I finished this book a couple of months ago. Now I'm wondering how to organize its discussion, and what discussion topics to create.

While we often have a topic for each chapter, a different approach might be better for this book. The Lucifer Effect brings up lots of interesting ideas and raises some important questions. Those ideas and questions would be good starting points for a discussion topic. For example,

How would I have responded as a prisoner or a guard in the Stanford Prison Experiment?

When should Zimbardo called off the experiment?

Do people have a strong internal sense of right & wrong, or do they just respond to social norms?

People could take part wherever they are in the book, and even people who haven't started the book could join in.

I think you've got a really good idea there. Would you like to take the title of discussion leader for this book? I'll be getting my copy of the book tomorrow.

Got it! Barnes & Noble had it in stock.

Sure, I could lead the discussion. I'll be busy for the rest of the year, but this discussion will take a lot less time than reading the book.

I lent the book to the girlfriend of a friend of mine. However, I can get a copy, either from her or from someone in my real-life book club.

How about, for the main piece of research, having two threads:

1) The Stanford Guards progression thoughout the experiment.
2) The Stanford Prisoners progression throughout the experiment.

This should suffice to talk about the actuall experiment. We may also add how those leading the experiment themselves progressed.

While reading the first 50 pages, I was thinking: Does Zimbardo fall into his own thesis here by allowing a bad situation to continue? Is he falling into the same 'sins' the guards and prisoners are falling into due to the system he created. Even though he is technically outside that system...is he really? This goes for the others as well.

I have not looked ahead as to other possible topic threads, but this came to mind for the experiment itself. (Ok...now I am being repetitious so I will end it here

That might not be the best way to organize things, since the behavior of the guards and the prisoners are closely inter-related. Also, the progression of events during the experiment is one of many angles to consider.

Anyway, my main point is that none of us should try to impose too much structure on the discussion. If something interesting occurs to you while reading the book, start a new topic about it.

Nick, go ahead and start any discussion threads you see fit. I won't personally create the usual chapter threads as Julian has a good handle on how he thinks this discussion should be handled.

Yeah...I was just trying to offer something to get things going. We need to get this discussion going already!

I have a few ideas about what I have read so far, but my time is tight lately (as f'in usual!). I am still early in the book too and the first 50 pages only covers some set up material and the arrests of the 'inmates'.

Mr. P.

Got it. Expensive little bugger.

I started a couple of discussion topics. You can respond to those, or you can start new topics about something else.