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The Wave
Based on a true incident that occurred in a high school history class in Palo Alto, California, in 1969, The Wave explores what happens when a teacher conducts a class experiment dealing with group pressure.
143 pages, Library Binding
First published September 1, 1981
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16766 people want to read
About the author
Morton Rhue
34 books50 followersMorton Rhue is a pseudonym of Todd Strasser and T.S. Rue
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,109 reviews
January 8, 2018
This book is scary. Honestly.
It's not a horror story, it's not the kind of novel where monsters come jumping out the closet; or at least not the green googley-eyed kind. This is a true story which I was told not to read because the subject matter was too old for me.
When I first read The Wave, I had no comprehension of why it was scary. Bad things happened, but it was more or less ok in the end. It wasn't until I was older, and had a better grasp of world history, social psychology, and a true ability to understand parallels that this book scared me.
What happens in this novel has been proven time and again in psychological labs across not only America, but the world. There is nothing superficially frightening about the events of this novel, but the sub-text of the story is. This novel helped me to see how "good" people can do bad things, without realizing how terrible they were really being. It doesn't justify, rationalize, or apologize for these actions, but it does show how naturally horrific events can come about.
It's not a horror story, it's not the kind of novel where monsters come jumping out the closet; or at least not the green googley-eyed kind. This is a true story which I was told not to read because the subject matter was too old for me.
When I first read The Wave, I had no comprehension of why it was scary. Bad things happened, but it was more or less ok in the end. It wasn't until I was older, and had a better grasp of world history, social psychology, and a true ability to understand parallels that this book scared me.
What happens in this novel has been proven time and again in psychological labs across not only America, but the world. There is nothing superficially frightening about the events of this novel, but the sub-text of the story is. This novel helped me to see how "good" people can do bad things, without realizing how terrible they were really being. It doesn't justify, rationalize, or apologize for these actions, but it does show how naturally horrific events can come about.
December 23, 2011
“Laurie Sanders sat in the publications office at Gordon High School chewing on the end of a Bic pen. She was a pretty girl with short light-brown hair and an almost perpetual smile that only disappeared when she was upset or chewing on Bic pens. Lately she’d been chewing on a lot of pens. In fact, there wasn’t a single pen or pencil in her pocketbook that wasn’t worn down on the butt end from nervous gnawing. Still, it beat smoking. “
Thus begins The Wave.
Can we break apart that paragraph, please?
'Laurie Sanders (seriously WASPY name there) sat in the publications office at Gordon High School (seriously WASPY school there) chewing on the end of a Bic (isn’t this a trademark or a registered item or something??) pen.'
'She was a pretty girl (thanks, we needed that knowledge) with short light-brown hair and an almost perpetual (BIG word ) smile that only disappeared when she was upset or chewing on Bic pens.' (-------) Here is the 1981 Made- for –TV- movie version of Laurie
'Lately she’d been chewing on a lot of pens.' (!!!!!!!!)
'In fact, there wasn’t a single pen or pencil in her pocketbook (I always hated pocketbooks) that wasn’t worn down on the butt end from nervous gnawing' (ALLITERATION!!)
'Still, it beat smoking.' (what a minute, what? Laurie Sanders of Gordon High School fucking smokes????)
Oh dear Lord, this was excruciatingly exasperating. (GOTCHA)
This is supposed based on a ‘real event’ that happened in Palo Alto, California at Cubberley High School back in April of 1967 conducted by a History teacher named Ron Jones (porn name):
“Jones, unable to explain to his students how the German population could claim ignorance of the extermination of the Jewish people, decided to show them instead. Jones started a movement called "The Third Wave" and told his students that the movement aimed to eliminate democracy. The idea that democracy emphasizes individuality was considered as a drawback of democracy, and Jones emphasized this main point of the movement in its motto: "Strength through discipline, strength through community, strength through action, strength through pride."
So, this book is a novelization of a teleplay of an actual event. And the writer, Todd Strasser, used the pen name Morton Rhue.(Really? Morton Rhue?) Christ… this shit is fucked up.
So… what do YOU think happens? Well, here’s the spoiler. They all become little Nazis. Seriously. Well, not all but like 98% of them do and the ones that don’t are threatened. ‘The Wave’ is supposed to make the football team win big against Clarkstown. ‘The Wave’ takes the class reject/future sociopath and makes him an organized, welcomed sociopath. ‘The Wave’ makes Amy Smith (a petite girl with thick, curly, Goldilocks hair) not feel like she always needs to compete against her BFF, Laurie with boys and grades and stuff. It’s like when phen-phen hit the market.. It’s a true blue miracle! And how long do you think it took to stick? C’mon… guess… a month? Two?
Try five days.
Five.Days. An entire school was ready to give up all personal freedom and individuality for this ‘Wave’—which was nothing more than the motto, membership cards, and a salute, mind you—in a work week.
Yes. Yes.. I, too, see Generation Y or Generation Z… the one that got awards for every fucking little thing that they attempted… completely falling under this spell. But, seriously? I KNOW that my generation is way too cynical for such crap. We wouldn’t have even bothered to attend the stupid pep rally announcing The Wave. We’re hiding in the darkroom playing Joy Division.
This novella/teleplay/what have you sucks. It sucks donkey balls. The writing falls between a bad Hardy Boys story and a good Sweet Valley High. If I had to read another lines like: “Copies of the Grapevine had never been scooped up faster than they were that day. The school was abuzz with the news.” I was going to start my own genocidal Nazi Party. (Please do not go all PC on me right now, ok?)
Here’s a little piece of Heaven for you…
With love, Kim (medium length, brown reddish hair, haggard mom of four )
Thus begins The Wave.
Can we break apart that paragraph, please?
'Laurie Sanders (seriously WASPY name there) sat in the publications office at Gordon High School (seriously WASPY school there) chewing on the end of a Bic (isn’t this a trademark or a registered item or something??) pen.'
'She was a pretty girl (thanks, we needed that knowledge) with short light-brown hair and an almost perpetual (BIG word ) smile that only disappeared when she was upset or chewing on Bic pens.' (-------) Here is the 1981 Made- for –TV- movie version of Laurie
'Lately she’d been chewing on a lot of pens.' (!!!!!!!!)
'In fact, there wasn’t a single pen or pencil in her pocketbook (I always hated pocketbooks) that wasn’t worn down on the butt end from nervous gnawing' (ALLITERATION!!)
'Still, it beat smoking.' (what a minute, what? Laurie Sanders of Gordon High School fucking smokes????)
Oh dear Lord, this was excruciatingly exasperating. (GOTCHA)
This is supposed based on a ‘real event’ that happened in Palo Alto, California at Cubberley High School back in April of 1967 conducted by a History teacher named Ron Jones (porn name):
“Jones, unable to explain to his students how the German population could claim ignorance of the extermination of the Jewish people, decided to show them instead. Jones started a movement called "The Third Wave" and told his students that the movement aimed to eliminate democracy. The idea that democracy emphasizes individuality was considered as a drawback of democracy, and Jones emphasized this main point of the movement in its motto: "Strength through discipline, strength through community, strength through action, strength through pride."
So, this book is a novelization of a teleplay of an actual event. And the writer, Todd Strasser, used the pen name Morton Rhue.(Really? Morton Rhue?) Christ… this shit is fucked up.
So… what do YOU think happens? Well, here’s the spoiler. They all become little Nazis. Seriously. Well, not all but like 98% of them do and the ones that don’t are threatened. ‘The Wave’ is supposed to make the football team win big against Clarkstown. ‘The Wave’ takes the class reject/future sociopath and makes him an organized, welcomed sociopath. ‘The Wave’ makes Amy Smith (a petite girl with thick, curly, Goldilocks hair) not feel like she always needs to compete against her BFF, Laurie with boys and grades and stuff. It’s like when phen-phen hit the market.. It’s a true blue miracle! And how long do you think it took to stick? C’mon… guess… a month? Two?
