the man who shocked the world

the man who shocked the world

I just finished reading a magnificent new biography of Stanley Milgram. Milgram is best known for his research on obedience to authority, the lost letter study, and six degrees of separation. His work has always been an inspiration to me and played a big role in my decision to enter academia. For those who have been asking, I am still writing up the findings of my replication of the lost letter study – at 5,000 lost letters in 80+ areas, I think it is probably the largest lost-letter study ever.

Thomas Blass’ biography of Milgram The Man Who Shocked the World: The Life and Legacy of Stanley Milgram is well written and truly a great read. I plan to assign the book to all first year PhD students in my department as part of my course on research methods and design. Blass nicely chronicles Milgram’s life starting with Milgram’s decision to enter college, the turmoil and conflicts of graduate school, the even more conflicted process of getting an academic job, as well as the thinking and design behind each of his studies. Highly recommended reading!