Anonymous says:

From the cover and introduction to the book I found out how famous the author is. His publication effort is impressive. The Social Animal seems like a watered down undergrad textbook in slightly more readable version. Typically for all American textbooks on social sciences, it tends to box the subject and people. This helps to explain why education and thinking is lined up to digest reality in simplified manner for simple brains. While some of his conclusions are correct, many show that author based all his writings on stereotypes or episodiacal experiences which are far from objective and non experimental reality. This is especially true in dealing with the subject of conformity and judging other cultures. Because of “ex pluribus unum”, no other culture has stronger drive for conformity than the American. This fact remains unknown to someone who perhaps traveled casually to Orient (Chinese and Japanese are conform)and Europe but never understood spirit of other cultures. The author also sailed carefuly away from telerance issue. Truly conformity is bigger in Japan, but tolerance is much larger there than in any place in USA. Explaining why people in small town help but in big cities do not, he is missing the point completely. People in small town help only their own, or to relatives or even family members (US-South) but nonconformity issue is cardinal in dealing with outsiders.It is easier to die on lawn of a small town main street USA in full view of all bystanders, than on platform of NY subway. Contrary to that people in big city always help even to unknown people, if they appear not to be social parasites or commercial or dangerous. His dealing with conformity needs firmer foundations and less stereotyping, possibly some personal exposure to actual situations which are not gained at scholastic comfort and artifical social settings of his background. He entirely deleted individuality concept, barely touched sense of privacy,and cultural influences from the book to simplify further the subject. Gift giving and gratuities are explained incorrectly. A typical European spends for Christmas on gifts to friends about $2-3000 including gifts to milkman, mailman, garbage man and plumber without planning a bribery. The author correctly explains that only meaningless gifts and knick-knacks are permissible in USA gift giving fearsome of bribery. In this respect this portion is a strong point of the writer. He is well explaining American culture of giving, which would make another book. I remember that at Bechtel Corp. employees were giving gifts ranging between $15,000 to $50,000 to a major supervisor chosing another subsupervisor of a new team . Political bribery and so called social “striving” are ominously left out. Social politics in respect to so called quality of life is not judged. Quality of life must be meaningless for someone who does not have any concept of such subject except for economical views. That makes the book incomprehensible in any other culture.
Rating: 2 / 5

Carrie Martin Redman says:

I was very pleased. I got a good deal and didn’t have to worry about recieving it in false conditions than stated before bought. I ordered expediant and recieved my book very quickly
Rating: 4 / 5

J. S. Dawson says:

I am finding The Social Animal to be quite interesting. It seems to cover the relevent information thoroughly, and yet fails to be boring in doing so. Aronson is,of course, the father of social psychology, and that alone would make this a must read for anyone interested in the subject, but Aronson also makes the subject fun as well as educational.
Rating: 5 / 5