Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time

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Summary: Why People Believe Weird Things Book Review
Review: The title of this book is what really intrigued me. It made me want to read it and possibly have the chance of broadening my views on certain controversial issues. I have to admit I was always amazed to watch psychics such as Slyvia Browne and John Edwards. After reading this book it certainly changed my mind on the "powers" these people possess. They greatly appeal to the emotions of their audiences and that is how they win them over. It is amazing to me how people could be so blind as to how these people get their information. Perhaps this is why there are many credit card frauds and identity thefts today because people like these so called psychics use others to receive information about their family and income. I also found the controversy of evolution and creationism to be quite interesting. I cant believe that people would want to ban the teaching of evolution from school. It is a part of history. Whether it is wrong or right it should still have a place in the text books children are using. We cannot ignore a part of history.
I did enjoy reading this book, but the only thing that bothered me about it was the fact that the author seemed have the same explanation for almost everything. He explained that people who had near death experiences probably were in a state of delierium, but he also used the same explanation for alien abductions. It just seems to me that he may be very narrow minded.
All in all I would recommend this book to others, just for the fact that it gives the reader a chance to see what other opinions there are on many of todays controversial topics, and for some this book could be a good eye opener.

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Summary: The People who should read this book, won't.
Review: If you've ever marveled at the absolute nonsense that some people believe, then this book should be fascinating reading for you. I found the sections on Creation Science and Holocaust denial to be the most interesting and informative. On rare occasion, Shermer let his personal feelings get in the way of the relentless rationality of most of the work, but it was all entertaining. I certainly found much food for thought. Unfortunately, the people who most need to read it probably won't.

Charles Gramlich
author of "Cold in the Light"

Rating:
Summary: Not very good
Review: The irony of our modern, technological society is that the general public is so blissfully unaware of the magnificence of science. Why are people so drawn to the paranormal, to creationism, pseudoscience, and superstition? Why are false explanations for events given equal time with the true ones? Michael Schermer entertains us with his debunking and his refutations. Where Schermer is strongest is not in his disclosure of a particular scam, but in explaining generically how thinking goes wrong. He provides a framework in which to understand why so many of our fellow citizens fall into the thrall of the ridiculous. I have two recommendations for a future printing of this book. One is to spend less time on holocaust deniers; they're not worth it. The second is to include common misconceptions on health and nutrition (talk about believing weird things!). Schermer, a regular contributor to Scientific American, erects a principled and witty defense in the civil war against science.