Disciplined Minds

Disciplined Minds examines the socialization and training of professionals across fields like medicine, law, engineering, and academia. The book draws from both research and Schmidt's personal experiences as a physicist and editor. The narrative tracks how professional training programs shape not just technical skills, but attitudes, worldview, and political orientation. Schmidt analyzes the methods institutions use to select and mold professionals who will maintain existing power structures. Student experiences, faculty perspectives, and workplace dynamics illustrate the hidden curriculum that exists alongside formal professional education. The book includes strategies for maintaining intellectual independence while navigating professional environments. Schmidt's analysis reveals tensions between professional success and individual autonomy, raising questions about the role of expertise in society. The work contributes to discussions of power, ideology, and resistance in professional life.

Readers describe the book as an exposé of professional training and workplace indoctrination. Many highlight its analysis of how institutions shape employees' mindsets and decision-making. Readers appreciated: - Detailed examples from various professions - Personal anecdotes from Schmidt's physics career - Clear breakdown of psychological conditioning tactics - Practical advice for maintaining independence Common criticisms: - Dense, academic writing style - Repetitive arguments - Focus mainly on academic/scientific fields - Some consider it overly cynical Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (500+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (100+ ratings) One reader noted: "It put into words what I experienced but couldn't articulate during my medical training." Another criticized: "Makes valid points but stretches analogies too far." The book resonates particularly with graduate students and early-career professionals questioning institutional hierarchies. Several readers mentioned referring back to it throughout their careers.

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🎓 Author Jeff Schmidt was fired from his 19-year position as an editor at Physics Today magazine shortly after publishing Disciplined Minds, specifically for writing it on "company time" 📚 The book was initially self-published in 2000 after multiple mainstream publishers rejected it, despite early praise from prominent intellectuals like Noam Chomsky ⚡ Schmidt argues that professional education trains students to "assign a higher priority to their employers' interests than to their own political and moral concerns" 🔍 The book draws from extensive research, including interviews with more than 100 professionals and graduate students across various fields 💪 Following his dismissal, Schmidt filed a grievance through his union and eventually won a settlement from the American Institute of Physics, which included book promotion as part of the agreement