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How to Think About Weird Things : Critical Thinking for a New Age

How to Think About Weird Things : Critical Thinking for a New Age

List Price: $34.06
Your Price: $34.06
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent primer to how scientists think
Review: I first read the previous edition of this book when I was in high school. A friend of mine had gotten a job working for James "the Amazing" Randi, and somehow the professional complimentary copy got passed on from Randi to him to another friend to me. I read it over and over until it was practically falling apart, and I have recommended it to many people over the years, because it had such a major and positive influence on my own thinking.

I am currently about halfway done with my Ph.D. in chemistry. I credit this book for giving me an appreciation for the beauty of the scientific process, as well as helping to convince me that I wanted to be a part of it myself. It is true that the book necessarily simplifies the scientific process for the sake of not overburdening the reader with technical jargon and information overload. It should definitely be considered as an INTRODUCTION to critical thinking, as opposed to an all-inclusive and exhaustive text. However, I can't recommend this book highly enough to anyone who wants to understand the beauty and ideal of how science works at its glorious best.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Should be required reading for all college freshmen...
Review: This book is readable, concise and full of excellent examples of the application of critical thinking to real-world examples of pseudoscience. I think the book should be taught early in college, to perhaps innoculate people against fuzzy thinking. Since it is concerned with issues relevant to nonscientists, it may well be a better introduction to scientific method than a freshman chemistry or biology class, where methodology and application of said methodology gets drowned in a sea of facts most students will soon forget.

One reviewer complained that the examples are "straw men" set up to be decimated by application of the theory set forth in the book. I think that this misses the point. The examples are simple enough to demonstrate the power of the method and illustrate its use on real, current problems.

I think anyone interested in understanding "wierd things" should buy and read this book.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A good read for any free thinker
Review: This is a useful and informative read for anyone with an open mind who is willing to possibly rethink some of their erroneous beliefs...Interesting and informative overall, with great examples regarding almost every topic..I would only subtract a star only because at times the book is repetitive, as the authors tend to beat some of their logic concepts over the readers' heads to ensure the reader understands the points they are trying to make..


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