Not by Chance Alone

In this moving autobiography, social psychologist Elliot Aronson recounts the story of how a shy, seemingly ordinary boy from the slum town of Revere, Massachusetts beat the odds, overcoming his impoverished background to become one of the world's most eminent social scientists. All his life, Aronson has bridged the longstanding divide between scientists and humanists - those who want to do good research and those who want to do good in the world. His own life story illuminates the optimistic message of social psychology: that individuals and society can change for the better. With warmth and humor, Aronson tells of what it took to overcome shyness, become a better father than his own, and in later years, prevail over the limitations imposed by blindness. "Not By Chance Alone" is a story not only of professional achievement but also of one man's personal transcendence.