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Elephants On Acid And Other Bizarre Experiments by Alex Boese
02/08/2008 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: Boxtree/Pan MacMillan. 283 page enlarged paperback. £10.00 (UK). ISBN: 978-0-7522-2674-3). Buy Elephants On Acid And Other Bizarre Experiments in the USA - or Buy Elephants On Acid And Other Bizarre Experiments in the UK  check out website: www.panmacmillan.com and www.museumofhoaxes.com
This book, 'Elephants On Acid And Other Bizarre Experiments' by Alex Boese, will certainly disturb if not keep you hooked reading until the end. Between the cracks of some regular scientific reported work, Boese has picked out some of the odder experiments from across the past century. Some of it very off-putting like trying elephants on LSD in its early years to trying it on terminal patients to relax them which oddly enough it did. I wouldn't try elephants on acid again though as the wrong dosage is a killer.
Spread across these ten chapters is all kinds of interesting material all started from legitimate reasoning even if the methods used at the time were questionable. Some of it, especially in the penultimate chapter also demonstrates the authority of wearing a white coat and how easy it is to condition people to do what you say. I thought that might get your attention. There is also some credence to raising your aggressive tendencies when wearing a mask which should have all super-heroes questioning why they resort to fisticuffs first before thinking in a fight.
This book also points out how we can be fooled by believing there is a difference in taste of something solely by being told or having it poured in the wrong cup and people can't tell pepsi from coke. I wouldn't recommend sniffing the latter, the bubbles will get up your nose.
Picking out subjects from this book really does tend to spoil it a little. I mean, you've heard about someone told to watch a film clip of basketball to count the score and then miss the star player, dressed as a gorilla, waltz onto the screen, haven't you?? This book not only tells you about your selective vision but even points you to where on the Net you can watch it for yourself.
Boese holds his comments beyond incredulous to humour to questioning depending on the subject. In many respects, this is a book where you will read through once and then dig into again for the odd browse. From a writer's point of view, there is plenty in here that will provide the means as a starting point to evolve your own ideas and where to take them. I have to confess that the chapter on how humans will become aggressive in the roles they are put into and allowed to exert influence freely shows what happens when normal restraint is removed has given me food for thought.
This book is a compelling read that will have you not so much question experimenters for odd investigations but also finding out things which are very disturbing as well. Highly recommended.
GF Willmetts
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