How long does it take to read Obedience to Authority?
an experimental view
Stanley Milgram
Obedience to Authority by Stanley Milgram takes about 4 hours 6 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 4 hours 6 minutes
A weekend read
First published 1974. 224 pages, about 61,600 words.
9 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 6 hours 51 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 4 hours 6 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 2 hours 34 minutes |
The page count is the median across 11 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
In an experiment volunteers are instructed by an experimenter to administer an electric shock every time a learner makes a mistake. How many would go right up the scale to 450 Volts? This study goes some way towards explaining how ordinary people can commit the most horrific of crimes if placed under the influence of a malevolent authority.
Subjects: Authoritarianism, Authority, Obedience, Social psychology, Autorité, Aspect social
