Elephants on Acid and other Bizarre Experiments
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| Pan Books |
Alex Boese
2007
'Tusko the elephant led a peaceful life at the Oklahoma City zoo. There were his daily baths, playtime with his mate, Judy, and the constant crowds of people peering at him from the other side of the fence. Nothing out of the ordinary. So when he awoke in his barn on the morning of Friday, August 3, 1962, he could hardly have foreseen what that day held in store. He was about to become the first elephant ever given LSD'
Huzzah, finally I have the Internet available twenty-four seven once more, allowing me to spend my days sat in one spot refreshing the same pages over and over again in the hope of something new and interesting turning up. To celebrate, have the dazzling combination of a hastily-made selection of links, a Goodreads update widget (hidden down the page because it's somewhat ugly), and a fairly short (he says before writing it) review of the latest book I finished; a non-fiction collection of bizarre scientific anecdotes from author Alex Boese, Elephants on Acid and other Bizarre Experiments.
I say fairly short because, despite its factual contents, this book isn't to be confused with more detailed and teacherly tomes that have confused me in the past (such as Dawkin's The Blind Watchmaker, for example), but instead intentionally settles for a more laid-back, journalistic style. Alex Boese is a science major educated at the University of California, but his bread and butter since then has been tales from the fringes of the discipline, most notably his website The Museum of Hoaxes (which is well worth a look). This book, as the title suggests, is a guide to some of the most infamous and often disturbing recorded scientific experiments of all time, varying in both sanity and motive. Boese splits the experiments by general categories (animals, dreams, death etc.), and keeps each of the accounts short, often three pages or less.
Therein lies both the appeal and the problem with this book, and why, while I enjoyed it to a certain extent, I can't recommend it on many levels. The brevity of almost every one of these short stories limits the appeal and quality of the book in general, which is particularly disappointing considering the potential it shows. Boese has done a superb job in researching and selecting a wide range of genuinely interesting, compelling cases of varying natures; some involving patently mad scientists (both classical and modern), others investigating human psychology in unpredictable and even slightly disturbing ways (Stanley Milgram's infamous obedience experiment comes to mind most prominently, so here's the Wiki article on it). The problem is that some of these are so interesting that I wanted to read more about them; and yes, obviously I could do my own research, but damn it I've got a stupidly large pile of books to read.
That's really my only complaint about this book, and I suppose it does come in to conflict with the very nature of it. Boese, while clearly an intelligent man of science, doesn't seem interesting in delving into any more complex scientific detail than he has to. His prose is decent, conversational and pleasant, though somewhat generic in comparison to the more renowned popular science authors, and his sense of humour is hit or miss, and formulaic in its use (unlike, say, Douglas Adam's venture into the natural world with Last Chance To See- yes, I do like linking to my own stuff). As I read further and reached the chapter entitled 'Toilet Reading' it became very apparent that Elephants on Acid was likely designed to be toilet reading; brief stories that are easy to read in one sitting and give the reader the impression of something valuable being imparted, when really the lack of detail in each case means there's little to be gained but a reference point.
I say fairly short because, despite its factual contents, this book isn't to be confused with more detailed and teacherly tomes that have confused me in the past (such as Dawkin's The Blind Watchmaker, for example), but instead intentionally settles for a more laid-back, journalistic style. Alex Boese is a science major educated at the University of California, but his bread and butter since then has been tales from the fringes of the discipline, most notably his website The Museum of Hoaxes (which is well worth a look). This book, as the title suggests, is a guide to some of the most infamous and often disturbing recorded scientific experiments of all time, varying in both sanity and motive. Boese splits the experiments by general categories (animals, dreams, death etc.), and keeps each of the accounts short, often three pages or less.
That's really my only complaint about this book, and I suppose it does come in to conflict with the very nature of it. Boese, while clearly an intelligent man of science, doesn't seem interesting in delving into any more complex scientific detail than he has to. His prose is decent, conversational and pleasant, though somewhat generic in comparison to the more renowned popular science authors, and his sense of humour is hit or miss, and formulaic in its use (unlike, say, Douglas Adam's venture into the natural world with Last Chance To See- yes, I do like linking to my own stuff). As I read further and reached the chapter entitled 'Toilet Reading' it became very apparent that Elephants on Acid was likely designed to be toilet reading; brief stories that are easy to read in one sitting and give the reader the impression of something valuable being imparted, when really the lack of detail in each case means there's little to be gained but a reference point.
Altogether then, before this review spirals out of control, I can't recommend Elephants on Acid unless you're like me and buy it second hand and really enjoy a nice looking cover. I don't want to criticise it too badly because, for what it is, it's well-produced and never boring, and (despite the darkened wardrobe of books to be read) really did have me searching on the Internet for more information on a few occasions, which I suppose is something. If, like me, you're looking to educate your non-scientific mind via the wisdom of a master of popular science, then you'd be better off sticking to Richard Dawkins and friends.
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