# Books promoting a healthy skepticism **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 8, 2007, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226 "2007-06-08T05:02:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/1 "2007-06-08T05:02:46Z")
One of the more enlightening books I’ve been assigned to read in school was Darrell Huff’s [How to Lie With Statistics](http://www.amazon.com/How-Lie-Statistics-Darrell-Huff/dp/0393310728), which illustrates a number of manipulations that are made to statistics-based arguments, whether through malice or ignorance. It provides a toolbox to use when reading the newspaper, viewing advertisements, or listening to politicians. Inspired by that work was an interesting book I just finished called (ta-dah) [How to Lie With Maps](http://www.amazon.com/How-Lie-Maps-Mark-Monmonier/dp/0226534219/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4490856-5222432?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181278438&sr=1-1), in which I learned to closely consider the sometimes-misleading choices made by makers of maps used in, again, say newspapers, advertising and politics. In a less technical vein, Robert Cialdini’s classic [Influence](http://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Business-Essentials/dp/006124189X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4490856-5222432?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181278605&sr=1-1) lays out a large number of tactics used by marketers and others attempting surreptitiously to win your sympathy, combining scientific data and interesting anecdotes. All of these books, but in particular the first and third, make for excellent general reading, promoting a healthy (but not supercritical) skepticism about what human beings say and do. Which other books make a good read for the same reason? ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/2 "2007-06-08T05:10:10Z")
Shermer’s _Why People Believe Weird Things_. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/3 "2007-06-08T05:16:23Z")
[The Demon-Haunted World](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Demon-Haunted_World) by Carl Sagan. It’s about the scientific method, psuedoscience, superstition and so forth. It’s been a long time since I read it though. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/4 "2007-06-08T05:59:01Z")
Similar to the specialist books mentioned in the OP: [Innumeracy](http://www.amazon.com/Innumeracy-Mathematical-Illiteracy-Its-Consequences/dp/0809058405/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4487266-2590440?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181282028&sr=8-1) and it’s sequels. It’s sort of “How to Lie with Statistics” broadened to probability and general math. Also _Fooled By Randomness_, and its sequel _The Black Swan_, about how people are fooled into believing they see patterns in places where there aren’t any (gambling, stock markets, and the like). The sequel adds a discussion of unpredictable disruptions (e.g. 9/11’s effect on the stock market) and their inevitability. For pure skeptical thought, though, I second _The Demon Haunted World_. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/5 "2007-06-08T08:14:07Z")
_The Demon-Haunted World_, is indispensable. In a similar vein, although taking academia to task, are Alan Sokal and Jean Bricmont’s _Fashionable Nonsense: Postmodern Intellectual Abuse Of Science_\* and Paul Gross and Norman Levitt’s _Higher Superstition: The Academic Left And Its Quarrels with Science_. \*This one began when Alan Sokal wrote a parodic, deliberately bullshit “postmodern” essay entitled “Transgressing The Boundaries: Toward A Transformative Hermeneutics Of Quantum Gravity” which was crammed with meaningless academic pseudo-intellectual critical gibberish, had it published in a cultural studies journal, and then gleefully blew the whistle on himself and watched the ensuing shitstorm. Simultaneously hilarious and depressing. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/6 "2007-06-08T11:14:57Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/7 "2007-06-08T17:30:41Z")
Another suggestion for _The Demon-Haunted World_ and _Why People Believe Wierd Things_, but also adding a plug for _Voodoo Science_ by Robert Park. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/8 "2007-06-08T17:36:32Z")
There are several books that purport to do this for economics and I’ve disliked most of them, including _Freakonomics,_ which is terribly written. The one I do like, however, is _The Undercover Economist_ by Tim Harford. ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/9 "2007-06-08T17:46:38Z")
I would recommend [Irrationality](http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1905177070/sr=8-5/qid=1181324191/ref=dp_proddesc_1/203-9592220-3422317?ie=UTF8&n=266239&qid=1181324191&sr=8-5) by Stuart Sutherland. Also, [Why Things Bite Back](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Things-Bite-Back-Predicting/dp/1857025946/ref=sr_1_1/026-6137336-6728467?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181324560&sr=1-1) by Edward Tenner. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/10 "2007-06-08T17:48:25Z")
