax Iranian nuclear scientists to defect; an isolated liberal arts college in southeast Ohio exchanged
faculty with an infamous Chinese spy school. These revelations sound absurd but are public record. Such
aggressive infiltration of academia wasn't tolerated during the Cold War. Academic specialists feared losing
credibility, and putting their students in danger. Foreign governments providing valuable research loathed
the CIA and understandably had zero interest in cultivating American spies--attitudes and official postures
which crumbled after 9/11. VERDICT A sobering chronicle of intelligence agencies battling under the guise
of national security for dominion over weaponized technology and its creators.--William Grabowski,
McMechen, WV
Hawley, George. Making Sense of the Alt-Right. Columbia Univ. Sept. 2017.232p. notes. index. ISBN
9780231185127. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780231546003. POL SCI
Hawley (political science, Univ. of Alabama) attempts to explain the ideology and appeal of the white
nationalist movement referring to itself as the "alt-right" in American politics. A scholar of American
conservatism, the author was caught by surprise by the "meteoric rise" of the groups supporting this
movement and the energy it received from Donald Trump's presidential campaign. He explores the
influence of white nationalist movements and traces the intellectual roots of such organizations found in the
"paleo-conservative" writings of Paul Gottfried and others. In this regard, this book can be seen as a sequel
to Hawley's Right-Wing Critics of American Conservatism, with much of its assessment revolving around
the movement's attack on traditional conservatism, as well as on the religious right. Hawley asserts that the
movement "rejects liberty and equality as ideals" and describes provocative tactics used by those such as
Richard Spencer, Mike Cernovich, and Milo Yiannopoulos. He devotes an entire chapter to its role in the
2016 election and the support of the "alt-lite"--right-wing populists who do not fully embrace extremist
positions. Hawley speculates that increasing online censorship of "alt-right" views could diminish its
effectiveness in U.S. politics but does not see the movement fading in the near future. VERDICT An
important contribution to contemporary political discourse that sheds light on a disturbingly influential
group in American politics.--Thomas Karel, Franklin & Marshall Coll. Lib., Lancaster, PA
PSYCHOLOGY
* Bargh, John. Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do. Touchstone. Oct.
2017.352p. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781501101212. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781501101236. PSYCH
Bargh, a psychology professor and director of Yale University's ACME (Automaticity in Cognition,
Motivation, and Evaluation) Laboratory explores the age-old mystery of the relationship between the
conscious and unconscious. How much of what we say, feel, and do is actually under our control? Bargh
draws on theories from behaviorism and cognitive psychology in the past, and references material ranging
from Sigmund Freud to studies of Otzi (one of the world's oldest mummies who lived around 3200 BCE)
and Seinfeld. He has spent his career analyzing the power of human unconsciousness. Although the work is
girded with years of studies and research, humor and use of personal anecdotes keep the writing accessible.
Readers will finish the final chapter (helpfully entitled "You Have Mind Control") with new understanding
of the authority of the unconscious but also armed with practical tips, based on that knowledge, to use free
will to change themselves. VERDICT Readers of Angela Duckworth's Grit: The Power of Passion and
Perseverance or Malcolm Gladwell's Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking will definitely want
to read this, as will anyone seriously interested in psychology and self-improvement. Highly
recommended.--Elizabeth Safford, Boxford Town Lib., MA
Wicks, Robert J. Night Call: Embracing Compassion and Hope in a Troubled World. Oxford Univ. Oct.
2017. 280p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780190669638. $24.95. PSYCH
Psychologist Wicks (emeritus, Loyola Univ. Maryland; Bounce: Living the Resilient Life; Perspective: The
Calm Within the Storm) adds another work for professionals who care for others with this explanation of
lessons on how to enjoy a more rewarding life. In his own search for ways to build a rewarding life, Wicks
learned how professional helpers and healers can facilitate their care for others with self-care, maintaining a
healthy perspective, expanding one's resiliency range, and self-renewal. His lessons are purposefully brief
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and not designed to be a quick fix. They require hard work, reflection, and perseverance in order to put the
ideas into practice. They include appreciating respect and learning a sense of true presence, learning from
failure, creating refreshing internal emotional space, and more. Wicks bases his ideas on insights revealed
from the lives and writings of critical thinkers from various professions and his own clinical work. While
this work borrows from Wicks's prior books on caring for caregivers, the addition of practical tools and
techniques help form a solid foundation for enlivening the lofty principles of the work. VERDICT Highly
recommended for all helping professionals and members of critical incident stress management teams.
Essential for all libraries supporting helping professions curriculum.--Dale Farris, Groves, TX
SOCIAL SCIENCE
Carlson, Gretchen. Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Your Power Back. Center Street. Oct. 2017.256p.
notes. ISBN 9781478992172. $27; ebk. ISBN 9781478992158. SOC SCI
As an accomplished violinist, former Miss America, and Fox News commentator, Carlson is no stranger to
the spotlight, but she faced one of the brightest and harshest lights when she filed a sexual harassment
