Behind the Iron Curtain: Psychology, neuroscience, and politics in the Soviet Union

By Eliot Valenstein

In 1961, the author was the first Americanscientist to spend a significant amount oftime in laboratories in the Soviet Union sincethe end of World War II. The book provides achilling account of how Soviet nationalism andthe political theories of Marxist-Leninism anddialectical materialism were used to terminateresearch programs, to condemn and exilescientists, and to isolate Soviet science fromadvances being made in the West. The inclusionof biographies of eminent scientists like JerzyKonorski, Alexander Luria, Ivan Beritashvilli,among others who were persecuted during thisperiod, adds greatly to the story.The book also provides a first hand account ofhow, after his death, Pavlov's theories aboutconditioning and the brain were used tocondemn any scientists who proposed revisionsor corrections of the prevailing orthodoxy.Time spent in East Germany, Czechoslovakia,and Poland enabled the author to learn howEastern European science had been controlledby the Soviet Union.Throughout the book, the author interspersesmany personal experiences that reveal whatlife was like for the average person in thecountries he visited.Any one concerned with political influence overscience must read this book.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1466261943
• ISBN13: 9781466261945
• Release Date: October 2011
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 164 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.4" x 6.0"