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Michael Shermer

Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time Paperback – September 1, 2002

by Michael Shermer (Author), Stephen Jay Gould (Foreword)

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"This sparkling book romps over the range of science and anti-science." --Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs, and Steel

Revised and Expanded Edition.

In this age of supposed scientific enlightenment, many people still believe in mind reading, past-life regression theory, New Age hokum, and alien abduction. A no-holds-barred assault on popular superstitions and prejudices, with more than 80,000 copies in print, Why People Believe Weird Things debunks these nonsensical claims and explores the very human reasons people find otherworldly phenomena, conspiracy theories, and cults so appealing. In an entirely new chapter, "Why Smart People Believe in Weird Things," Michael Shermer takes on science luminaries like physicist Frank Tippler and others, who hide their spiritual beliefs behind the trappings of science.

Shermer, science historian and true crusader, also reveals the more dangerous side of such illogical thinking, including Holocaust denial, the recovered-memory movement, the satanic ritual abuse scare, and other modern crazes. Why People Believe Strange Things is an eye-opening resource for the most gullible among us and those who want to protect them.

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384 pages
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Holt Paperbacks
Publication date

September 1, 2002
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5.3 x 1.25 x 7.95 inches
ISBN-10

0805070893
ISBN-13

978-0805070897
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Review

“This sparkling book romps over the range of science and anti-science.” ―Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs, and Steel

“Splendid.” ―Vanity Fair

About the Author

Michael Shermer is the author of The Moral Arc, Why People Believe Weird Things, The Believing Brain, and several other books on the evolution of human beliefs and behavior. He is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, the editor of Skeptic.com, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and Presidential Fellow at Chapman University. He lives in Southern California.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Holt Paperbacks; Revised & enlarged edition (September 1, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0805070893
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0805070897
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.3 x 1.25 x 7.95 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #262,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #552 in Ancient & Controversial Knowledge
- #804 in History & Philosophy of Science (Books)
- #841 in Cognitive Psychology (Books)

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Michael Shermer

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Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. For 18 years he was a monthly columnist for Scientific American. He is the author of New York Times bestsellers Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, The Moral Arc, and Heavens on Earth. His new book is Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist.

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KnifeCrisis

A Bit Dense, Older Information, But Still Worth It

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 22, 2023

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It's at times an enjoyable book to read, and times a slog. It's jargon heavy, and though it's often appropriate, it's overdone. The conclusion is pretty slim at the end and it's almost like the author had also gotten tired of writing. The book has great info, it's all plausible and comes to reasonable conclusions, but it could use some serious editing which hurts its impact and readability. Also, if you're reading this in 2023, the information in much of the book is 20+ years old and has surely developed.

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Christian Orlic

Good book about weird ideas and why people believe them

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 27, 2013

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This is an interesting book where Shermer explores why people believe weird things by which he means things that once considered seemed odd or strange. The book is divided into five parts. which dela with sciecne and skepticism, pseudoscience and superstition, evolution and creationism, history and pseudohistory, and hope springs eternal. Shermer deals with a number of topics. The book begins with some anecdotes and an attempt to define skepticism. By skeptic, Shermer tells readers he means, "one who questions the validity of a a particular claim by calling for evidence to prove or disprove it" (17) and emphasizes that this ought to be a self correcting approach to the positions one holds. Chapter 2 discusses some of the differences between science and pseudoscience and briefly explores the internalist v. externalist debate in the historiography of science. Shermer suggests that even though scientific principles only exist in people's mind; the actual phenomena they describe exist outside of us.; "all description is in the mind, but scientific laws describe repeating natural phenomena while pseudoscientific claims are idiosyncratic. Further, he contends, that science, at least on average, moves forward due its cumulative nature while recognize that "there is no question that science is heavily influenced by the culture in which it is embedded, and that scientists may al share a common bias that leads them to think a certain way about nature" (41). Chapter 3 discusses ways in which thinkers commonly make mistakes (theory influences observations, observer changes the observed, equipment constructs results, anecdotal thinking, the use of scientific language cab mislead, bold statements, heresy, rumors, where the burden of proof lies, after the fact reasoning, coincidence, etc). Part II begins begins with a Chapter on Deviations where Shermer briefly explores how deviations from the mean will statistically occur when experiments are run. Chapter 5 is about near death experiences and explores the phenomena concluding that it is likely the result of chemical interactions in the brain when people are close to dying. Chapter 6 is about alien abductions; here Shermer explores, recovered (read implanted) memories. He further wonders why aliens never actually give important information. Lastly, Shermer points out that these fantasies which human experience are culturally affected: "humans are experiencing fantasies and interpreting them in the social context of their age and culture" (98). Chapter 7 is about epidemics of accusations - where he discusses witch crazes, crazes about satanic abuse cults, and so forth. In chapter 7 he describes how individuals can 'acquire' memories and come to belief that they did things they did not do. Chapter 8 is about the cult of Ayn Rand, which Shermer (who once considered himself an Objectivist), calls "the unlikeliest cult" (114). This chapter offers a brief history of Rand and her work. Rand's philosophy is supposedly based on reason and argues that an objective reality exists which can be understood by reason, thus one must be self-interested and support capitalism.Strangely, and unlike, science, Objectivism is not self-correcting, once something is established it is taken as truth. Shermer claims that the "great flaw in her philosophy is that morals can be held to some absolute standard or criteria" (123). Part III begins with chapter 9 on the question of origins. Chapter 10 is about confronting creationists. Chapter 11 is about a supreme court case about creationism and evolution. Part 4 is about history and pseudohistory. This part deals mostly with holocaust denialism. Chapter 15 looks at race, variation and the like. Part 5, begins with Chapter 15 and attempts by scientists to find evidence to support some of their metaphysical conveptions (Tipler and christianity). Chapter 17 is why people belief weird things - because of immediate gratification, simplicity and morality/meaning Shermer suggests. In Chapt 18 Shermer explores why smart people belief weird things (they are better at rationalizing beliefs they reached without evidence)