Try five days.
Five.Days. An entire school was ready to give up all personal freedom and individuality for this ‘Wave’—which was nothing more than the motto, membership cards, and a salute, mind you—in a work week.
Yes. Yes.. I, too, see Generation Y or Generation Z… the one that got awards for every fucking little thing that they attempted… completely falling under this spell. But, seriously? I KNOW that my generation is way too cynical for such crap. We wouldn’t have even bothered to attend the stupid pep rally announcing The Wave. We’re hiding in the darkroom playing Joy Division.
This novella/teleplay/what have you sucks. It sucks donkey balls. The writing falls between a bad Hardy Boys story and a good Sweet Valley High. If I had to read another lines like: “Copies of the Grapevine had never been scooped up faster than they were that day. The school was abuzz with the news.” I was going to start my own genocidal Nazi Party. (Please do not go all PC on me right now, ok?)
Here’s a little piece of Heaven for you…
With love, Kim (medium length, brown reddish hair, haggard mom of four )
November 24, 2025
"El fascismo no es algo que hagan otros. Está aquí, entre nosotros. Es real. Me preguntasteis cómo los alemanes pudieron no hacer nada mientras millones de personas eran asesinadas. Cómo podían asegurar que no habían tenido nada que ver. ¿Qué lleva a la gente a negar su propia historia?"
A Ben Ross, profesor de instituto, se le ocurre una, ¿brillante?, idea para poner en práctica el poder de manipulación de algunos líderes mundiales. Han estado estudiando la II Guerra Mundial y le parece que es el momento perfecto para poner en práctica algunas ideas que le vienen rondando en la cabeza desde que les puso a los chavales un vídeo sobre los campos de concentración nazis y a raíz de algunas de las cuestiones que le plantearon varios de los alumnos surgió y fue tomando forma la controvertida idea de "La Ola."
Aunque parezca una distopía estamos hablando de un hecho que tuvo lugar de verdad, en concreto durante el año 1969.
Da miedo solo de pensar que pueda estar pasando de nuevo, y es que la historia siempre busca el modo de repetirse.
El odio se contagia con una facilidad pasmosa y más si le echamos la culpa de todo lo malo que nos ocurre a los que vienen de fuera, a todo aquel que es diferente según nuestro juicio.
Por todo esto, considero que esta lectura es ideal para leer en los institutos por los temas que trata y que son ideales para debatir con los jóvenes y hacerlos reflexionar sobre el poder de manipulación y esa necesidad de pertenecer a un grupo a toda costa aunque con ello se vaya parte, si no toda, de nuestra identidad por el camino.
Vivimos tranquilos pensando que formamos parte de una sociedad libre y democrática pero lo mismo pensaban los alumnos de ese instituto de Palo Alto, en California, donde se llevó a cabo este experimento, pero las evidencias dejan al descubierto que nadie está exento de que, bajo la presión de un líder carismático, germinen ideas radicales y totalitarias. Sobre todo si hablamos de adolescentes, por esa necesidad que tienen de seguir a alguien, que les pauten como deben comportarse y excluyendo a aquellos compañeros que se revelen contra ese nuevo sistema.
Como única pega es que quizás puede resultar demasiado breve y unos personajes en los que se profundiza poco pero créanme que esto aquí es lo de menos.
El mensaje es tan claro y potente que tampoco se necesita más.
Es una novela que va directa al grano y pensar que está basada en un hecho real le otorga aún más impacto.
Terrorífica.
Terrible.
Por toda la verdad que esconde.
Es tan real que asusta más que cualquier novela de terror.
Tienen que leerla.
https://www.facebook.com/LaLocadelosL... 🖤📖✨
A Ben Ross, profesor de instituto, se le ocurre una, ¿brillante?, idea para poner en práctica el poder de manipulación de algunos líderes mundiales. Han estado estudiando la II Guerra Mundial y le parece que es el momento perfecto para poner en práctica algunas ideas que le vienen rondando en la cabeza desde que les puso a los chavales un vídeo sobre los campos de concentración nazis y a raíz de algunas de las cuestiones que le plantearon varios de los alumnos surgió y fue tomando forma la controvertida idea de "La Ola."
Aunque parezca una distopía estamos hablando de un hecho que tuvo lugar de verdad, en concreto durante el año 1969.
Da miedo solo de pensar que pueda estar pasando de nuevo, y es que la historia siempre busca el modo de repetirse.
El odio se contagia con una facilidad pasmosa y más si le echamos la culpa de todo lo malo que nos ocurre a los que vienen de fuera, a todo aquel que es diferente según nuestro juicio.
Por todo esto, considero que esta lectura es ideal para leer en los institutos por los temas que trata y que son ideales para debatir con los jóvenes y hacerlos reflexionar sobre el poder de manipulación y esa necesidad de pertenecer a un grupo a toda costa aunque con ello se vaya parte, si no toda, de nuestra identidad por el camino.
Vivimos tranquilos pensando que formamos parte de una sociedad libre y democrática pero lo mismo pensaban los alumnos de ese instituto de Palo Alto, en California, donde se llevó a cabo este experimento, pero las evidencias dejan al descubierto que nadie está exento de que, bajo la presión de un líder carismático, germinen ideas radicales y totalitarias. Sobre todo si hablamos de adolescentes, por esa necesidad que tienen de seguir a alguien, que les pauten como deben comportarse y excluyendo a aquellos compañeros que se revelen contra ese nuevo sistema.
Como única pega es que quizás puede resultar demasiado breve y unos personajes en los que se profundiza poco pero créanme que esto aquí es lo de menos.
El mensaje es tan claro y potente que tampoco se necesita más.
Es una novela que va directa al grano y pensar que está basada en un hecho real le otorga aún más impacto.
Terrorífica.
Terrible.
Por toda la verdad que esconde.
Es tan real que asusta más que cualquier novela de terror.
Tienen que leerla.
https://www.facebook.com/LaLocadelosL... 🖤📖✨
January 7, 2023
3,5⭐
Novela corta con un mensaje impactante.
Dice la sinopsis:
Parece ficción, pero es un hecho real. En 1969, en un instituto de California, un profesor puso en marcha el experimento educativo más controvertido de la Historia: creó un movimiento entre sus alumnos, al que bautizó La Ola, para ilustrar el auge del nazismo en Alemania y los terribles acontecimientos que este trajo consigo. Creía tenerlo bajo control, pero se equivocaba. Las consecuencias de dicho experimento se recogen en este libro escalofriante, vertiginoso y revelador. Una lección precisa, más vigente que nunca: la Historia, siempre, encuentra la forma de repetirse.
Mis impresiones.
La lectura de este libro me deja con una sensación agridulce. La película es bastante fiel a lo que nos narra la novela. Difieren en el final, el del libro relata lo que ocurrió en la realidad sin el colorido añadido del film alemán. Dicho esto, la novela es tan corta, que si ya se ha visto la adaptación cinematográfica, poco más aporta.
En su contra, comentar que no está muy bien escrita y que su breve extensión (128 páginas), no permite profundizar ni en el desarrollo ni en los personajes.
A favor, lo potente del mensaje. Pone los pelos como escarpias comprobar la capacidad de seducción que tiene el fascismo y la facilidad con la que se infiltra. En apenas una semana, un grupo de adolescentes, que no comprendían como los alemanes permitieron que el nazismo llegara tan lejos, se convirtieron a su vez en auténticos nazis. Ellos no lo veían así. Pensaban que su movimiento, "La Ola", era algo grande y bueno, que pertenecer a él los convertía en los mejores. Sucumbieron ante lemas que pervertían los conceptos de disciplina, comunidad, acción y orgullo. Sacrificaron su individualidad ante el espejismo de una igualdad mal entendida (igualdad como uniformidad), y lo hicieron sin darse cuenta de que se llevaban por delante sus derechos y los de los compañeros, que no querían formar parte del movimiento. Eso y el discurso final del profesor Ross es lo más destacable del libro.
