Prisons We Choose to Live Inside Paperback – October 14, 1987

Long before the USA took that horrendous terrorist attack of September 11, 2011, 1988 in fact, Doris Lessing, who died at 92 this Fall, gave us in only 78 pages a series of essays which are profoundly apt for our time and for the future.We were badly polarized when she wrote this book and matters have deteriorated badly since then.As America has bungled its way through its longest war in its history, we know that compared to the 100 years war and the 30 years war and the war of the roses, we still have not set a record. However,her descriptions of how disagreements are dealt with not only in times of war, but in our dealings with every day conflicts, show us that humans have basically behaved badly or irrationally since time immemorial.It is so easy to start a conflict, initiate a life long grudge, or make an enemy. Correctly she notes that hostility is a trait well curried and lying close to the surface of human behavior. We like wars and the surge of power felt when we can get into them.Oh, of course, now we bemoan such actions, but her book is rife with examples of how people can easy adopt beastly hostile behavior, especially in times of war or social conflict, behavior which later may be thought impossible by the very folks who enthusiastically behaved badly in those situations.There's lots of talk about love, but the obverse is our built in genetic tendency to hate and act on that hate with various forms of violence, some of which is not physical, but psychological.She points out that our researches into human behavior have long disclosed the above facts, but that the more enlightened societies, such as the US and other governments have not yet decided to incorporate such vital knowledge to foster better behavior from our government.Lessing was in 1988 optimistic that a hundred or two hundred years from now, such learning might be commonly put to practical use in better governance and in general human relations, but many of us who are most concerned about the speed of population growth and environmental decline wonder if we will can avoid an apocalypse before such rational and sensible human behavioral improvements can be introduced.And don't forget, we consider ourselves enlightened and yet as the world's then acknowledged super power the USA started this seemingly endless war by treating Osama's terrorists as a War instead of a criminal act of terrorism.By invading Afghanistan and Iraq in the Middle East and sustaining our troops there, we set a new standard for stupid behavior, but our record of aggression has not proved strategically brilliant.After being involved in the Cold War which started after WWII, we lead the overthrow of a democratically elected government in Iran, headed the Korean "Police Action" and conducted the Vietnam War to defend a corrupt regime in South Vietnam which posed no threat to us. Our empire building credentials are indeed impressive. And I bet if Lessing were to comment she would deem this behavior as both financially and morally disastrous.

Some of Lessings' stories my be a bit outdated, but her themes and thoughts more relevant today than ever. This book is for the free thinker; the individual; the one who can entertain a thought without accepting it. I found this book to be profoundly liberating.

I really didn’t think I’d ever read this book. I bought it because it was cheap and I kind of like Doris Lessing, but as soon as I started reading it, I was hooked and read straight through. The book consists of transcripts from five lectures about politics and history, but are mostly about how to think independently and not get trapped by partisan fervor on the right or left. Sounds boring. It wasn’t, to me.

I think of the horrors of Stalin and the communists and the purges millions of people killed but Doris Lessing points out the totalitarian tyranny of Christianity for thousands of years. I think of the inquisition by the church. The church does not have the totalitarian powers it once had but still controls lots of peoples thoughts and actions. No one is taught by public schools to think critically but is taught the herd mentality. In the US today we see the tyranny of Facebook, Google and Amazon and Twitter who control what people are allowed to say and crush competitors unplatforming them.

This is a book that you can read over and over and still find something new. Doris Lessing's books require no movie scripts and I doubt a movie could do her justice. Amazing writing.

Everyone should read this book. It explained things to me no one tells you, for one ex, why men love war. If you're a parent and you read this book it will open your mind to make you an even better parent.

I teach college sophomores in a Humanities course where we spend 4 semesters trying to answer the question "What does it mean to be human?" Starting in the spring of 2003, I will do my best to see that students completing the course have read this enlightening piece by Lessing. Her critique of "groupthink" has never been more relevant. In a world where multiple brands of fundamentalism seem to be gaining ground every day, with marked influence on the under 30 set, I believe that Lessing is a must read.

This book by Doris Lessing was a very insightful novel with a collection of her 5 essays on human behavior. It was a little hard to follow (I'm not an avid reader) in some areas but overall the concept was deep.