Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time
by Michael Shermer

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Book Reviews of Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time

Book Review: Read it for the subtext
Summary: 3 Stars

Michael Shermer is a skeptic. I suggest you read his book. I suggest you read his book not because it gives you any insight into paranormal phenomena, but because it gives you insight into how skeptics think. I have read Michael's book. I have read his articles in "The Skeptic". There is no science there. Only pleas. The same sort of pleas creationists make when they are trying to get you to believe.

Skepticism would be great if it wasn't just too far the other way. Skeptics worship the scientific method, but seem too unwilling to use it. Paranormal phenomena will not be disproved by half-hearted experiments on Saturday afternoon. It must be taken seriously to be disproved. It requires hard science, over time. Skeptics have so far found this unnecessary. Ad hominem attacks will do.

Debunking pseudoscience is a worthy goal. But it must be done in the name of science. When it's done just to get a good score, it loses its meaning.

I give it a five, until the skeptics show me they're not just trying to make themselves look good.

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