Chapter 1
Summary
Slater begins her anthology with a look into the life of B.F. Skinner, a renowned behaviorist whose life was surrounded by controversy and myth. She describes his entry into the world view of psychology and his discovery of operant conditioning. The chapter ends with a lengthy discussion over many months with one of Skinner's daughters, who offers insight into his real life as a loving father with a concern for the human race.
Discussion
In my humble opinion, Lauren Slater is
a foolish sucka (N.B.: don't take me too seriously). Although this
might have nothing to do with the value of the work as a whole, I personally cannot stand her
literary
style.
In any work such as this, one can reasonably expect that the author will be biased to some degree as well. That being said, she brings up and interesting point about the man behind the myth of Skinner's legacy. I'll look into him more; not too excited about the rest of this book.
