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HOW TO THINK ABOUT WEIRD THINGS: CRITICAL THINKING FOR A NEW AGE by Theodore Schick, Jr., and Lewis Vaughn. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1995. Pp. xvi + 299. $18.95 (paperback).
ISBN 1-55934-254-4.
How to Think About Weird Things is designed for use as a textbook in an undergraduate college course. As described in the book's preface, it includes explanations of 34 principles of knowledge, a procedure for evaluating extraordinary claims, boxes offering details on offbeat beliefs, comprehensive treatment of different views about the nature of truth, discussion of the characteristics of science, treatment of evidence appealed to in health issues, discussions of over 50 mysterious phenomena (e.g., astrology, ghosts, ESP, psychokinesis, UFO abductions, channeling, water witching, near-death experiences, prophetic dreams, demon possession, time travel, parapsychology, and creationism), and an appendix that explores various informal logical fallacies. The work has a foreword by Martin Gardner and falls within the skeptical genre as advocated by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal.
A better name for this book would be How to Arrive at Skeptical Conclusions. Students using this text should develop better reasoning skills and, as a consequence, should become more skeptical regarding many occult beliefs. The book reviews previously debunked anomalous claims such as the Cottingley photos of fairies, the Tamara Rand Hoax, and the hundredth monkey story. Within the skeptical community, the Schick-Vaughn book will probably be heralded as an important contribution to the literature. It is a clear, well-written presentation of the skeptical orientation. Its strength lies in its analysis of the tenets of science, reviews of silly claims, and discussions of logical fallacies.
Unfortunately, How to Think About Weird Things contains instances of shoddy scholarship. Although the authors claim that the book is about "how to find answers...