En conclusión. Una novela demasiado corta no muy bien escrita, pero de mensaje potente, que nos cuenta un experimento real llevado a cabo en un instituto de California. ¿Recomendable? Si se ha visto la película no aporta demasiado. En caso contrario, tampoco está de más leerla.
Novela corta con un mensaje impactante.
Dice la sinopsis:
Parece ficción, pero es un hecho real. En 1969, en un instituto de California, un profesor puso en marcha el experimento educativo más controvertido de la Historia: creó un movimiento entre sus alumnos, al que bautizó La Ola, para ilustrar el auge del nazismo en Alemania y los terribles acontecimientos que este trajo consigo. Creía tenerlo bajo control, pero se equivocaba. Las consecuencias de dicho experimento se recogen en este libro escalofriante, vertiginoso y revelador. Una lección precisa, más vigente que nunca: la Historia, siempre, encuentra la forma de repetirse.
Mis impresiones.
La lectura de este libro me deja con una sensación agridulce. La película es bastante fiel a lo que nos narra la novela. Difieren en el final, el del libro relata lo que ocurrió en la realidad sin el colorido añadido del film alemán. Dicho esto, la novela es tan corta, que si ya se ha visto la adaptación cinematográfica, poco más aporta.
En su contra, comentar que no está muy bien escrita y que su breve extensión (128 páginas), no permite profundizar ni en el desarrollo ni en los personajes.
A favor, lo potente del mensaje. Pone los pelos como escarpias comprobar la capacidad de seducción que tiene el fascismo y la facilidad con la que se infiltra. En apenas una semana, un grupo de adolescentes, que no comprendían como los alemanes permitieron que el nazismo llegara tan lejos, se convirtieron a su vez en auténticos nazis. Ellos no lo veían así. Pensaban que su movimiento, "La Ola", era algo grande y bueno, que pertenecer a él los convertía en los mejores. Sucumbieron ante lemas que pervertían los conceptos de disciplina, comunidad, acción y orgullo. Sacrificaron su individualidad ante el espejismo de una igualdad mal entendida (igualdad como uniformidad), y lo hicieron sin darse cuenta de que se llevaban por delante sus derechos y los de los compañeros, que no querían formar parte del movimiento. Eso y el discurso final del profesor Ross es lo más destacable del libro.
En conclusión. Una novela demasiado corta no muy bien escrita, pero de mensaje potente, que nos cuenta un experimento real llevado a cabo en un instituto de California. ¿Recomendable? Si se ha visto la película no aporta demasiado. En caso contrario, tampoco está de más leerla.
April 9, 2010
I read this book while on a family trip to Washington, D.C., shortly after visiting the Holocaust museum (which is, in fact, where my mom bought it -- in the gift shop -- and is it weird that the Holocaust museum has a gift shop? Even if the proceeds go to the museum?).
Perhaps that wasn't the best time to pick up a book that seeks to grossly oversimplify how fascism can slowly creep up and overtake a society of otherwise well-meaning people, but what with the blatant metaphors and bad, bad dialogue, I could never shake the impression that I was reading an after school special.
Then I read the back and discovered it WAS a novelization of an after school special, and all was made clear, but I still thought it was a pretty annoying book. More something to read to introduce the concept to children than enjoy as an adult -- good ideas, but terrible, terrible writing, characterization, everything.
Perhaps that wasn't the best time to pick up a book that seeks to grossly oversimplify how fascism can slowly creep up and overtake a society of otherwise well-meaning people, but what with the blatant metaphors and bad, bad dialogue, I could never shake the impression that I was reading an after school special.
Then I read the back and discovered it WAS a novelization of an after school special, and all was made clear, but I still thought it was a pretty annoying book. More something to read to introduce the concept to children than enjoy as an adult -- good ideas, but terrible, terrible writing, characterization, everything.
September 23, 2021
a simple lesson, simply told: don't let group-think turn you into a dumb fascist; be an individual. no problem with the message of course, and who'd be against that message anyway besides dumb fascists? the writing was totally uninteresting but also totally inoffensive. a small thing that really stood out was how much these early 80s teens smoked. different times, different times. i saw the twist (of sorts) at the end coming, but it was still enjoyable to watch a bunch of proto-hitler youth get literally schooled. even more enjoyable to me is the cover of my copy:
that one girl's jaded expression is the best.
that one girl's jaded expression is the best.
April 9, 2017
Unfortunately, this was a huge disappointment for me.
Although the topic and the fact that this book is based on a real story are very interesting, it was rather poorly executed.
The major problem for me were the characters.
They had absolutely no depth to them and I was left with many questions.
Why does the teacher decide to keep the experiment going in the first place? Why do the students just go with it, without any questions? What makes them decide to tell other students about the movement? How come everyone suddenly cares about Robert? Where do Laurie's doubts come from? What made David change his mind so suddenly? How did Mr. Ross finally realise that his experiment went too far? What made him accept that he needed to stop it? What were the reactions of the students when they realised what they had become?
Maybe not knowing the answers to these questions is the point of the book, but it just left me frustrated, confused and annoyed.
In addition to that, everything happened very fast and at times I felt like I was reading a newspaper article and not a book.
Right after I finished reading, I decided to watch the german movie based on the same true story, and although it ended in a quite dramatic way (bit of an overkill, in my opinion), it still seemed more realistic than this book.
Although the topic and the fact that this book is based on a real story are very interesting, it was rather poorly executed.
The major problem for me were the characters.
They had absolutely no depth to them and I was left with many questions.
Why does the teacher decide to keep the experiment going in the first place? Why do the students just go with it, without any questions? What makes them decide to tell other students about the movement? How come everyone suddenly cares about Robert? Where do Laurie's doubts come from? What made David change his mind so suddenly? How did Mr. Ross finally realise that his experiment went too far? What made him accept that he needed to stop it? What were the reactions of the students when they realised what they had become?
Maybe not knowing the answers to these questions is the point of the book, but it just left me frustrated, confused and annoyed.
In addition to that, everything happened very fast and at times I felt like I was reading a newspaper article and not a book.
Right after I finished reading, I decided to watch the german movie based on the same true story, and although it ended in a quite dramatic way (bit of an overkill, in my opinion), it still seemed more realistic than this book.
February 7, 2026
Famosa novela basada en un experimento social sobre el nazismo.
Es una novela dedicada más a un público juvenil y, en sí misma, no tiene un alto nivel literario. Esto no implica que no tenga un valor moral intrínseco, más bien todo lo contrario.
Lo narrado escuece. Traspasa piel y tejido. También asusta.
Tendría que ser de lectura obligatoria en la etapa adolescente.
--------------------------------
A famous novel based on a social experiment about Nazism.
It is a novel aimed more at a young audience and, by itself, does not have a high literary value. This does not mean that it lacks intrinsic moral value; quite the contrary.
The story stings. It pierces the skin and tissue. It also frightens.
It should be required reading for teenagers.
Es una novela dedicada más a un público juvenil y, en sí misma, no tiene un alto nivel literario. Esto no implica que no tenga un valor moral intrínseco, más bien todo lo contrario.
Lo narrado escuece. Traspasa piel y tejido. También asusta.
Tendría que ser de lectura obligatoria en la etapa adolescente.
--------------------------------
A famous novel based on a social experiment about Nazism.
It is a novel aimed more at a young audience and, by itself, does not have a high literary value. This does not mean that it lacks intrinsic moral value; quite the contrary.
The story stings. It pierces the skin and tissue. It also frightens.
It should be required reading for teenagers.
June 21, 2022
Está pasando delante de nuestras narices.
