The Lucifer Effect

The Lucifer Effect is a shocking study designed to change the way we view human behavior.

Known as the mastermind behind a famous Stanford experiment, the author tells for the first time the full story of this research, in which a group of volunteer college students was randomly divided into guards and prisoners in a simulated prison environment. After a week, the students transformed into either violent and sadistic guards or emotionally damaged prisoners. By investigating the psychological causes behind such frightening transformations, the author allows us to better understand the variety of horrific phenomena, ranging from acts of corporate malfeasance and organized genocide to how honorable American soldiers began abusing and torturing Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib. A rich and surprising exploration of how people's dark sides can emerge from specific social circumstances.