Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control by Kathleen Taylor
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I found this book hard to read at first until I got used to the author's style and began to figure out her goals. (I skipped to the end of the book to read her conclusion.) Taylor stated in the beginning that she was examining the concept of brainwashing, but I did not understand what her definition of brainwashing was. She outlines many aspects of brainwashing: as a term of abuse, as a scientific process, as a dream, and as a concept of last resort, but does not obviously pick one definition before discussing the term, usually referring to "brainwashing" without qualification. As a result, I had difficulty following the discussion. I couldn't keep all of these aspects of the term "brainwashing" in my head as I read. This was especially true in the earlier sections about the history of brainwashing and the cultural experiences we have had with it. I understand now that she was trying to step back from any context in which brainwashing had been defined and start with a blank page, but I found it too frustrating. I did not know right away what the foundation of her arguments for deconstructing the concept was at any given time. I took me awhile to catchup.

The book became more focused as it got into discussions of psychiatry. By the time I read the sections on how the brain works, the text flowed more logically, although it was complex and challenging because of the subject matter. A very broad book, Brainwashing was a 5-week investment of my time. It was worth it, but I did struggle at times with the complexity of the issues Taylor was attempting to tackle. She touched the surface of a lot of important interrelated issues surrounding brainwashing. But this book, by itself, does not go into enough depth in any one area to truly make me feel that I understand.

I also thought that Taylor's style was a bit clunky. Maybe it was a cultural barrier between British English and American English. Taylor seemed to be trying to be "hip," which increased the cultural barrier, and which, at times, seemed flippant.

Taylor does deserve kudos for beginning to tackle the concept of brainwashing in a scientific way. She uses both empirical data and laboratory results to support her arguments. I plan to go on to other sources to get more information on the brain, psychiatry and behavioral studies. Taylor includes an extensive reference and further reading list, which I plan to use.

I recommend the book, but not as a single source on the subject.

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Ellen
Ever learning, Everlasting