lawsuit against Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes in 2015. The results--a torrent of verbal abuse from critics
and thousands of messages from women sharing their own experiences--spurred her into dedicated
advocacy for fighting against sexual harassment, with Be Fierce as her latest effort. Part call to arms and
part how-to manual, the book is slightly disorganized in its presentation, but fervent in its message. The
amount of systemic abuse detailed in the narrative can pitch toward a gloomy outlook, since the stories of
women who dared to speak out often involve unhelpful HR policies and arbitration clauses, hostile
coworkers and media, and ruined careers for the harassed. However, Carlson's drive to dispel the myths
around harassment and to offer guidance as to how speak out against it remains strong throughout.
VERDICT The combination of advice and anecdote sometimes makes for an unsteady read, but Carlson's
uncompromising passion on this issue is highly welcome.--Kathleen McCallister, Tulane Univ., New
Orleans
Maron, Marc & Brendan McDonald. Waiting for the Punch: Words To Live By from the WTF Podcast.
Flatiron: Macmillan. Oct. 2017. 416p. index. ISBN 9781250088888. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250088895.
SOC SCI
Maron is a stand-up comic, actor, and author, but his excellence as host of the WTF with Marc Maron
podcast has thrust him into the spotlight. In this collection, he shares the most revealing, heartfelt moments
from that (R-rated) podcast, which has featured a long list of celebrities from many walks of life. Amy
Poehler, Patton Oswalt, Terry Gross, Bruce Springsteen, Judd Apatow, and Lena Dunham are but a few of
the many luminaries Maron has interviewed. Each chapter begins with a brief meditation on a single topic--
"Growing Up," "Sexuality," "Relationships," "Parenting," etc.--and then divides further with the name of the
podcast guest above their most raw anecdotes on that topic. Some interviewees are included several times
within each chapter, so that their anecdotes build to a suspenseful, evocative climax; the punch provided by
the last piece of the story. Shining through each one is Maron's ability to coax honest and gut-wrenching
responses from his guests, whether it's Amy Schumer discussing her sexual experiences or Barack Obama
explaining the evolution of his identity. VERDICT A must-read for Maron fans and anyone curious about
his work.--Paul Stenis, Pepperdine Univ. Lib., Malibu, CA
Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump's America. Picador. Oct. 2017.256 p. ed. by
Samhita Mukhopadhyay & Kate Harding. ISBN 9781250155504. pap. $16; ebk. ISBN 9781250155511.
SOC SCI
This collection of essays edited by Mukhopadhyay (senior editorial director of culture & identities, Mic)
and Harding (Asking for It) aims to present a diverse group of voices "writing at the intersection of
feminism, identity, and personal experience" with a primary focus on the 2016 presidential election. Many
pieces focus on the authors' personal reaction to the election results, with some describing their anger, fear,
and heartbreak. The contributors, including Cheryl Strayed, Rebecca Solnit, Alicia Garza, and others
represent a variety of groups who fear being marginalized under Donald Trump owing to discrimination
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based on their race, ethnic background, religion, sexual orientation, or gender nonconformity. Some essays
analyze the reasons behind Hillary Clinton's loss of the presidency and the sexism that permeated the
election, presenting historical context on the struggle for gender equality. There are also chapters on current
women's issues: health care, reproductive rights, immigration, and economic inequality. Taken together,
these writings emphasize the need for an intersectional feminist movement. The final essays present a
general path forward and the importance of building an inclusive coalition focused on active resistance.
Unfortunately, these chapters lack details on specific actions, but they broadly encourage personal and
public forms of resistance. VERDICT A thought-provoking view of the election from an array of feminist
perspectives that will be of interest to many. [See Prepub Alert, 3/27/17.]--Theresa Muraski, Univ. of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point Lib.
Parry, Richard Lloyd. Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan's Disaster Zone. MCD. Oct.
2017.320p. notes. index. ISBN 9780374253974. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780374710934. SOC SCI
In March 2011, Japan was struck by multiple disasters: an earthquake, a tsunami, and a nuclear catastrophe.
Parry (People Who Eat Darkness) specifically focuses on the effects of the tsunami on the severely hit
community of Okawa. At the town's primary school, 74 children lost their lives, the most deaths out of all
the primary schools in the country. This book follows families from the day the tsunami struck to the
present; documenting the momentous lawsuit residents filed against the educational district in order to
obtain the truth of what happened at the school. Through numerous interviews with the families and an
intimate knowledge of Japanese society, Parry weaves a heart-wrenchingly bittersweet but resilient story.
By focusing on one community, he deftly displays the process of grief and bureaucratic sidestepping in
addition to the strength that individuals and families showed after the tragedy. VERDICT While other books
have focused on the science behind earthquakes and tsunamis, Parry brings a human element to the disaster,
perfectly highlighting how narrative nonfiction can shed light on an otherwise unfathomable event for any
type of reader.--Laura Hiatt, Fort Collins, CO
Scutts, Joanna. The Extra Woman: How Marjorie Hillis Led a Generation of Women To Live Alone and
Like It. Liveright: Norton. Nov. 2017.288p. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781631492730. $27.95; ebk.