September 11, 2023
2.5 stars.
I picked this up cuz I found the premise interesting and that it was based on real events.
The writing is really bad but this being a short book made me glad. The message intended was good but it failed in its execution with one dimensional characters.
All in all, a unique short read.
I picked this up cuz I found the premise interesting and that it was based on real events.
The writing is really bad but this being a short book made me glad. The message intended was good but it failed in its execution with one dimensional characters.
All in all, a unique short read.
August 7, 2022
Ich hab absolut nichts an dem Buch auszusetzen. Es war mega gut, erschreckend und realistisch dargestellt🤯Finde das muss jeder mal gelesen haben
November 9, 2008
This book, written under the pen name of Morton Rhue in the United States, is a novelisation of the telemovie of the same name, which was based on a short story by Ron Jones about a real event.
In 1969 a high school history teacher, Ben Ross, was working in a small "all-American" town teaching his class of grade 12 students about the second World War. After showing them a film on Adolf Hitler, the Nazis and concentration camps, his students couldn't understand why the German people hadn't realised what was happening and done something to stop it. How could they not have known? The Nazis were a minority: why didn't they overthrow them?
Ben's answers weren't satisfactory, and in an effort to help them understand, the next day he begins a classroom experiment. He began by teaching them discipline: "strength through discipline" and by the end of the lesson had them all sitting with perfect posture, rising and shouting out answers to his questions with perfect obedience. The experiment continued, incorporating a name for the group: The Wave; as well as a salute and two more mottos: Strength through community and strength through action. Next he gave them membership cards and sent them out to recruit.
His class swelled as kids started skipping their own lessons to be part of his history class. The Wave was introduced to the school's football team and at first, teachers noticed all the improvements: better discipline, punctuality etc. Ben also noticed that, while they were now handing in their homework on time, there was no thought going into their answers, no questioning.
The only student in his original class who resisted was Laurie, editor of the school's paper, but even she didn't believe at first that it was more than a game that was being taken too seriously. Not until one student is beaten up because he's Jewish, and others are threatened for not joining The Wave. The Wave had taken over the school and was acting on orders given by Ben - orders he'd never given them; the movement had a life of its own.
After just over a week pressure from parents and the school principal, as well as his own wife, Christy, a music teacher at the school, forced Ben to end the experiment and question his own involvement. The power trip may have got to him, and he worried that he still had control. He told the Wave members that there was going to be a special meeting in the auditorium only for Wave members, where they would meet their national youth Wave leader. When they had all assembled the projector showed an image of Adolf Hitler.
This is the story I mentioned a while back, that had come up in the workshop I went to on teaching genocide in schools: someone had watched the film at school. At the time I had no idea that there was a novel based on the film, but the grade 8s at my Practicum school are starting an independent reading unit with two books: Animal Farm and The Wave. I was quite excited to read it, since the telemovie isn't so easy to get hold of - I think you have to order it from the States.
The story is fiction, but it's based on a real event. The teacher was Ron Jones, and there is some controversy around how much of his account is bullshit. Some ex-students were who involved have said that it didn't happen like that, that it never took over the school and so on (I found a website collecting debunking stories but I don't have the link sorry).
Personally, I can understand why some would want to downplay the experiment and its effect on them. No one likes to be made a fool of, and no one would want people to think they had it in them to be a little Nazi, a follower, an obedient servant of power-hungry dictators. No one would want to admit that they were not only taken in by it all but got caught up in it to the point of believing it was wonderful, good, fostered equality and that people who were against it should be "stopped".
There are ex-students of the school who fully support Ron Jones' account of the experiment, and there are articles from the school's paper about it as well. It happened a long time ago and no one's memory of it is going to be perfect, but I don't doubt that it happened. The movie is of course a dramatisation of the real event and, for effect, probably embellished at times. But to fixate on how real or truthful The Wave is is to totally miss the point.
The experiment was highly successful, and those who had said it could never happen now (like it was a product of its times and that we had all learnt out lesson from Nazi Germany). The big shock was that it could happen so easily, and happen amongst middle class, "normal" people. It's a great peek into human nature. As one character, David, says to Laurie while trying to convince her to shut up about The Wave: "Some guys just used The Wave as an excuse for beating that kid up. Don't you see? The Wave is still for the good of the whole. Why can't you see that, Laurie? It could be a whole new system. We could make it work." (p113)
At the beginning, the similarities to the military are very apparent and disturbing. But when a group of kids (or anyone) takes on a single mind, you can really see how impossible it becomes to resist, to speak out, to decline. Ben Ross' final speech to the students under the picture of Adolf Hitler neatly sums it up:
"You thought you were so special!" Ross told them. "Better than everyone outside of this room. You traded your freedom for what you said was equality. But you turned your equality into superiority over non-Wave members. You accepted the group's will over your own convictions, no matter who you had to hurt to do it. Oh, some of you thought you were just going along for the ride, that you could walk away at any moment. But did you? Did any of you try it?
"Yes, you all would have made good Nazis," Ben told them. "You would have put on the uniform, turned your heads, and allowed your friends and neighbors to be persecuted and destroyed. You say it could never happen again, but look how close you came. Threatening those who wouldn't join you, preventing non-Wave members from sitting with you at football games. Fascism isn't something those other people did, it is right here, in all of us. You ask how could the German people do nothing as millions of innocent human beings were murdered? How could they claim they weren't involved? What causes people to deny their own histories?"
Ben moved closer to the front of the stage and spoke in a low voice: "If history repeats itself, you will all want to deny what happened to you in The Wave. But, if our experiment has been successful - and I think you can see that it has - you will have learned that we are all responsible for our own actions, and that you must always question what you do rather than blindly follow a leader, and that for the rest of your lives, you will never, ever allow a group's will to usurp your individual rights." (p134-5)
In 1969 a high school history teacher, Ben Ross, was working in a small "all-American" town teaching his class of grade 12 students about the second World War. After showing them a film on Adolf Hitler, the Nazis and concentration camps, his students couldn't understand why the German people hadn't realised what was happening and done something to stop it. How could they not have known? The Nazis were a minority: why didn't they overthrow them?
Ben's answers weren't satisfactory, and in an effort to help them understand, the next day he begins a classroom experiment. He began by teaching them discipline: "strength through discipline" and by the end of the lesson had them all sitting with perfect posture, rising and shouting out answers to his questions with perfect obedience. The experiment continued, incorporating a name for the group: The Wave; as well as a salute and two more mottos: Strength through community and strength through action. Next he gave them membership cards and sent them out to recruit.
His class swelled as kids started skipping their own lessons to be part of his history class. The Wave was introduced to the school's football team and at first, teachers noticed all the improvements: better discipline, punctuality etc. Ben also noticed that, while they were now handing in their homework on time, there was no thought going into their answers, no questioning.
The only student in his original class who resisted was Laurie, editor of the school's paper, but even she didn't believe at first that it was more than a game that was being taken too seriously. Not until one student is beaten up because he's Jewish, and others are threatened for not joining The Wave. The Wave had taken over the school and was acting on orders given by Ben - orders he'd never given them; the movement had a life of its own.
After just over a week pressure from parents and the school principal, as well as his own wife, Christy, a music teacher at the school, forced Ben to end the experiment and question his own involvement. The power trip may have got to him, and he worried that he still had control. He told the Wave members that there was going to be a special meeting in the auditorium only for Wave members, where they would meet their national youth Wave leader. When they had all assembled the projector showed an image of Adolf Hitler.
This is the story I mentioned a while back, that had come up in the workshop I went to on teaching genocide in schools: someone had watched the film at school. At the time I had no idea that there was a novel based on the film, but the grade 8s at my Practicum school are starting an independent reading unit with two books: Animal Farm and The Wave. I was quite excited to read it, since the telemovie isn't so easy to get hold of - I think you have to order it from the States.
