B.F. Skinner: A Life
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.60 (768 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0465006116 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 320 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 0000-00-00 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Daniel Bjork is the author of "William James: The Center of His Vision".. This biography is a portrait of the "social inventor" and entrepreneur, B.F. The book contains various stories: the man reviled for raising his daughter in a box was actually a loving and involved father; the scientist who argued that human behaviour could be conditioned almost like that of rats was once voted Humanist of the Year; and the technological innovator was strangely naive about business and marketing. Published on the third anniversary of his death, it not only traces his life and work through all the controversy and complexity, but also places his contributions within the American tradition of utopian socio-political debate. Skinner, whose ideas transformed education, child-rearing and even community life
While Bjork's defense of Skinner's ideas is not likely to impress his detractors, this intimate biography does provide a striking portrait of an embattled social engineer. Raised in a small Pennsylvania town by a lawyer father whom he viewed with contempt and by a controlling, critical mother, Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904-1990) evolved into an alienated, cynical intellectual increasingly appalled by the consumerism of mainstream culture. Mary's University in Texas. According to Bjork, Skinner was a doting father and a lover of music (especially Wagner), who saw behavioral technology as a means to reverse global destruction and to liberate the individual from a wasteful, competitive lifestyle. From Publishers Weekly By Bjork's reckoning, the man who raised his infant daughter in a glass-encased, thermostatically controlled crib came to behaviorism not as a cold, unfeeling nihilist but as a sensitive, unhappy ro
Pet Parent said Five Stars. Excellent biography of B.F. Skinner!. The Biography Box This is the best biography I've read. I certainly find Skinner interesting, but what's impressive is how well this book flows, and I expect that's due to Bjork's writing skills and understanding of Skinner.I came to this book because I don't know much about Skinner. I can't vouch for its accuracy or slant but it seems very professional, with plenty of references. I feel lucky to have started here. I've been reading other books on Skinner and Radical Behaviorism and appreciate the background Bjork has given me. There's a smooth mix of detail and overview.Although there's plenty of material to help to understand Skinner the scienti. George W. Calisto said Skinner: The Humanist Behind The Behaviorist. The how's, why's, when's, and where's of a forged life are depicted beautifully in the biography of a scholar and scientist that dared question our penchant to attribute our so-called "success" to our will and dignity. Skinner is portrayed as a human being who readily recognized that his success was indeed accidental. Skinner is real, geniune, and too much for the ordinary mind to handle.