6 people found this helpful

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Shermer is Always a Treat to Read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 4, 2011

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Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer

Why People Believe Weird Things finally makes its appearance to the Kindle. In this revised and expanded edition accomplished skeptic and the Director of The Skeptics Society takes an evenhanded and fair approach to addressing why people believe weird things. He tackles a number of pseudo claims including but not limited to: out-of-body experiences, abductions, recovered memory movement, creationism, and holocaust, among others. This 384-page book is composed of seventeen chapters and broken out by the following five main parts: Part 1 - Science and Skepticism, Part 2 - Pseudoscience and Superstition, Part 3 - Evolution and Creationism, Part 4 - History and Pseudohistory, and Part 5 - Hope Springs Eternal.

Positives:
1. Michael Shermer is a treat to read because of his direct and accessible prose.
2. As expected a well written, well researched book. A very pleasant tone throughout.
3. A wonderful job of defining terms and providing popular examples.
4. Great use of illustrations and diagrams.
5. Great quotes such as, "Smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons".
6. Why skepticism is a vital part of science.
7. A better understanding of the scientific method.
8. The Hume methodology at display.
9. The chapters on creationism are always a personal favorite.
10. Twenty-five examples of fallacies, excellent.
11. The curious phenomenon of the feedback loop.
12. In defense of science.
13. The first-cause and prime mover argument revisited.
14. The strength of evolution.
15. What exactly do holocaust deniers, deny?
16. Ayn Rand's cult...
17. UFOs...far out.
18. The difference between men and women regarding their beliefs.
19. Interesting look at how people perceive to believe things versus what how they perceive others to believe.
20. Confirmation bias.
21. Why smart people believe weird things.
22. Great bibliography.

Negatives:
1. The sections on the holocaust deniers were my least favorite.
2. Not enough time discussing why people believe weird things.
3. No links.

In summary, a few shortcomings aside I enjoyed the book. Mr. Shermer is an accomplished skeptic and does an excellent job of conveying his thoughts in an accessible manner. The book is an excellent book for those who are interested in critical thinking and want to know about the importance of the scientific method.

Further suggestions: " The Believing Brain " is excellent by the same author, " Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior " by Leonard Mlodinow, " Paranormality: Why we see what isn't there " by Richard Wiseman, " Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science " by Robert L. Park, " Science and Nonbelief " by Taner Edis, " The Demon-haunted World " by Carl Sagan, " Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science (Popular Science) " by Martin Gardner, " Science Under Siege: Defending Science, Exposing Pseudoscience " edited by Kendrick Frazier, " Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me) " by Carol Tavris, and " Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries " by Benjamin Radford.

7 people found this helpful

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James

Get smart and sensible with Shermer.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 26, 2021

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I've haven't read many books by notable atheists or sceptics. This sort of book was very different to what I usually go for but nevertheless it was fascinating. This book gives a clear and concise answer to a question I've wondered about for some time. "Why do people believe weird things" and "why do smart people believe in weird things". Aside from answering these questions it also explores a variety of weird beliefs and phenomenon through out human history. Shermer brings up many good points, some the typical and obvious ones that the average person would probably consider but also shines a light on some very good points I never considered. It gives a window into the human mind and how we can convince ourselves of many things regardless of education or intelligent.