ISBN 9781631492747. SOC SCI
In 1936, Marjorie Hillis published the best-selling Live Alone and Like It: A Guide for the Extra Woman,
the first self-help manual for single women. In her first book, Scutts examines Hillis's life from her
childhood as the daughter of a famed Presbyterian minister in Brooklyn to her journalism career as an editor
at Vogue. Scutts also covers a history of single working women, particularly in New York, and other
popular self-help and cookbooks that rode on Hillis's wave of popularity. Hillis continued to write other
advice books including Orchids on Your Budget, Com Beef and Caviar, and an unsuccessful narrative poem
about the careers of seven women, Work Ends at Nightfall. After she married at age 49, to much joking
about giving up her single status, Hillis took a hiatus until after the death of her husband when she penned
two advice books: one for newly single women, You Can Start All Over and one for older women, Keep
Going and Like It. VERDICT Although readers may be over the fad of single women lit, Scutts offers a
compelling look at Hillis, a largely forgotten but important figure.--Kate Stewart, American Folklife Ctr.,
Washington, DC
Women Writing Resistance: Essays on Latin America and the Caribbean. Beacon. Oct. 2017.240p. ed. by
Jennifer Browdy. illus. bibliog. ISBN 9780807088197. pap. $18; ebk. ISBN 9780807088203. SOC SCI
This anthology edited by Browdy (comparative literature, Bard Coll. at Simon's Rock) is a collection of
prose and poetry focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean, drawing attention to the theme of suffering
throughout history. Each chapter takes readers on a journey as contributors write about a personal
experience, a person in their life, or an event that made them realize they had a story worth telling, one that
would help inform others and keep memories alive. We meet a Haitian grandmother whose wise words
about remembering the past prevents anyone from dying. There is also a series of poetry, in English and
Spanish, paying homage to Cuban poet Dulce Maria Loynaz. Ruth Behar, the chapter's author, depicts the
challenges she and other Cubans have faced owing to the unpredictability of U.S.-Cuba political relations.
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Together these pieces discuss injustices that have evolved from colonization, imperialism, and
globalization. They succeed in drawing attention to the plight of others and how throughout history, the
majority has suffered to benefit the few. VERDICT A wonderful compilation of works by Latinx writers
commemorating the past and aspiring to change the future.--Susan E. Montgomery, Rollins Coll., Winter
Park, FL
TRAVEL & GEOGRAPHY
The Best American Travel Writing 2017. Mariner: Houghton Harcourt. Oct. 2017.320p. ed. by Lauren
Collins. ISBN 9781328745736. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9781328742339. TRAV
Travel writing has changed. As the world becomes more accessible and interconnected, clearly defined
cultures become less distinct. Take, for example the Alaskan villagers in Saki Knafo's "Waiting on a Whale
at the End of the World," who attempt to continue their tradition of whaling, while returning home to their
smart phones and reality TV. Then there is the effort to maintain one's culture while trying to avoid
"chiefing," or selling it as a commercial commodity, as Stephanie Elizondo Griest explores in "Chiefing in
Cherokee." From quirky subcultures to the overarching Syrian refugee crisis to the sameness and
differences within cultures, religions, and politics, the essays here reshape the notion of travel writing. Even
Wells Tower's hilarious sarcastic essay of a trip gone awry addresses the issue of changes in travel and the
overcrowding in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The foreword by "Best American" series editor
Jason Wilson questions whether travel writing is dead; this compilation offers a resounding no. VERDICT
This gratifying compilation jaunts across countries, cultures, religions, and history and is admirably suited
for both armchair travelers and general readers who enjoy knowledgeable writing.--Stacy Shaw, Orange,
CA
Fili, Louise & Use Apatoff. The Cognoscenti's Guide to Florence: Shop and Eat Like a Florentine, rev. ed.
Princeton Architectural. Aug. 2017.224p. photos. maps. index. ISBN 9781616896362. $15.95; ebk. ISBN
9781616896904. TRAV
This is a charming, compact guide (revised and updated edition) to family- or locally owned and operated
shops and eateries in Florence, Italy. Presented through eight walking tours of different areas of the city,
each section includes brief stories about selected businesses. The artisans featured use time-honored
techniques in both traditional and contemporary ways for their work, which ranges from wigs made for
famous clients to beautifully designed chocolates, cicogna (stork) scissors, and delicate embroidery. The
shops described are irresistible. Included in each tour is a restaurant guide with descriptions of the vibe and
meals offered as well as hours and pricing. Authors Fili and Apatoff's passion for Florence and their
connection with the artisans featured shines. Fili designs food packaging and restaurant identities, while
Apatoff is an official guide for the city, and their expertise is apparent. It is worth noting that the guide itself
is beautifully designed with vibrant photographs that truly capture the lovely, varied boutiques presented
within. VERDICT Recommended for those journeying to Florence soon, or armchair travelers who are
passionate about traditional craftsmanship, family-owned businesses and off-the-beaten-path discoveries.--
Katie Lawrence, Grand Rapids, MI
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Social sciences." Library Journal, 15 Sept. 2017, p. 83+. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A504543735/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=593f6e93.
Accessed 26 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A504543735

