Rating: 
Summary: You'll be surprised by what you don't know
Review: So are you one of those many people, like I was, who believed the old rumor about subliminal advertising? You know, the one where a group of researchers added a few clever lines like "Hungry? Candy and Popcorn at the Concession" to be flashed during a movie so quickly the conscious mind missed it but the subconscious caught it and the concession stand sold 50% more candy and popcorn. I believed it quite completely for many years, until Alex Boese, our esteemed curator for this Museum of Hoaxes, informed me it was complete hooey. Turns out a researcher did indeed claim to do this and it caused quite a stir 40 years ago, but when scientific colleagues pressed him to reproduce this effect in a more controlled setting, he could not. And, to this day, the receipt of subliminal messages remains unproven. Interesting stuff, isn't it? You'll be surprised at all the things you thought you knew. Its well written and a page turner, in fact, I tore through this book in less than a day, I simply could not put it down, much to the annoyance of my pretty wife.
Rating: 
Summary: great fun!!
Review: The more of the hundreds of hoaxes herein you know, the better time you'll have with this book. Organized chronologically, it offers a synopsis of the current status of the best known and many not so well known hoaxes. Though it is written in the thoroughly engaging manner, it has a convincing air of authority. (I guess I'll have the give up on Nessie.) But yet, if this book itself is a hoax ... Dr. Boas Bourbaki
Rating: 
Summary: Not enough detail or organization.
Review: THE MUSEUM OF HOAXES is a book based on a website collecting a variety of tall tales, con games, fantastic stories and urban legends. The problem with the book is that the haphazard way the stories are put together and their general brevity works on a website, but are far from acceptable in a book. Very little investigation is done into the actual circumstances of each hoax and the prose lacks any variation or even a good sense of humor. The best thing about this book is that it might pique a reader's interest to investigate some of the stories behind these little glimpses into mankind's collective gullibility. Other than that, I can't find any reason to recommend this "web book."
Rating:
Summary: Really interesting and fun book.
Review: This book is an interesting read. I tells enough about each hoax so that you enjoy readin about the story, but it does not get "clinical" and boring. I like the fact you read just a few pages at a time if you like, and come back to it later. If you are interested in practical jokes and hoaxes, check this out, it is a fun read.
Rating:
Summary: Really interesting and fun book.
Review: This book is an interesting read. I tells enough about each hoax so that you enjoy readin about the story, but it does not get "clinical" and boring. I like the fact you read just a few pages at a time if you like, and come back to it later. If you are interested in practical jokes and hoaxes, check this out, it is a fun read.
Rating:
Summary: Fun for what it is
Review: This book is basically a well-organized laundry list of hoaxes. The author arranges hoaxes in logical categories based on the type of deception involved. Some, especially those from further in the past, sound preposterous, but one must always account for the differences in knowledge and thought processes between times past and now. What was most disturbing to me is the fact that some of the hoaxes sounded plausible; it makes you wonder how many pieces of knowledge we take for granted might be well-contrived hoaxes. Conspiracy theorists take THAT attitude to the extreme, seeing hoaxes everywhere. But hoaxes are most prevalent when it is hard to get independent supporting data about a topic, which this book points out. For instance, if a white fellow turned up in Europe and claimed to be a Taiwanese native, we would laugh at him. But a white fellow did turn up in Europe several centuries ago, claiming to be a native of Formosa (Taiwan's former name). Without additional information (that Taiwanese are Asians), the people of Europe were unable to quickly discount the story.
Rating:
Summary: Fun for what it is
Review: This book is basically a well-organized laundry list of hoaxes. The author arranges hoaxes in logical categories based on the type of deception involved. Some, especially those from further in the past, sound preposterous, but one must always account for the differences in knowledge and thought processes between times past and now. What was most disturbing to me is the fact that some of the hoaxes sounded plausible; it makes you wonder how many pieces of knowledge we take for granted might be well-contrived hoaxes. Conspiracy theorists take THAT attitude to the extreme, seeing hoaxes everywhere. But hoaxes are most prevalent when it is hard to get independent supporting data about a topic, which this book points out. For instance, if a white fellow turned up in Europe and claimed to be a Taiwanese native, we would laugh at him. But a white fellow did turn up in Europe several centuries ago, claiming to be a native of Formosa (Taiwan's former name). Without additional information (that Taiwanese are Asians), the people of Europe were unable to quickly discount the story.
Rating:
Summary: A reader in New York City
Review: This book is more satisfying than just a list of hoaxes. I loved reading about the hows and whys of hoaxing throughout the ages. This is a clever, entertaining read.
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Cultural History
Review: This book was one I just couldn't put down. Boese takes the span of cons, scams and hoaxes across the centuries, giving you tasty tidbits of each century since 1600. It is humorous to see what some people are willing to swallow, such as the plan to saw Manhattan Island in half to prevent it from sinking into the ocean. Over the centuries as modernization creeps (or steamrolls) in, the hoaxes have gotten more sophisticated. Hence once past 1865, Boese divides his chapters in half centuries instead of centuries, and a whole chapter is dedicated to just the hoaxing done since the turn of the century. (Think of all the photographic hoaxes after 9-11) Some of the cherished mystical monsters of the last century are exposed here too. Such as the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot. Each hoax is presented with a little background as to how the perpetrators convinced people to accept them as fact. It ends with a few principles as to how to avoid being scammed by hoaxers yourself. Altogether thge most enjoyable book I have read so far this year.
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Cultural History
Review: This book was one I just couldn't put down. Boese takes the span of cons, scams and hoaxes across the centuries, giving you tasty tidbits of each century since 1600. It is humorous to see what some people are willing to swallow, such as the plan to saw Manhattan Island in half to prevent it from sinking into the ocean. Over the centuries as modernization creeps (or steamrolls) in, the hoaxes have gotten more sophisticated. Hence once past 1865, Boese divides his chapters in half centuries instead of centuries, and a whole chapter is dedicated to just the hoaxing done since the turn of the century. (Think of all the photographic hoaxes after 9-11) Some of the cherished mystical monsters of the last century are exposed here too. Such as the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot. Each hoax is presented with a little background as to how the perpetrators convinced people to accept them as fact. It ends with a few principles as to how to avoid being scammed by hoaxers yourself. Altogether thge most enjoyable book I have read so far this year.
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