Customer Reviews

B.F. Skinner's Walden 2

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For those of you who do not know Skinner, he was one of the most famous behaviorists in the history of psychology. Behaviorists believed that human behavior is totally controlled by the environment and that our social problems therefore come from "wrong" reinforcement contingencies between our behaviors and the feedback we get from our environment. Thus, Skinner wrote this novel to show how it was possible to build a good community if it was based on the "right" contingencies of reinforcement. This book shows how people can cooperate and have fulfilling lives by simply working a few hours a day to keep the community functioning, and then spend time on what they really enjoy doing. Skinner also discusses very important issues. Behaviorists believe that different individuals are interested in different things and also learn at different paces. Thus, children need to be in an environment where they can master their interests at their own pace, with a lot of personal attention yielding to more and more independence with age. Skinner then illustrates what such education would be like, with small laboratories being set for children to experience many things and thus learn by seeing the meaningfulness of what they are taught. In short, Skinner tries to recreate the workings of natural selection with behavioral engineering methods. The argument is that human beings have stopped experimenting with what works and what does not work. Our civilization has settled down in its own ways, and now tries to fix its problems from the inside, blinded by the false belief that civilization was the best thing ever made. Skinner argues that there are better ways to live, and that to find them we need to experiment with different things and find what works for everyone of us. Although you might find a few of its chapters plain silly, or even scary because of the "engineering" of behavior, this book is a great read.

Do not compare this with Walden. Dont read it just because you
liked Walden.
This book is told in a narative fashion, and rather personally
by Skinner. He examines (critically) a new community created by an old friend. It is an experimental way of living, and may
be shocking to people unfamiliar with Behavior Analysis. It is not a lesson or text-book, however. It is an interesting tale
filled with observations and advice that are suprisingly relevant today. Sometimes frightening, but ultimately eye opening for anyone interested in society, education, or culture.

I liked the idea of working only four hours a day instead of the usual eight. Half of a person's efforts go toward supporting a BOSS or BOSSES nowadays in our society. I did not like the stupid idea of rinsing the trays after lunch with skim milk that then flowed out to feed the hogs, as I have learned from raising pigs myself - they would be satisfied with the water runoff. Plus it would easily collect some nasty viruses. However, I can relate to the main message because I try not to waste anything. Then the part about babies not wearing clothes and not needing diapers, yet forced into seclusion in a padded vinyl room was very stupid. At least they would have the problems of bedsores and rashes that could leave life-long scars. Overall though this book was interesting and can be compared with 1984, We, and Brave New World (rather than Walden).

When we are all chasing our tails and the dollar and making holes in the sky and blackholes in the weather and polluting our water food and air as a part of our productivity, Skinners alternative comes as a useful if tangental message.
we needn';t o in ourselves or anyone else- we can have nerly all we have now and more an greater safety and security to boot.
Yes Skinner is a boring fart- the literalism of anyone who can really believe that sleepy rats in skinner boxes are like humans needs his own head and processes examined however this book is a starting point for other possibilities for people just as The original "Walden Pond" was-
as such it is a book not to be missed

Although stylistically, the book is not as complex and well-written as the orignal Walden, W2 was a pretty easy read. Without researching and getting too in-depth into the book, it's a very enjoyable story!

This book presents one of the lamest views of utopia ever conceived. The whole emphasis seems to be on efficiency and mechanization. In that case, wouldn't utopia be called... Japan? This book is also incredibly dull, with cardboard characters admiring Mr. Skinner's cleverness at every turn. Thank goodness most people have forgotten about this idiot.

One can only gasp at Skinner's nerve in calling this positivist paradise after Thoreau's marvelous and breathtaking vision of a life lived reflectively. Not only scary but dull.