The story is fiction, but it's based on a real event. The teacher was Ron Jones, and there is some controversy around how much of his account is bullshit. Some ex-students were who involved have said that it didn't happen like that, that it never took over the school and so on (I found a website collecting debunking stories but I don't have the link sorry).
Personally, I can understand why some would want to downplay the experiment and its effect on them. No one likes to be made a fool of, and no one would want people to think they had it in them to be a little Nazi, a follower, an obedient servant of power-hungry dictators. No one would want to admit that they were not only taken in by it all but got caught up in it to the point of believing it was wonderful, good, fostered equality and that people who were against it should be "stopped".
There are ex-students of the school who fully support Ron Jones' account of the experiment, and there are articles from the school's paper about it as well. It happened a long time ago and no one's memory of it is going to be perfect, but I don't doubt that it happened. The movie is of course a dramatisation of the real event and, for effect, probably embellished at times. But to fixate on how real or truthful The Wave is is to totally miss the point.
The experiment was highly successful, and those who had said it could never happen now (like it was a product of its times and that we had all learnt out lesson from Nazi Germany). The big shock was that it could happen so easily, and happen amongst middle class, "normal" people. It's a great peek into human nature. As one character, David, says to Laurie while trying to convince her to shut up about The Wave: "Some guys just used The Wave as an excuse for beating that kid up. Don't you see? The Wave is still for the good of the whole. Why can't you see that, Laurie? It could be a whole new system. We could make it work." (p113)
At the beginning, the similarities to the military are very apparent and disturbing. But when a group of kids (or anyone) takes on a single mind, you can really see how impossible it becomes to resist, to speak out, to decline. Ben Ross' final speech to the students under the picture of Adolf Hitler neatly sums it up:
"You thought you were so special!" Ross told them. "Better than everyone outside of this room. You traded your freedom for what you said was equality. But you turned your equality into superiority over non-Wave members. You accepted the group's will over your own convictions, no matter who you had to hurt to do it. Oh, some of you thought you were just going along for the ride, that you could walk away at any moment. But did you? Did any of you try it?
"Yes, you all would have made good Nazis," Ben told them. "You would have put on the uniform, turned your heads, and allowed your friends and neighbors to be persecuted and destroyed. You say it could never happen again, but look how close you came. Threatening those who wouldn't join you, preventing non-Wave members from sitting with you at football games. Fascism isn't something those other people did, it is right here, in all of us. You ask how could the German people do nothing as millions of innocent human beings were murdered? How could they claim they weren't involved? What causes people to deny their own histories?"
Ben moved closer to the front of the stage and spoke in a low voice: "If history repeats itself, you will all want to deny what happened to you in The Wave. But, if our experiment has been successful - and I think you can see that it has - you will have learned that we are all responsible for our own actions, and that you must always question what you do rather than blindly follow a leader, and that for the rest of your lives, you will never, ever allow a group's will to usurp your individual rights." (p134-5)
March 12, 2008
A compelling story about how Nazi Germany could have been created--how the minority controlled the majority, and how the majority allowed themselves to be controlled. It's based on the true story of The Third Wave experiment, which demonstrated fascism as a part of teaching about WWII.
But the writing of this book. Oh, the writing. It hurts. It should be noted that in tiny print on the copyright page, it does note that this is a novelization of a teleplay that was an adaptation of the original teacher's essay about the experiment. Once you're that far removed, I'm not sure it's possible to write a good book, but oh, the writing is just bad. And I can also make some allowances for it being 1981 when he wrote it. The second sentence of the book is "She was a pretty girl with short light-brown hair and an almost perpetual smile that only disappeared when she was upset or chewing on Bic pens." (Sentence 1 established that she was, in fact, chewing on a Bic pen.) And the whole book sounds like that.
It's a valuable book for a curriculum, but I do wish we could have students read the original essay instead, just as a matter of literary quality.
But the writing of this book. Oh, the writing. It hurts. It should be noted that in tiny print on the copyright page, it does note that this is a novelization of a teleplay that was an adaptation of the original teacher's essay about the experiment. Once you're that far removed, I'm not sure it's possible to write a good book, but oh, the writing is just bad. And I can also make some allowances for it being 1981 when he wrote it. The second sentence of the book is "She was a pretty girl with short light-brown hair and an almost perpetual smile that only disappeared when she was upset or chewing on Bic pens." (Sentence 1 established that she was, in fact, chewing on a Bic pen.) And the whole book sounds like that.
It's a valuable book for a curriculum, but I do wish we could have students read the original essay instead, just as a matter of literary quality.
December 22, 2016
A new movement is coursing through High School...discipline and strength must be maintained and enforced. This novel dramatizes an incident that took place in California (Ellwood P. Cubberley High School history class in Palo Alto, California) in 1969. As the experiment 'exits' the class there many positive features that start to take place...but what is to be done with the individuals who do not fit in? Chilling glimpse into how Nazism was able to spread.
September 11, 2022
2/5
Nenoriu skambėt bjauriai, bet blemba, kaip jaučiasi, kad knyga rašyta Amerikos jaunimui. Nevertinu jos niekaip kitaip – tai YA literatūra, bet net nežinau, ar būtų patikusi, kai pati buvau YA. Čia viskas taip sukramtyta, į košę sutrinta, ant lėkštutės padėta ir paaiškinta, o jei neaišku, dar peraiškinta iš kiek kitos pusės, kad skamba kaip kažkas iš tų baltų knygučių vaikystėje, kur su iliustracijomis dideliu šriftu būdavo perpasakojama kokia klasikinė knyga. Veikėjai čia atitinka kažkokį jaunimo literatūros tropą – graži pana yra graži, sportininkas aišku į smurtą linkęs, lūzeris, kurio vaibas „gal atsinešiu tėvo ginklą į mokyklą“, susirūpinę tėvai, į nieką rimtai nežiūrintys bajeristai ir panašūs. Pasakojimas čia vyniojasi tokiu greičiu, kad atrodo, jog kokį laikraščio straipsnį skaitytum – niekam T.Strasser neskiria daugiau, nei kelių puslapių.
Autorius net nevysto istorijos, jis tik dėsto sceną po scenos, be jokio literatūrinio meistriškumo, be jokio antro dugno. Pakanka paskaityti anotaciją ir paveikumas toks pat, temos išpildymas – irgi. Tik perskaičiusi knygą pasidomėjau, kad čia – devintas vanduo nuo kisieliaus – pirma buvo tikras įvykis, tada kažkoks jo perpasakojimas televizijai, tada esė, o tada vat jau knyga, tokia labiau apsakymas, nei romanas. Įdomiausia būtų paskaityti kokią mokslinę tikro įvykio analizę. Ar knyga tiktų į privalomos literatūros sąrašą? Aišku, kodėl ne – tikrai sukeltų „nu, vis ne Donelaitis“ emociją. Bet gal nuvertinu knygą, o gal pervertinu šiuolaikinį jaunimą, tik galvoju, kad Banga čia tik toks raibuliukas, kad net kelių neapsemia ir ta emocija, overstimulated šiuolaikiniam jaunam žmogui yra tiesiog nepakankama.
Nenoriu skambėt bjauriai, bet blemba, kaip jaučiasi, kad knyga rašyta Amerikos jaunimui. Nevertinu jos niekaip kitaip – tai YA literatūra, bet net nežinau, ar būtų patikusi, kai pati buvau YA. Čia viskas taip sukramtyta, į košę sutrinta, ant lėkštutės padėta ir paaiškinta, o jei neaišku, dar peraiškinta iš kiek kitos pusės, kad skamba kaip kažkas iš tų baltų knygučių vaikystėje, kur su iliustracijomis dideliu šriftu būdavo perpasakojama kokia klasikinė knyga. Veikėjai čia atitinka kažkokį jaunimo literatūros tropą – graži pana yra graži, sportininkas aišku į smurtą linkęs, lūzeris, kurio vaibas „gal atsinešiu tėvo ginklą į mokyklą“, susirūpinę tėvai, į nieką rimtai nežiūrintys bajeristai ir panašūs. Pasakojimas čia vyniojasi tokiu greičiu, kad atrodo, jog kokį laikraščio straipsnį skaitytum – niekam T.Strasser neskiria daugiau, nei kelių puslapių.
