Description
Book SynopsisPseudoscience and Deception is a compilation of some of the most eye-opening skeptical articles pertaining to extraordinary claims and pseudoscience. The articles explore paranormal, extraordinary, or fringe-science claims and reveal logical explanations or outline the deceptive tactics involved in convincing the vulnerable. Topics include claims of astrology, psychic ability, alternative medicine, after-death communication, psychotherapy, and pseudoscience. The contributors to this book are among the most accomplished critical thinkers, scientists, and educators in the world and tackle their respective topics from a rational, logical, and skeptical perspective. Most students are seldom excited to study critical thinkingwith the exception of allegedly paranormal phenomena as the subject matter. Educators must seize this golden opportunity to witness and experience students' genuine engagement in studying critical thinking.
Trade ReviewPraise for the First Edition Reading the chapters in this fine anthology will make you smarter and better able to cope. First, they will inform you and enrich your life. Then they will give you tools to allow you to sift sense from nonsense about all manner of claims and assertions that swirl about without much intelligent evaluation or response. This is your antidote to those. -- Kendrick Frazier, editor, Skeptical Inquirer: The Magazine for Science and Reason
A ‘how to’ book for apprehending nature in its true grandeur. -- Ann Druyan, co-writer, Co-Writer of the Cosmos TV series and wife of the late Carl Sagan
Dr. Farha has never had any misconceptions about how the universe really works. His book will encourage and help those for whom questions have arisen, and will give them points upon which to base arguments against the ever-growing dumbing-down of the public. We must awaken to this danger and oppose it. -- James Randi
Table of ContentsForeword, by Michael Shermer Preface Acknowledgements CRITICAL THOUGHT ABOUT STRANGE THINGS 1. Why Smart People Believe Weird Things 2. How to Argue PSYCHIC PHENOMENA & FORTUNE-TELLING 3. Cold Reading: How to Convince Strangers That You Know All About Them 4. Long Island Chicanery SCIENCE/HEALTH CLAIMS 5. Why Bogus Therapies Often Seem to Work 6. Power Balance Products: A Skeptical Look 7. Consensus on Climate Change 8. Why Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis is Worthless OUT OF THIS WORLD 9. The Case For and Against Astrology 10. Looking Up to Logic 11. The Lunar Effect and Confirmation Bias RELIGION & FAITH HEALING 12. Prayer and Healing: The Verdict Is In and the Results Are Null 13. Confessions of a Skeptic PSYCHOTHERAPY 14. Pseudoscience in Contemporary Clinical Psychology: What it is and what we can do about it NUMERICAL ANOMALIES 15. Number Manipulation: The Not “So Spooky” Tim McVeigh AFTERLIFE AND RELATED PHENOMENA 16. Deconstructing the Dead CRYPTOZOOLOGY 17. Bigfoot at 50: Evaluating a Half-Century of Bigfoot Evidence ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS
