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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “This fictional outline of a modern Utopia has been a centre of controversy ever since its publication in 1948. Set in the United States, it pictures a society in which human problems are solved by a scientific technology of human conduct.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “I had a difficult time finishing Walden Two, much in the same way I could barely stand Looking Backward. Skinner offers a wealth of interesting ideas- yet, some are outdated and others difficult to fathom. Food for thought, I guess.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“An opinion on an academic subject expressed in the form of a novel. Informative yet an easy read.”
Chirag M wrote this review Monday, April 23, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I'd move there tomorrow it sounds idyllic. ”
she127 wrote this review Sunday, February 5, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
0 of 1 members found this review helpful“reccomended by bhaio
Puja wrote this review 2 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I loved it. I sort of want to live in Walden II. Some of it seems surreal like the kids not being told what to do.
However, it was a brilliant idea by BF Skinner, my boy.
LOVED ITT”“I had a difficult time finishing Walden Two, much in the same way I could barely stand Looking Backward. Skinner offers a wealth of interesting ideas- yet, some are outdated and others difficult to fathom. Food for thought, I guess.”
Jen wrote this review Saturday, March 26, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book is a bit similar to the book Brave New World, but this one is more realistic in the sense that there's no high-tech stuff involved and women still give birth to people.”
Gracie wrote this review Wednesday, March 9, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is a fictional novel of a utopian society. This book was actually very interesting, well written and extremely well thought out. Keeping in mind that it is fiction.
Laina A wrote this review Friday, February 11, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
It is really the story of the jaded and disillusioned Professor Burris. Two former students of his come to him asking questions about his opinion of a communal society they had read about in a journal. After a brief investigation, Professor Burris realizes he knew the visionary behind the community, a man named Frazier, in grad school. So an invitation is made and the former students and their fiances, plus Burris and a guy named Castle, all hop on a bus to check out this community called Walden Two for a few days.
So, through the eyes of Burris we see how the community is set up and the way the lifestlye of the people living here is different from that of the average american of 1948. I can see why this was a really controversial book, though I won't go into detail why -- that's what the book is for and you can read it and decide for yourself.
Anyway, after our party gets their tour and participates in some work for labor-credits to earn their food and lodging, one of the young couples becomes so enraptured by it all that they join up on the spot. The other couple is kind of turned off by the whole thing and just wants to go home. Burris remains pretty ambivalent about it, and Castle is outright hostile and is constantly picking a fight with Frazier. And we do come to learn that yes, indeed, everybody has an agenda, even Frazier (who I guess is Skinner's fictional personage).
For me, the most interesting part of this book is that it reinforced my working theory that greed and fear are the two main motivators of most people. Even in this happy-happy-joy-joy land of positive behavior according to the "Walden Code", Frazier himself eventually expressed his real reasons for it's creation...the need for control...which is nothing more than a manifestion of a person's greed and fear (in my opinion).
There were some interesting arguments about the nature of government and the perceived reality of free will vs. conditioning. But overall what I felt about the Walden way is this: I can't imagine that the number of people needed, with expertise in the different areas from dairy farming to cloth weaving (etc), would actually be interested in joining this kind of thing. So personally, I don't think it would be economically feasible. At the very least, it's highly improbable.
So after I read the book, I did a google search to find out if anyone had ever really tried this. And lo! there are a couple of commmunities that had tried to model themselves after Walden Two. The most notable of which is a place called Los Horcones in Mexico, started in 1973 and only engaging between 40 and 60 members at a time (as opposed to Frazier's 1000 and growing). The other community is Twin Oaks in Virginia, USA, founded in 1967, but supposedly has dropped all it's skinnerian psychology to date, and is just a commune.
Overall, this book gave me interesting stuff to think about.”
“Admittedly, I read this back in high school when I didn't know much about his philosophy. Probably going back and re-reading it would be wise.”
Super K wrote this review Friday, December 24, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“No amount of money in the world could make me read this one again.”
Thomas C wrote this review Saturday, December 18, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Skinner postulates what could happen in a society centered entirely around his psychological findings. The result is a dystopian society with no true choice and sinister implications. Skinner has a good writing style for someone whose writing is mostly academic.”
T. Fulton wrote this review Saturday, August 28, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I can definitely see the appeal of this book, written by one of the most notable Behaviourist Psychologists of the last century; however it is flawed in its style, and prose.
Samantha wrote this review Sunday, July 4, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
One has to remember throughout whilst reading Walden Two, that the author is a scientist, and by no means a novelest in his truest nature; this is clearly transpired through most of the language, description (and lack-thereof), and certainly in the conversation between the characters.
The story itself is interesting, but I believe it would have been bettered served, or more importantly, the lengthy debates throughout, would have been better displayed in an essay. The themes and ideas throughout are mostly compelling, and even with little psychological background, it would be easy for a novice to comprehend. But I felt that the true essence of what is trying to be said by this work was lost through the author's obvious lack of fiction ability.
I do however suggest reading this book, especially if you're studying psychology, and you appreciate the debates around issues in society, and also debates surrounding the various psychological approaches. Behaviourism here being the main approach examined.
Good, but not brilliant.”