I’ve read all those, but I’m not sure I can recommend them. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/11 "2007-06-08T18:26:28Z")
Edward Tufte has some good books that do this. His main focus on is on the effective use of graphics to convey information. However, he considers integrity and accuracy to be a key part of effectiveness, so he gives some good advice on how to look skeptically at graphical information. Plus, his books are gorgeous and a delight to read. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/12 "2007-06-08T19:49:26Z")
Entertainer and prolific author Steve Allen wrote _On the Bible, Faith and Morality_ as a critique of biblical literalism, discussing the errors, inconsistencies, self-contradictions, and morally repugnant episodes and characters of the Bible. However, he did so without discarding his faith (his wife was the daughter of Christian missionaries). One of the best books I’ve read on the Bible. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/13 "2007-06-08T20:16:29Z")
I’d recommend an oldie: _The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements_ by Eric Hoffer: [http://www.amazon.ca/True-Believer-Thoughts-Nature-Movements/dp/0060505915/ref=pd\_bbs\_sr\_1/702-6633307-7620021?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181333423&sr=8-1](http://www.amazon.ca/True-Believer-Thoughts-Nature-Movements/dp/0060505915/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/702-6633307-7620021?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181333423&sr=8-1) A very influential book, increadibly quotable (he’s a master of writing aphorisms) on the factors commot to all mass movements. Some examples: “A man is likely to mind his own business when it was worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off of his own meaningless affairs by minding other people’s business.” “Mass movements can rise and spread without the belief in God, but never without belief in a devil.” “Those who find no difficulty in decieving themselves are easily decieved by others.” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/14 "2007-06-08T20:31:20Z")
Besides those already listed, here are some classics: **Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds** by mcKay **In the Name of Science** AKA **Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science** by Martin Gardner – came out in 1951, but still worth reading. I recommend his other books as well, although they’re mainly collections of his essays from elsewhere (like **Science: Good Bad and Bogus** ). The only other nonfiction _original_ book of his I can think of, and which is definitely worth the read, is **The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener** **UFOs Identified** , **UFOs Explained** , **UFOs: The Public Deceived** and several other by Philip Klass **On the Spoor of Spooks** and **The Natural History of Nonsense** , both by Bergen Evans, the Proto-Cecil. Highly entertaining, well-written, and well-footnoted **A Budget of Paradoxes** by de Morgan (the guy responsible for de Morgan’s Theorem) Joe Nickell’s books on the Paranormal, including **Inquest on the Shroud of Turin**. There are quite a few more that I can’t recall off the top of my head – I;'ve got quite a collection of these at home. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/15 "2007-06-08T21:06:07Z")
The McKay book Cal recommends must be the granddaddy of them all. Almost any book by James Randi might also fill the bill. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/16 "2007-06-08T21:37:49Z")
Ok, I’m surprised on one has mentioned this one yet (that I saw, anyway). How about **The God Delusion** by Richard Dawkins. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/17 "2007-06-09T00:03:02Z")
The SD books by Cecil. “Big Secrets” and the 2 sequels by Poundstone “How does Aspirin find a headache” series by Feldman. Skeptical Inquirer Magazine. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/18 "2007-06-09T01:16:06Z")
[QUOTE=Doug Bowe] Almost any book by James Randi might also fill the bill. [/QUOTE] I have “Flim-Flam!” and “The Truth Behind Uri Geller”. They aren’t specifically about “skepticism” but by exposing a bunch of frauds they show why it’s important to ask lots of questions (especially the obvious ones), require evidence and have properly designed and controlled tests. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/19 "2007-06-09T17:37:53Z")
_Lies My Teacher Told Me_ by James W. Loewen. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226/20 "2007-06-09T18:00:21Z")
Lomborg’s **the skeptical environmentalist**. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-promoting-a-healthy-skepticism/407226.md?page=2)