Autorius net nevysto istorijos, jis tik dėsto sceną po scenos, be jokio literatūrinio meistriškumo, be jokio antro dugno. Pakanka paskaityti anotaciją ir paveikumas toks pat, temos išpildymas – irgi. Tik perskaičiusi knygą pasidomėjau, kad čia – devintas vanduo nuo kisieliaus – pirma buvo tikras įvykis, tada kažkoks jo perpasakojimas televizijai, tada esė, o tada vat jau knyga, tokia labiau apsakymas, nei romanas. Įdomiausia būtų paskaityti kokią mokslinę tikro įvykio analizę. Ar knyga tiktų į privalomos literatūros sąrašą? Aišku, kodėl ne – tikrai sukeltų „nu, vis ne Donelaitis“ emociją. Bet gal nuvertinu knygą, o gal pervertinu šiuolaikinį jaunimą, tik galvoju, kad Banga čia tik toks raibuliukas, kad net kelių neapsemia ir ta emocija, overstimulated šiuolaikiniam jaunam žmogui yra tiesiog nepakankama.
July 26, 2011
I read this book as an assigned book report and wasnt quite sure if I would like it or not. To be completely honest, I picked it because of its title. The Wave. It sounded relaxing to me. However, when I actually read the book, I realized it wasnt about the waves in the ocean at all. It was a pleasant suprise to read something different. When you finish reading the book, you have that feeling like "wow. That ACTUALLY happened." Its very sad that this happened, but we have to learn from people's mistakes. Not just our own, but others as well. After reading this book I realized that this stuff DID happen, and it could easily happen again if we're not careful. We shouldnt allow a group's will to overpower our own judgement. It is not good to follow someone blindly. We should always question what we are doing. If we think that it is wrong, we should make the decision not to do it, even if many others are not as smart or as brave. The Wave really makes you think. It makes you question yourself. Which in many cases is a good thing. Have you been making good choices? Do you have good judgement? Or have you been following another's decisions? This book helps you figure out what you should do and also what NOT to do. I love this book, and I would definitely reccomend it to people who are trying to mature and understand the world's issues. If we understand them better, we can figure out ways to make sure that things like this dont continue to happen in the future.
August 20, 2021
Viajemos un momento en el tiempo: año 1967, Estados Unidos. A 25 años del fin de la II GM, un profesor de Historia, cuando estaba explicando el tema de la Alemania nazi, decide poner en marcha un experimento: ¿puede volver a triunfar una dictadura?
El experimento funcionó, y puso todo patas arribas.
En “La Ola” el autor novela los hechos que ocurrieron en un instituto de California, en el que el profesor de Historia, viendo que sus alumnos estaban convencidos que una ideología como el nazismo nunca podría volver a triunfar, quiso ponerles a prueba.
Quizás hace unos años yo misma habría dicho lo mismo que esos alumnos pensaban entonces. Ya hemos pasado por eso una vez, ¿cómo seríamos capaces de aceptar una dictadura? El tiempo ha demostrado que los seres humanos nos seguimos empeñando en tropezar con la misma piedra.
No hace falta viajar a Alemania o a USA. No. En la España del año 2021, hay una gran mayoría de personas que siguen a estos “partidos” que creen que está bien apoyar un discurso machista, racista, xenófobo, de odio y discriminatorio.
Porque es muy fácil doblegar la mente de una persona. Es muy sencillo hacerle creer a un grupo que, como comparten el mismo odio, la misma voluntad, están juntos, y que eso está bien.
Lo que se aprendió con el experimento de La Ola fue que daba igual la Historia. Daba igual el tiempo, el lugar. La única manera de combatir el fascismo es desde la educación. Desde la lectura. Desde el aprendizaje.
Quiero creer que no vendrán más “Olas”. Que con este libro quizás esa gente que es una más de ese rebaño, abra los ojos, antes de que sea demasiado tarde.
Mientras tanto, los que sabemos diferenciar la realidad de la ficción, seguiremos aplaudiendo que existan este tipo de lecturas. Para seguir combatiendo.
El experimento funcionó, y puso todo patas arribas.
En “La Ola” el autor novela los hechos que ocurrieron en un instituto de California, en el que el profesor de Historia, viendo que sus alumnos estaban convencidos que una ideología como el nazismo nunca podría volver a triunfar, quiso ponerles a prueba.
Quizás hace unos años yo misma habría dicho lo mismo que esos alumnos pensaban entonces. Ya hemos pasado por eso una vez, ¿cómo seríamos capaces de aceptar una dictadura? El tiempo ha demostrado que los seres humanos nos seguimos empeñando en tropezar con la misma piedra.
No hace falta viajar a Alemania o a USA. No. En la España del año 2021, hay una gran mayoría de personas que siguen a estos “partidos” que creen que está bien apoyar un discurso machista, racista, xenófobo, de odio y discriminatorio.
Porque es muy fácil doblegar la mente de una persona. Es muy sencillo hacerle creer a un grupo que, como comparten el mismo odio, la misma voluntad, están juntos, y que eso está bien.
Lo que se aprendió con el experimento de La Ola fue que daba igual la Historia. Daba igual el tiempo, el lugar. La única manera de combatir el fascismo es desde la educación. Desde la lectura. Desde el aprendizaje.
Quiero creer que no vendrán más “Olas”. Que con este libro quizás esa gente que es una más de ese rebaño, abra los ojos, antes de que sea demasiado tarde.
Mientras tanto, los que sabemos diferenciar la realidad de la ficción, seguiremos aplaudiendo que existan este tipo de lecturas. Para seguir combatiendo.
November 11, 2015
Το είχα διαβάσει οταν ειχε πρώτοβγεί. Πριν γίνει μόδα , ταινία , θεατρικό . Πριν ο φασισμός ξανανοίξει τα απειλητικά φτερά του . Τότε που καμια κρίση δεν μας γονάτιζε και που ευημερούσαμε. Με ξένα κόλυβα . Μετα μας πήρε το Κύμα
December 30, 2025
Complètement fascinant. Je n’en reviens pas que ce soit déjà arrivé dans une classe des années 70. Un prof qui crée un mouvement fachiste dans sa classe basé sur rien… Les événements sont présentés ici sous forme de roman alors c’était très agréable à lire et ça fait vraiment réfléchir.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ : Adoré
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ : Adoré
November 23, 2014
3.5 stars
It was a very frightening read, my stomach was in knots and I felt sick from the idea alone.
I know that it is BASED on true events, but I find it hard to believe that it happened so fast!
5 days? Really? Is that what it takes to create a monster?
The writing is OK, but I expected more from it.
BUT, a very important read, and I'm glad it is a must read in many schools around the globe.
History can repeat it self if we are not careful.
It was a very frightening read, my stomach was in knots and I felt sick from the idea alone.
I know that it is BASED on true events, but I find it hard to believe that it happened so fast!
5 days? Really? Is that what it takes to create a monster?
The writing is OK, but I expected more from it.
BUT, a very important read, and I'm glad it is a must read in many schools around the globe.
History can repeat it self if we are not careful.
February 23, 2019
…mi sono venuti in mente i tanti fenomeni di massa passatimi sotto gli occhi nella mia quasi lunga vita supportata da una robusta memoria. Nessuno, però, che si fosse sviluppato nel giro di pochi giorni se non la "bitolsmania" scoppiata subito dopo il loro passaggio in sordina in Italia nel giugno del ’65 che accomunò teanagers e matusa. Mia madre, cinquantenne, rimase incantata da quei ragazzini con il caschetto francescano e abbottonatissimi fino al mento.
