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5.0 out of 5 stars
The classic of psychoceramics,
By Brian Connors (Yarmouth, MA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science (Paperback)
In the early fifties, an author named Martin Gardner put pen to paper to make a survey of the little lunacies of science that dotted his world. Many are no longer around today, but many -- L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics, Wilhelm Reich's orgone theories, homeopathy -- are still around, going strong long after Gardner had predicted their demise. This book is one of the first of a long list of skeptical books that review the crackpots, frauds, and self-deluded "hermit scientists" of the world, and was a seminal work in the creation of the modern Skeptic movement, of which Gardner (now well into his 80s) is a still-vital part. Even despite its age, this book is essential reading for its first chapter and its discussion of the hermit scientist, the individual who does all his work in a vacuum with little contact with or understanding of the mainstream scientific world. The individual chapters are quite fascinating as well -- the singlemindedness of many of these believers is put in context, along with the greed of those who don't believe what they're selling. Common mention is made of Charles Fort, who entertained skepticism towards all things scientific; Gardner's stated ambivalence about this man notwithstanding (Fort's rejection of scientific thinking doesn't wear well under scrutiny), Fort's constant presence in the book provides an interesting reminder of what legitimate science must strive to avoid. So... dated, yes, but still essential reading. The only truly sad part is that Gardner's predictions of a more scientific future essentialy came unraveled in the last thirty or so years of the 20th century, with the rise of the Human Potential movement in the 1970s and the resurgence of Christian fundamentalism in the late 80s and 90s.
5.0 out of 5 stars
My last review was a joke,
This review is from: Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science (Paperback)
This is a classic book really, I recommend it along with "On the Wild Side," "The New Age," and "Weird Water & Fuzzy Logic" by the same author.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A lasting influence!,
By
This review is from: Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science (Paperback)
I first read "Fads & Fallacies", oh, about 40 years ago, not long after it was first published. The healthy scepticism which imbues the book has been with me ever since. This has got me into numerous scrapes, but I would not have it any other way!
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