"Bargh, John: BEFORE YOU KNOW IT." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A502192168/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 26 Apr. 2018. "Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do." Publishers Weekly, 31 July 2017, p. 73. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A499863450/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 26 Apr. 2018. "Social sciences." Library Journal, 15 Sept. 2017, p. 83+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A504543735/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 26 Apr. 2018.

• Mind Hacks
  https://mindhacks.com/2018/04/04/review-john-barghs-before-you-know-it/
  Word count: 937

  Review: John Bargh’s “Before You Know It”
  I have a review of John Bargh’s new book “Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do” in this month’s Psychologist magazine. You can read the review in print (or online here) but the magazine could only fit in 250 words, and I originally wrote closer to 700. I’ll put the full, unedited, review below at the end of this post.

  John Bargh is one of the world’s most celebrated social psychologists, and has made his name with creative experiments supposedly demonstrating the nature of our unconscious minds. His work, and style of work, has been directly or implicitly criticised during the so-called replication crisis in psychology (example), so I approached a book length treatment of his ideas with interest, and in anticipation of how he’d respond to his critics.

  Full disclosure: I’ve previously argued that Bargh’s definition of ‘unconscious’ is theoretically incoherent, rather than merely empirically unreliable, so my prior expectations for his book are probably best classified as ‘skeptical’. I did get a free copy though, which always puts me in a good mood.

  If you like short and sweet, please pay The Psychologist a visit for the short review. If you’ve patience for more of me (and John Bargh), read on….