L’esperimento, della serie “Come si diventa nazisti”, di Ben Ross prof. di storia in un college di Palo Alto, ha l’aria di un kit preconfezionato che ti puoi montare a casa in pochi minuti.
Certo, l’obiettivo pedagogico – centrato se il librino sembra venga letto nelle scuole tedesche- è dei più ambiziosi: dimostrare che “ciò che non può più accadere” può, invece, risorgere in qualsiasi tempo e in qualsiasi luogo. Pochi gli ingredienti: tre parole d’ordine Forza, Comunità, Azione conditi con abbondanti dosi di Disciplina e il nazismo è servito.
Chissà perché la Arendt sia risalita fino al 1870 per cercarne le origini , senza peraltro poterne dare una ricetta definitiva o Canetti abbia impiegato trent’anni per riflettere col suo “ Massa e Potere” sui due fenomeni. E su tutti il n°174.517, Primo Levi, che dell’abisso della disumanizzazione non potè capirne appieno la vera origine.
Comunque tre stelle per la buona volontà di trasformare “il genere college” in qualcosa di più utile.
P.S. 23 Febbraio
La madre dei cretini è sempre incinta. Il razzista maestro di Foligno ha avuto il lampo di genio di giustificare il suo inqualificabile esperimento come un esperimeto sull'onda dell'Onda.
L’esperimento, della serie “Come si diventa nazisti”, di Ben Ross prof. di storia in un college di Palo Alto, ha l’aria di un kit preconfezionato che ti puoi montare a casa in pochi minuti.
Certo, l’obiettivo pedagogico – centrato se il librino sembra venga letto nelle scuole tedesche- è dei più ambiziosi: dimostrare che “ciò che non può più accadere” può, invece, risorgere in qualsiasi tempo e in qualsiasi luogo. Pochi gli ingredienti: tre parole d’ordine Forza, Comunità, Azione conditi con abbondanti dosi di Disciplina e il nazismo è servito.
Chissà perché la Arendt sia risalita fino al 1870 per cercarne le origini , senza peraltro poterne dare una ricetta definitiva o Canetti abbia impiegato trent’anni per riflettere col suo “ Massa e Potere” sui due fenomeni. E su tutti il n°174.517, Primo Levi, che dell’abisso della disumanizzazione non potè capirne appieno la vera origine.
Comunque tre stelle per la buona volontà di trasformare “il genere college” in qualcosa di più utile.
P.S. 23 Febbraio
La madre dei cretini è sempre incinta. Il razzista maestro di Foligno ha avuto il lampo di genio di giustificare il suo inqualificabile esperimento come un esperimeto sull'onda dell'Onda.
August 27, 2014
Danit Benjamin's book review of "The Wave" by Morton Rhue.
This book is based on a true story of an experiment carried out by Ben Ross, a history teacher in a high school in California. They were studying World War II. After being shown a documentary showing the atrocities the Nazis committed the students questioned how it was possible for 90% of the German people to allow this to happen.
Ben Ross decided to do an experiment to show the students how easily it could happen. He created a group called "The Wave". Their motto was "strength through discipline". Each member had to greet each other with a special salute and they were against everyone who resisted belonging to the group. Ben Ross realized that the experiment had gone too far when the group attacked those who resisted. I became interested in this book after my cousin took the main part in a dramatic presentation of "The Wave" and recommended it. The strong points of the book are that it shows how people are easily led by their peers and need to understand as Ben tells them at the end. "You traded your freedom for what you said was equality"; "you would have all made good Nazis"; "we are all responsible for our own actions"; never allow a group's will to usurp your individual rights". This book should be read by all teenagers who are easily influenced by their peers especially in smoking, drinking and drugs. It also teaches how easily history can repeat itself.
This book is based on a true story of an experiment carried out by Ben Ross, a history teacher in a high school in California. They were studying World War II. After being shown a documentary showing the atrocities the Nazis committed the students questioned how it was possible for 90% of the German people to allow this to happen.
Ben Ross decided to do an experiment to show the students how easily it could happen. He created a group called "The Wave". Their motto was "strength through discipline". Each member had to greet each other with a special salute and they were against everyone who resisted belonging to the group. Ben Ross realized that the experiment had gone too far when the group attacked those who resisted. I became interested in this book after my cousin took the main part in a dramatic presentation of "The Wave" and recommended it. The strong points of the book are that it shows how people are easily led by their peers and need to understand as Ben tells them at the end. "You traded your freedom for what you said was equality"; "you would have all made good Nazis"; "we are all responsible for our own actions"; never allow a group's will to usurp your individual rights". This book should be read by all teenagers who are easily influenced by their peers especially in smoking, drinking and drugs. It also teaches how easily history can repeat itself.
January 22, 2022
Videorecensione: https://youtu.be/NLtR7zSfmsU
August 21, 2025
Quizás me esperaba algo más fuerte (aunque vi la peli hace años, apenas la recuerdo), más violento, más cocinado en el tiempo, pero la verdad es que todo ocurre en apenas una semana, lo cual se me hace extraño y poco creíble. Que no niego que igual podría ocurrir; la humanidad siempre sorprende PARA MAL. Pero, sintiéndolo mucho, me ha costado entrar en el juego de La ola.
También es que puede que me cueste desprenderme de mi mirada millennial, sabiendo que mis compañeros de clase del instituto se hubieran partido el ojete si el profe de historia les hubiera propuesto algo así. Ni de coña hubiera logrado unir a canis, punkis, heavys y empollones en un grupo como La ola. Así que puede que el problema sea mío, y no del libro en sí.
También es que puede que me cueste desprenderme de mi mirada millennial, sabiendo que mis compañeros de clase del instituto se hubieran partido el ojete si el profe de historia les hubiera propuesto algo así. Ni de coña hubiera logrado unir a canis, punkis, heavys y empollones en un grupo como La ola. Así que puede que el problema sea mío, y no del libro en sí.
September 8, 2021
En 1969, en una clase de historia de un instituto de Estados Unidos, el profesor muestra un vídeo sobre los campos de exterminio nazis. Algunos de los alumnos, desconocedores de este hecho, se sorprenden al descubrir tales atrocidades y comienzan a preguntar cómo fue posible que se llegara a ese punto tan extremo, cómo es que nadie se rebeló, denunció lo que estaba pasando o luchó contra eso. ¿Por qué los alemanes lo permitieron? ¿Cómo pudo llegar a ocurrir?
Así que el profesor decide hacer un experimento en clase creando un movimiento llamado "La Ola", que serviría para que los alumnos experimentasen de primera mano cómo una idea puede convertirse en algo real. Y para que viviesen en su propia piel algo parecido al crecimiento del nazismo en Alemania y porqué los ciudadanos lo aceptaron.
En un principio funciona y el maestro va avanzando, pero poco a poco y a medida que "La Ola" va creciendo y tomando fuerza, el asunto se le empieza a ir de las manos y se descontrola hasta llegar a límites que ni él imaginaba.
Lo sobrecogedor de la historia es que es un hecho real. Impresiona mucho ver cómo va evolucionando todo y hasta dónde es capaz de llegar un grupo, el poder de convicción que puede tener un líder y el peligro de seguir a alguien ciegamente.
A nivel narración es bastante sencillo, más bien como si fuera una especie de documental, pero creo que es interesante y vale la pena por poder conocer el hecho y reflexionar sobre todo lo que se cuenta aquí.
Así que el profesor decide hacer un experimento en clase creando un movimiento llamado "La Ola", que serviría para que los alumnos experimentasen de primera mano cómo una idea puede convertirse en algo real. Y para que viviesen en su propia piel algo parecido al crecimiento del nazismo en Alemania y porqué los ciudadanos lo aceptaron.
