Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias: Why We Need Critical Thinking [Paperback]

Robert E. Bartholomew (Author), Benjamin Radford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 21, 2003

What factors led to the 'Martian panic' of 1938? Why did so many people conclude that an alien spaceship crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947? How do we explain the frenzied dance manias that captivated thousands of Europeans during the Middle Ages? Thinking is an innate ability that most people take for granted. But - like writing and public speaking - thinking well is a skill that can be learned and improved with practice. Hoaxes, myths, and manias occur when people give in to unreason, emotion, and unfounded belief. Our ability to think and reason needs to be exercised, tested, and sharpened to make us able to evaluate new situations as they arise.In this unique introduction to critical thinking, Robert Bartholomew and Benjamin Radford first lay out the principles of critical thinking and then invite readers to put these principles to the test by examining a number of unusual and challenging case studies. Assembling a wide range of bizarre but actual incidents that span different cultures and time periods, they demonstrate how the tools of critical thinking can help reveal the truth behind strange events and seemingly mysterious behavior. Bartholomew and Radford show that reality is very much a social construction, that cultural assumptions play a large part in our judgments about what is normal and what is deviant, and that the use of critical reasoning is our best means of ensuring an objective perspective.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a good entertaining introduction to critical thinking for the general reader and for undergraduates." -- Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, December 2004

"...fast-paced and intriguing...anyone with an interest in the odd or in critical thinking should read." -- Statesman Journal, June 22, 2003

"...insight-provoking exercises...every school should have this." -- Fortean Times, January 2004

"...you are certain to be amused and amazed in equal parts...an entertaining and enlightening book." -- Psychology Today, March/April 2003

"For those who trust their own intellect, this book will prove refreshing, interesting reading." -- Bookviews.com, May 2003

About the Author

Robert E. Bartholomew, Ph.D., is a sociologist, freelance writer, and the coauthor (with George S. Howard) of UFOs AND ALIEN CONTACT, among other books and articles.

BENJAMIN RADFORD is the managing editor of "Skeptical Inquirer" magazine and the author of numerous articles on critical thinking, hysterias, and urban legends.

Product Details

• Paperback: 229 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (February 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591020484
• ISBN-13: 978-1591020486
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #938,988 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sociologist Robert Bartholomew is an authority on social panics, rumors, scares, and hysterias. His articles have appeared in more than 60 peer-reviewed publications including the British Medical Journal, British Journal of Psychiatry, Canadian Medical Association Journal, and Medical Journal of Australia. He has worked as a journalist for several New York State radio stations, serving as news director twice, and is a former correspondent for WGY, Schenectady, one of the largest stations in the United States. A licensed secondary school social studies teacher, he has been interviewed on media scares in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, The New Yorker, and on the History Channel. The Chair of his Ph.D. Committee was Professor Arthur Kleinman, Head of the Department of Social Medicine at Harvard University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars How about less generalizing?, November 29, 2005

By 

Stefan Isaksson "www.stefanisaksson.se" (Malmoe, Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias: Why We Need Critical Thinking (Paperback)

When I learned that Prometheus Press had published a book about critical thinking written by two well-known skeptics, I didn't have a very difficult time imagining what the book would be like, how the authors' attitude towards alleged paranormal phenomena would manifest itself, and even guess what their conclusions would look like.

My guesses were these: they would present several different paranormal and hard-to-explain cases, both famous and not so famous ones; they'd be extremely skeptical to everything in their path while furiously debunking everything they could lay their hands on; and reach the conclusion that true science is the only way to go and that pseudo science is a poison that must be eliminated at any cost.

Not very surprisingly, I was right. Does that mean the book is boring and predictable? No, absolutely not. It's book that's truly worth reading, and that goes for skeptics and believers alike. But how is that?

Well, because the book is really a somewhat easy-to-understand introduction to the idea of critical thinking. What is critical thinking, how do you do it, and perhaps most important of all, WHY do you do it? Everyone is born with the ability to think, but this ability can be exercised and improved. And the better one is to use this magnificent brain of ours, the better the chances are of succeeding in life. Also, if you happen to be one of the "believers", then Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias is still an interesting book to buy, since you'll easily learn how the "enemy", i.e. the skeptic movement, thinks and acts.

But, the book does have one huge weakness. The authors aren't afraid to generalize. And this generalization results in their conclusions to very complex phenomena being based on very sparse evidence. For instance, the entire UFO phenomena, more or less, is discarded by quickly explaining how the famous Roswell incident in 1947 had nothing whatsoever to do with extraterrestrials and how the airship sightings in early 20th century America simply were fakes. So since Roswell and the airships had natural explanations - UFO phenomena is no mystery at all.

This arrogance is extremely unfortunate, because the authors write in a very, VERY fascinating way about how reality is very much a social construction, and how cultural conditions to a very large extent affect how and what we see as normal and not normal.

And in this era, characterized as it is by social anxiety and cultural antagonism, more people ought to know about that.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Fun, July 9, 2003

By 

Laurel Renee Henson (Lakewood, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias: Why We Need Critical Thinking (Paperback)

It's such a joy to read fine minds analyzing the WHY of so many culteral phenomena. This was an extra credit book for a class but I couldn't sell it back to the bookstore. Keep it and read it and you'll see why we believe the way we do.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Up the Garden Path, September 22, 2010

By 

Bdc Le Roux - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias: Why We Need Critical Thinking (Paperback)

We can all learn and practice to be skeptical. Consider all the information being given and then analyse it critically. Hoaxes, Myths and Manias is a good exercise book to train one to think critically with the aid of real case studies.