  Review of

  Before you know it: The unconscious reasons we do what do do

  by John Bargh

  Heinemann, 2017

  First the good news. John Bargh is a luminary of social psychology, a charming and expert guide to research on the importance of our motivations, goals, habits, history and environment in affecting our everyday behaviours. His enthusiasm for the topic, and track record for conducting experiments with just that bit more flair than most psychology studies, shine through this book, as does some his love of his family, of road trips and of Led Zeppelin. In “Before you know it”, Bargh walks us through a series of striking demonstrations of how small differences can have big effects on our behaviour, perhaps without our full awareness of their import. These are things such as his famous experiment reporting that students who were asked to do a word unscrambling task containing primes of the concept “elderly” walked slower down the corridor upon leaving the experiment, or the study showing that holding a hot drink influenced people to rate a stranger more warmly. In addition to this tour of social psychology experiments by someone with an unrivaled insider’s knowledge, Bargh presents an account of human behaviour which situates our social lives within what we know about cognition, neuroscience and evolution. Social psychology, in his view, is no isolated discipline, but a part of a broader, multidisciplinary, account of the mind. He draws on Skinner, Freud and Darwin as well as a range of important historical and contemporary psychologists.

  So, the bad news. Like all of psychology, much of the literature cited in this book has faced new scrutiny as part of the ‘replication crisis’. A core topic of the book, so called ‘social priming’ has been very staunchly criticised for being based on shifting sands of unreliable, selectively published research. This is not the place to critique the reliability of Bargh‘s research methods, but it is remiss that he doesn’t once offer a rejoinder these criticisms.

  Bargh‘s over-inclusive use of the term ‘unconscious’ renders the term meaningless, in my opinion. He applies it to any behaviour of which we do not offer full report of all causes. Difficulties with eliciting reliable self-reports on internal states, twinned with the privileged perspective of experimenters (who know the experiment’s conditions) over participants (who each only know one condition) mean it is simply invalid to infer from a lack of report that a participant is unconscious of a driver of their behaviour in any strong way. Bargh can use the word ‘unconscious’ to mean ‘not often discussed’ if he wants, but it is an unfair trick on the reader, who might assume that the word carried some deeper conceptual importance.

  Bargh‘s book doesn’t live up to the promise of any of the components. The real world examples of people whose behaviour has been ‘unconsciously’ influenced that he recruits to motivate his chapters are engagingly told, but the analysis is not deep and could have been more thoroughly woven with the experimental results. The experiments described are fascinating, but – and maybe this is the academic in me – I would have loved to have heard more discussion of possible interpretations and more detail on the exact results. The theoretical account of the mind he is advancing is pleasing syncretic, as I mention above, but the experiments are presented as merely confirming some theoretical idea, it is often unclear what theories they disprove or practical applications they endorse. Finally, while the author’s personal character and story feature frequently in the book, it is in a frustrating lack of depth (in one chapter Bargh describes in a few lines how a chance meeting in a diner led to his future marriage, but we learn almost nothing about his wife-to-be. Please, John, if you’re going to gossip, gossip good!). As such a successful psychologist and pivotal researcher, details of how Bargh lives and works could be interesting in and of themselves, but these details are tantalisingly few – Bargh‘s charms come through, but as with the research, there aren’t enough details to really satisfy.

• ZME Science
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  Word count: 616

  Book Review: ‘Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do
  LAST UPDATED ON FEBRUARY 15TH, 2018 AT 11:23 PM BY MIHAI ANDREI E-mail author
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  Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do
  by John Bargh
  Touchstone, 352 pages // Buy on Amazon

  Why do we do the things we do, what lurks beneath our sense of awareness, and what does a Led Zeppelin fan have in common with the human brain? Before You Know It does a lot to answer these questions, and it does so in style.

  The human brain is quite possibly the most complex object known to mankind. While we still can’t claim to truly understand it, we have come a long way, understanding at least some of its surprising intricacies.

  Yet despite this complexity, the book still manages to maintain an accessible and pleasant approach to describing the human brain. To me, that’s an important part of what separates the good science books from the excellent ones — and Before You Know It certainly shines in this regard. It presents even the most complex bits of science in an engaging, reasonable language, and it also does a great job at not oversimplifying things, which is often the trade-off in books like these.

  You could hardly find a better writer for this type of book. John Bargh is a highly respected social psychologist currently working at Yale University who’s dedicated his life towards understanding what behaviors are a result of our own will, and what behaviors come as an automatic response to external stimuli. He takes us through a number of pivotal experiments and trials. Bargh’s own creative and thorough experiments played an important part in advancing social psychology.