En un principio funciona y el maestro va avanzando, pero poco a poco y a medida que "La Ola" va creciendo y tomando fuerza, el asunto se le empieza a ir de las manos y se descontrola hasta llegar a límites que ni él imaginaba.
Lo sobrecogedor de la historia es que es un hecho real. Impresiona mucho ver cómo va evolucionando todo y hasta dónde es capaz de llegar un grupo, el poder de convicción que puede tener un líder y el peligro de seguir a alguien ciegamente.
A nivel narración es bastante sencillo, más bien como si fuera una especie de documental, pero creo que es interesante y vale la pena por poder conocer el hecho y reflexionar sobre todo lo que se cuenta aquí.
May 30, 2017
Kitaplıkta görünce buraya da taşımak istedim. Benim için kült kitaplardandır. Filmi de bir o kadar güzeldir. Gücü arayan insanlığın sembollerinden kanlı gözyaşları akmaya devam ediyor.... Yönetilmeye ihtiyacı olduğuna öyle ikna edilmiş ki alkışlar doğasından geliyor artık!!! Acının etrafına toplanan insanlar olmaktan utanıyorum....
April 1, 2016
Such a fascinating story and concept. It is scary if you think about it, but so well done.
April 11, 2011
This book is what happens when an adult who TOTALLY HAS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE, YOU GUYS tries to write a book for teenagers. It was written in 1981 and it was about an experiment gone wrong that actually happened in Palo Alto California called the Third Wave. So basically it's what happens when a high school history teacher tries to show his students that nobody's immune to fascism and introduces teh principles in his class and it catches like wild fire and suddenly the entire student body is acting like little Hitler Youth with no dictator.
I got the premise, the premise was good. But about 75% of the book was really preachy exposition and patronizing BS that was supposed to be the history teacher's thought processes and a bunch of "ZOMG HOW DID THIS HAPPEN AND WHAT DO I DO?!" My biggest "you've got to be kidding me" moment came when the indoctrinated students freak out on this one kid for being jewish. Nobody told them to hate teh jewz, but they just take it on themselves and then the jewish kid's rabbi calls the principal all freaked out. Again. I get it. But there was no part of the initial indoctrination that said "don't like jews" and not all fascists hate certain religious institutions, you know? I mean, yes, Hitler had a thing about Jewish people in general, but if the point of your book is about how no one is immune to othering people, why not pick a kid who wants nothing to do with your little experiment? Or hey, a band geek. Speaking as a former band geek, them's a cliquey bunch who really have no interest in anyone else not that anyone else wants them, really.
My point here is that that particular story line was downright sloppy on the part of the author because to assume that your target audience isn't going to get the Nazism = Bad moral without hitting them over then head and victimizing a gratutitous religious group is both condescending and annoying.
I can see why this story would be important to tell a class, but I can't see assigning this book for demonstrative purposes because frankly all it did was piss me off. Strasser followed the timeline of the original experiment so closely it was like he was checking off boxes. And he was sure to have each high school archetype discover something WHOLLY INSPIRED about themselves in the process. Popular girl finding out people are actually jealous of her and want her to lose her position? Check. Jock finding out he doesn't need approval? Check. Out cast kid finding a place in a cult like group and then being devastated when he finds out he did a bad thing in pursuit of approval? Double check. New, slightly "outside the box" teacher doing something that crosses a major line, but pulling back and fixing it before he's in deep shit or somebody dies? Yeah, happened but I still wanted him to get fired.
Anyway, if you're interested in the experiment, and it is interesting in a sociological "wow, people really are sheep, I knew it" way, then read the wiki page, don't bother with this book. It reads like a Sweet Valley High Special Edition gone horribly, horribly wrong. And I used to love me some Sweet Valley High Special Editions.
I got the premise, the premise was good. But about 75% of the book was really preachy exposition and patronizing BS that was supposed to be the history teacher's thought processes and a bunch of "ZOMG HOW DID THIS HAPPEN AND WHAT DO I DO?!" My biggest "you've got to be kidding me" moment came when the indoctrinated students freak out on this one kid for being jewish. Nobody told them to hate teh jewz, but they just take it on themselves and then the jewish kid's rabbi calls the principal all freaked out. Again. I get it. But there was no part of the initial indoctrination that said "don't like jews" and not all fascists hate certain religious institutions, you know? I mean, yes, Hitler had a thing about Jewish people in general, but if the point of your book is about how no one is immune to othering people, why not pick a kid who wants nothing to do with your little experiment? Or hey, a band geek. Speaking as a former band geek, them's a cliquey bunch who really have no interest in anyone else not that anyone else wants them, really.
My point here is that that particular story line was downright sloppy on the part of the author because to assume that your target audience isn't going to get the Nazism = Bad moral without hitting them over then head and victimizing a gratutitous religious group is both condescending and annoying.
I can see why this story would be important to tell a class, but I can't see assigning this book for demonstrative purposes because frankly all it did was piss me off. Strasser followed the timeline of the original experiment so closely it was like he was checking off boxes. And he was sure to have each high school archetype discover something WHOLLY INSPIRED about themselves in the process. Popular girl finding out people are actually jealous of her and want her to lose her position? Check. Jock finding out he doesn't need approval? Check. Out cast kid finding a place in a cult like group and then being devastated when he finds out he did a bad thing in pursuit of approval? Double check. New, slightly "outside the box" teacher doing something that crosses a major line, but pulling back and fixing it before he's in deep shit or somebody dies? Yeah, happened but I still wanted him to get fired.
Anyway, if you're interested in the experiment, and it is interesting in a sociological "wow, people really are sheep, I knew it" way, then read the wiki page, don't bother with this book. It reads like a Sweet Valley High Special Edition gone horribly, horribly wrong. And I used to love me some Sweet Valley High Special Editions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2021
«Фашизм – це не те, що раніше коїли чужі люди, це – те, що зараз є тут, всередині нас усіх.»
Історія заснована на реальному експерименті вчителя в американській школі у 60-х роках, метою якого було дати дітям відповідь на питання: чому німці, які не були членами нацистської партії, замовчували, підтримували чи просто допустили звірства, що коїли їхні співвітчизники. Експеримент, що починається розмовою про важливість дисципліни для успіху у навчання, спорті і ремеслі, а закінчується… тим, що все виходить з-під контролю.
Трохи моторошно було.
Історія заснована на реальному експерименті вчителя в американській школі у 60-х роках, метою якого було дати дітям відповідь на питання: чому німці, які не були членами нацистської партії, замовчували, підтримували чи просто допустили звірства, що коїли їхні співвітчизники. Експеримент, що починається розмовою про важливість дисципліни для успіху у навчання, спорті і ремеслі, а закінчується… тим, що все виходить з-під контролю.
Трохи моторошно було.
December 6, 2025
Tengo que decir que la calidad de la novela es pésima. Aunque el experimento real que se narra es espeluznante. Pero lo peor es que no me ha sorprendido mucho, viendo lo que ocurre hoy por hoy en la sociedad.
Einstein dijo una vez: "El mundo no se ve amenazado por la gente que es mala, sino por aquellas personas que permiten el mal".
Me ha gustado mucho leerla. Con qué facilidad se puede mover masas. Con qué facilidad se puede eliminar el pensamiento crítico, eliminar al individuo, proclamar consignas y ensalzar a un líder.
Einstein dijo una vez: "El mundo no se ve amenazado por la gente que es mala, sino por aquellas personas que permiten el mal".
Me ha gustado mucho leerla. Con qué facilidad se puede mover masas. Con qué facilidad se puede eliminar el pensamiento crítico, eliminar al individuo, proclamar consignas y ensalzar a un líder.
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