However, a part of me can't help but think that this book has quickly become a product of its time in many ways. For example although you can easily read this book and use its insight to fight back against all kind of pseudoscience, I can't help but think that had Shermer of waited just a few more years the book would have an even bigger impact and even more interesting of read. The book was published a good few years before the sudden rise of Flat earthers and Anti vaccine movements during the 2010s. Shermer missed an opportunity to include sections of the book dedicated to exploring the history and logic behind these movements. I get the feeling we could have got an even more interesting book had he known what sort of crazy stuff we would see appear after it was published. Of that's just hindsight, you can't blame shermer for not seeing the future.

All and all this book is extremely interesting and at times rather funny and even heartwarming. Definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in the history of unusual beliefs/movements and how they can even effect those you wouldn't expect to fall for it.

One person found this helpful

Gary Nicholson

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 16, 2018

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As described

Circlemaker

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 1, 2016

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Excellent delve into psychology behind pseudo science and the paranormal

F Henwood

More of a 'How' Rather than 'Why' but Still an Excellent Debunker's Guide

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 11, 2011

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C. P. Snow once wrote that the sciences and the arts represented `two cultures.' He missed out a third culture: belief in pseudoscience and other confusions.

The United States epitomises these three cultures: it publishes the largest number of cited scientific papers on the planet, its liberal arts colleges are world-class but vast numbers of Americans still believe in creationism, as many as 40 per cent according to one Gallup poll in December 2010.

Michael Shermer, a well-known American sceptic, has his work cut out for him. He surveys a range of bizarre beliefs, such as alien abductions and near-death experiences, to creationism and Holocaust denial.

In dealing with accounts of the fantastic and paranormal, Shermer holds David Hume's foolproof maxim foremost in mind:

`[N]o testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind, that its falsehood would be more miraculous than the fact which it endeavours to establish ... `

Thus you cannot disprove a claim such as a man rose from the dead 2000 years ago or that aliens have abducted millions of Americans. But given what we know about the world - i.e. that when a man dies, he stays dead, and that faster-than-light space travel is ruled out by the laws of physics - it would be unwise to accept either belief. Therefore it's reasonable to surmise that the person making such a claim seeks to deceive, or has been deceived.

The demand to disprove an extraordinary claim is an example of an ad ignorantium fallacy, i.e. if you cannot disprove a claim then it must be true. This is one fallacy among 25 others that Shermer describes that underpin belief in weird things. There are others: the fallacy that the minority view must necessarily be the right one, the fallacy that a coincidence proves a cause, and such like that underpin those who accept weird beliefs.

Shermer's tone is informed by Spinoza's admonishment, not to ridicule but to understand why people hold strange beliefs. He gives his subjects their due, setting out the arguments of creationists and Holocaust deniers before turning to refute them. His style is a lot less showy than Hitchens or Dawkins but loses nothing on account of that.

I found Shermer's chapters on pseudoscience (i.e. creationism) and pseudohistory (Holocaust denial) especially penetrating critiques of both movements. But what is the difference between pseudoscience and real science? Science is dedicated to formulating hypotheses that can be tested against data. Even the most robust theory is tentative. It could be invalidated by fresh data. Compare that with creationism, which anchors its authority in the inerrancy of scripture. Its foundational premise is therefore beyond argument or dispute.

Science looks for naturalistic explanations behind phenomena but by definition supernatural explanations, posited from outside nature, cannot be assessed, tested or measured. So for instance it is averred that the `irreducible complexity' of the eye can only be `explained' by positing the existence of a supernatural designer. Not only can this not be demonstrated (it relies ultimately on the ad ignorantium fallacy as its foundation) but science can demonstrate, with real world examples, the evolution of the eye, in part by the existence of a plethora of eyes at various stages of developments among various species.

Shermer is right to bracket Holocaust denial with creationist science. Just as evolution is proved by the convergence of evidence from geology, paleontology, botany, zoology and other scientific disciplines, the fact of the Holocaust is proved by the convergence of various strands of evidence. Deniers tend to concentrate on weaknesses in their opponents' explanations, seize on disagreements among scholars and quote these out of context, focussing on what we do not know rather than what we do. Falsifying one detail (such as soap being made out of human fat) is held to falsify all other details. But the fact of the Holocaust does not rely on the veracity of a single claim - it relies on over a dozen strands of evidence converging on one conclusion: it happened.

The laws of science do not rule out a claim that the Holocaust never happened. But the evidence as it stands supports the claim and makes it a strongly credible one, stronger than the claims of those who seek to deny it. The question is not whether you can disprove or prove beyond all reasonable doubt, but whether the quality of evidence adduced stacks up for or against a claim. History cannot be described as a hard science per se but it involves formulating hypotheses that are then tested against the data.