  However, within the realm of this particular branch of science, not all is clear. Historically, replicability issues have plagued social psychology, and Bargh himself has not been spared from such issues. So Before You Know It shouldn’t necessarily be regarded as the be-all-end-all of conscious and unconscious behavior, but rather as a collection of thorough, modern, and scientifically sound pieces of evidence — many of which will certainly surprise you.

  Let’s take a phenomenon called stereotype threat — a situation where people who are subtly made aware of a stereotype against them tend to actually behave according to that stereotype. In other words, if the world has a negative impression of you and you’re made aware of that fact, you tend to fulfill that negative impression — which can be particularly problematic, as many such stereotypes are instilled in us since childhood. For instance, a study found that girls feel that they are weaker than boys at maths even before starting school!

  I found myself fully immersed in these stories, wondering just how much of my own behavior is influenced by or as a result ofsuch effects.

  Before You Know It isn’t a book only for specialists. It’s the type of book everyone can — and if I’d dare say, should — read. It will not only get you up to speed with over a century of active research and take you on a rollercoaster of paradigm shifts, but it will also help you better understand other people — as well as yourself.

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• The Cornwall Seeker
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  Word count: 727

  Added on February 9, 2018 Melanee Morin Before You Know It , John Bargh , Literature , Psychology , The Book Nook
  The Book Nook: Review of Before You Know It by John Bargh
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  We are now over a month into the new year, but how many of us are still following our new year’s resolutions? Research shows that 80% of resolutions fail by February. Why is this? One reason is that most people focus on conscious effort to achieve their goals, believing that it is sheer force of willpower that will create the new you. This narrow focus is detrimental to goal achievement because it ignores the powerful influence of the unconscious mind on our thoughts, actions, habits, and more.

  In Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do, John Bargh, Ph.D., the world’s leading expert on the unconscious mind, examines how the unconscious affects our everyday lives, and explains that when we better understand the interplay between the conscious and unconscious operations of our mind, new opportunities open up to us. “We can learn to heal wounds, break habits, overcome prejudices, rebuild relationships, and unearth dormant capabilities.”

  Have you ever been with a friend, and suddenly notice you are both seated the exact same way, or that you are walking in-step with each other? We unconsciously mirror those around us, and the behavior and emotions of others are contagious. In fact, long-term romantic partners end up looking more like each other over time because they are continually, and unconsciously, mimicking each other, using the same facial muscles and making similar expressions, so they develop the same muscle and line patterns on their faces – be careful who you marry, because you will end up looking like them! This contagious effect doesn’t just happen in person, but over social media as well; online emotions and behaviors are contagious, so pay attention to who your Facebook friends are and who you choose to follow.

  Our unconscious can also be extremely helpful in making difficult or complex decisions, and attaining short and long-term goals. When faced with a complex decision involving many factors, more than the conscious working memory can hold at one time (which is about three things), allow the unconscious to evaluate the situation for you by doing something else for a while or sleeping on it. The mind continually works on our problems, even when we aren’t consciously thinking about them, and often comes up with solutions beyond the framework of the conscious mind. There is scientific backing behind your mother’s advice to sleep on it!

  Our environment also automatically influences our unconscious, and this effect can be harnessed to achieve goals. Instead of planning to exercise more in general, create implementation intentions, concrete plans you make as to when, where, and how you will carry out the intention: e.g. when I get home from work, I will change into my sneakers and go for a walk. By creating this goal, the unconscious will be automatically triggered by the event of getting home from work and want to go for a walk. Over time, this creates an automatic habit that is more effective than periodically willing yourself to exercise.

  Bargh’s book has many other tips for working with the unconscious mind to help you remember to-do items, shop smarter, sleep better, and more. It is also filled with fascinating facts backed by the latest psychological research: our body temperature is affected by our social interactions; we unconsciously prefer people who are similar to us, even if it is superficial facts like the same initials or same birthday; we automatically read someone’s personality from their face, although it is often incorrect (“baby-faced” adults are more likely to be found innocent at trial); and, anti-smoking ads actually cause people who are smokers to smoke more.

  Pick up Bargh’s book for an entertaining and informative read, and learn how to improve your life by harnessing the hidden powers of the unconscious mind. Before You Know It is available at the Cornwall Public Library, Coles in the Cornwall Square, and online.

  This and other reviews can be found at https://melaneemorinsbooknook.wordpress.com

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