B.F. Skinner: A Life (Paperback)

by Daniel W. Bjork (Author)
Key Phrases: operant science, social inventor, cumulative recorder, Walden Two, New York, Hamilton College (more...)

Editorial Reviews

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 romantic who cared deeply about helping humanity. 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. 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. 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. Bjork is a history professor at St. Mary's University in Texas.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews
A fair-minded, insightful portrayal of the life and ideas of one of America's most controversial thinkers, by Bjork (History/St. Mary's University). Born to an undistinguished middle-class family in central Pennsylvania, Skinner survived an awkward youth. Initially keen to be a writer, he abandoned storytelling in order to pursue graduate work at Harvard, where he made his mark in a dissertation that boldly challenged prevailing trends in academic psychology. Deemed igid and fanatical but also recognized as brilliant, Skinner built a reputation as a behavioral scientist at universities in Minnesota and Indiana, where, in the postwar years, his interest in social invention first received national attention through his controlled- environment air-crib (better known as the ``baby box''). His desire to improve society through systematic behavioral control and positive reinforcement also manifested itself in two widely read books, Walden Two and Beyond Freedom and Dignity, the latter of which ignited a firestorm of protest, when published in 1971, for its assault on ideas dear to freedom-loving Americans. By then near the end of his career at Harvard, Skinner maintained a productive scholarly life in spite of increasing isolation, battling deafness and blindness before dying of leukemia in 1990. More engaging when discussing ideas than when probing Skinner's roots or private life, and hardly the definitive biography; but, even so, Bjork gives a clear view of an American original whom posterity could judge more kindly than did his contemporaries. (Photos) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA) (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557984166
• ISBN-13: 978-1557984166
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #843,800 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Biography Box, February 17, 2004

By	calmly - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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 scientist and philosopher, there is also a good amount for feeling one has learned about Skinner the man, a dutiful husband, warm father, and, despite some isolation that his advanced thinking brought him, a decent friend. Seeing this side of Skinner provides good reason not to jump at labelling him a reductionist. I also learned to admire his faithfulness, despite popular opposition, to pushing forward to scientifically study how conditioning impacts us (and how we use and can better use conditioning to our own advantage).

While I'll be reading Skinner, I'd also like to read more of Bjork. If I were a famous thinker, Bjork is someone I'd like to have write my biography.

4.0 out of 5 stars Skinner: The Humanist Behind The Behaviorist, August 24, 2007

By	George W. Calisto (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

4.0 out of 5 stars Insight to Skinner, January 15, 2002

By A Customer

This is a good primer of Skinner's life. It provides clarification regarding the origin of Skinner's ideas and charts the course of his personal and intellectual development through his career.