Where perhaps the book is weaker is the modest attention given to answering the question why people believe weird things. It's more than a `how' than a `why' people at arrive at bizarre beliefs. For Shermer it's a combination of confirmation bias (the tendency of human beings to look for evidence to confirm a view they have already accepted independently of any evidence to support it) and attribution bias (the tendency to attribute the basis of your beliefs to reason, and hence rational, but the beliefs of others to emotion, hence irrational). But can't this be said of all beliefs? Certainly not in the case of science or history properly practised, whereby the process of peer review minimises bias even if it cannot eliminate it altogether.

Scepticism is not nihilism. It is about assessing the degree to which claims can be supported by evidence. It is a positive exercise in helping us make well-founded statements of truth about the world in which we live. I thoroughly commend this book to anyone who takes this exercise seriously.

6 people found this helpful

Dodo

Teils interessant, teils für Europäer zu US-zentriert

Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on July 15, 2012

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Es ist spannend, verschiedene Bücher ähnlicher Thematik zu vergleichen. Vergleicht man hier z.B. Shermers Buch mit den aktuelleren Paranormality: Why We See What Isn't There von Richard Wiseman, fällt auf, dass die jeweilige Herkunft des Autors großen Einfluss auf die Auswahl der einzelnen Themenpunkte hat.
Wiseman ist Brite. Die Briten interessieren sich traditionell sehr für Geistererscheinungen, übersinnliche Wahrnehmungen und allgemein mystische Vorfälle. Weniger Interesse bis gar keins besteht an Kreationismus (Hallo, Darwin war Brite!), Entführung durch Außerirdische und einer mystischen Variante der Bedrohung durch den Kommunismus.
Das alles scheint wiederum den Durchschnitt der US-Amerikaner sehr zu beschäftigen.

Auf den Alien-Glauben geht Shermer in diesem Buch jedoch nur sehr kurz ein und drückt sich auch um eine abschließende persönliche Stellungnahme zu den (angebliche) Entführungsfällen. Das Thema wird sehr ausführlich und psychologisch versiert von Carl Sagan in Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark (dt:: Der Drache in meiner Garage oder Die Kunst der Wissenschaft, Unsinn zu entlarven ) behandelt.

Shermers absolutes "Reibungsthema" ist der Konflikt zwischen Kreationisten und Darwinisten in den USA. In Europa bekommt man davon weniger mit, ab und zu halt mal einen Medienbericht, über den man vielleicht sogar schmunzelt, weil man sich hier gar nicht vorstellen kann, dass klar denkende Menschen ernsthaft fordern können, dass die Genesis im Biounterricht behandelt werden sollte. Zumal auch die Evolotionstheorie hier nur einen kleinen Teil des Stoffkanons einnimmt und - eben - als Theorie dargestellt wird.
Wer aber besser verstehen möchte, warum ein Buch wie Richard Dawkins Der Gotteswahn in den USA viel wichtiger ist, als hierzulande, der wird bei Shermer in mehreren langen Kapiteln Antworten finden. Es geht letztlich nicht darum, ob man an Gott glauben "darf" oder nicht, sondern darum, ob es legitim ist, die Existenz eine Gottes im Schulunterricht als Tatsache hinzustellen und ob sich einzelne Gruppen herausnehmen dürfen, ihre Bibelauslegung auf die gesamte Menschheit zu übertragen. (Gleiches gilt natürlich für die Auslegung anderer religiöser Schriften).
Shermer plädiert für eine Trennung von "Wissenschaft" und "Glauben", bzw. Rationalismus versus Ideologie. (Und begründet auch, warum Rationalismus keine Ideologie ist)

Ungewöhnlich in diesem Buch zu finden ist das Thema der Holocaust-Leugnung. Die drei Kapitel dazu sind sehr lesenswert, da sie eine sehr gute Zusammenfassung der Behauptungen der "Leugner" geben und sich nicht, wie es leider oft passiert, in dem Versuch, diese zu widerlegen, in Zahlenspielereien ergehen, sondern die Methoden und tieferen Beweggründe der "Leugner" durchleuchten.
So stellt Shermer z.B. fest, dass nicht alles, was die "Leugner" behaupten, falsch ist. Das Problem ist vielmehr, dass sie Fakten, Behauptungen und bewusste Falschdarstellungen vermischen, so dass eine sachliche Auseinandersetzung unmöglich gemacht wird, da man erst einmal mühsam alles wieder auseinander sortieren müsste. (Ein Phänomen, dass wohl auch typisch für Verschwörungstheorien ist).

Sehr kurz geht Shermer noch auf Nahtodeserfahrungen, Hellsehen und Versuche, dass menschliche Leben künstlich zu verlängern ein. Ein besonderes Kapitel beschäftigt sich noch mit Ayn Rand und ihrer Organisation, hier findet man zusammengefasst sehr viel Informationen über die "Objektivismus"-Bewegung.

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