jeffma (04/14/83)
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Here it is, folks: the Skeptical Booklist. In the interest of
providing a larger list I have assembled annotated entries from
several sources . By far the largest portion of the bibliography is
from a list given in the Skeptical Inquirer, written by Robert Lockard
of the University of Oregon, with the assistance of Ray Hyman (if you
make copies of the list it would therefore be courteous to these people
to preserve this acknowledgement). In order to keep annotations straight
I have placed a set of initials at the end of each entry:
RL : Robert Lockard
RH : Ray Hyman
KF : Kendrick Frazier
JM : Jeff Mayhew
MC : Mike Cranford
All the Robert Lockard entries are from the Annotated Bibliography listed
in the Summer, Fall, and Winter issues of the Skeptical Inquirer for 1979.
The Kendrick Frazier annotations are from his "Some Recent Books" section,
included in some issues of SI (I list the specific issue with each entry).
The only Ray Hyman entry is also from the Annotated Bibliography in SI.
I haven't read all of these books; on the other hand, in those cases
where one of the other people mentioned above had written (in my
estimation) a better blurb for the book, I have used theirs instead
of mine. This is certainly not intended to be THE definitive bibliography;
if you have any questions, comments, or additional entries to suggest,
by all means send 'em on in and I'll publish occasional updates (giving
due credit, of course). I can already think of several books I've left
out, but that's probably always going to be the case... Some of the books
are NOT annotated, because I haven't read them and couldn't find a blurb
by anybody who has. If you've read any of the un-annotated books, feel
free to send me your assessment.
A final note: this bibliography does not include any books on skepticism
with regard to religious topics or creationism, although there are
a bunch of good ones (depending on your point of view) out there.
This list is largely oriented towards "paranormal" and "occult" stuff.
Happy reading...
Jeff Mayhew
Tektronix
Abell, George O., and Barry Singer (eds.). "Science and the Paranormal."
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981. A broad collection
of papers on paranormal phenomena. Contributors include Isaac
Asimov, Martin Gardner, James Randi, Ray Hyman, and Philip J.
Klass. Includes som otherwise hard-to-find discussions of
topics like Kirlian photography and the abuse of quantum
mechanics as a justification of parapsychology (article by
Gardner). Says Paul Kurtz in the foreword: "Here at long
last is a different kind of book, one that critically and
dispassionately analyzes such claims---and finds them wanting.
It is long overdue for the public to have a more balanced
appraisal of the paranormal." Amen. JM
Abbot, David Phelps. "Behind the Scenes with the Mediums." Chicago:
Open Court, 1907. A handbook on the methods used by mediums,
mostly for billet reading. RL
______. "Fraudulent Spiritualism Unveiled." In Julian Hawthorne, ed.,
"Library of the World's Best Mystery and Detective Stories.
New York: Review of Reviews Co., 1908. RL
Adler, Irving. "Monkey Business: Hoaxes in the Name of Science."
New York: John Day, 1957. Popular account of some of the most
famous hoaxes: Piltdown man, Anton Mesmer, trisected angles,
and a few others. RL
Alcock, James E. "Parapsychology: Science or Magic?" Elmsford, New
York: Pergamon Press, 1981. A critical perspective on
parapsychology by a psychologist knowledgeable about the pitfalls
and biases of belief. Approaches the subject with two questioning
themes: What are the central--and very fundamental--problems
with parapsychology, its methods, data, and theory (or lack of
it) that prevents it from achieving acceptance within the
scientific community; and if psi phenomena do not exist, what
psychological factors account for the persistence of belief in
them? An important look at essential issues. KF Spring 1982 SI
Anonymous. "Revelations of a Spirit Medium." London: Kegan Paul, 1922. RL
Barber, Theodore Xenophon. "LSD, Marihuana, Yoga, and Hypnosis."
Chicago: Aldine, 1970. Scientific treatise, supported by
National Institute of Mental Health grants, on the psychological
and physiological effects of yoga, hypnosis, and psychedelic
drugs. Reports recent research, with the focus on observable
behavior rather than unobservable internal states. The
author attempts to illustrate a method of analysis in the "soft"
areas of psychology, which will allow the reader to think
more critically and accept fewer assumptions. RL
Barnum, Phineas Taylor. "The Humbugs of the World." Detroit: Singing
Tree Press, 1970. (Reprint of the G. W. Carleton 1865 ed.) A
good debunking book written by the master showman more than a
hundred years ago. Although his canvass is broad (almost every
conceivable area of "humbug" is covered) and it was written
long ago, much of it is instructive today. RL
Bilig, Otto. "Flying Saucers: Magic in the Skies." Cambridge, Ma.:
Schenkman Publishing Co., 1982. Billed as a "Psychohistory,"
this is a critical examination of the flying saucer phenomenon
from a psycho-social point of view. The author, a professor of
clinical psychiatry at the Vanderbilt University School of
Medicine, has written an interesting and useful book exploring
the emotional and psychological sources of belief in saucers in
the absence of concrete evidence. The book draws on psychology,
anthropology, and medicine in seeking to understand how and why
sincere people report seeing extraterrestrial spacecraft,
manifestations that the author concludes are "in the minds of
man." KF Winter 1982-1983 SI
Bracewell, Ronald N. "The Galactic Club: Intelligent Life In Outer
Space." San Francisco: W. W. Norton, 1975. An easy-to-read
discussion of a wide variety of issues related to the topics
of the existence of, and the establishment of communication
with, extraterrestrial intelligence. Bracewell brings out a
number of intriguing issues, and examines the fringe claims of
Velikovsky and Von Daniken. Bracewell is an astrophysicist
and a radio astronomer. JM
Brackman, Jacob. "The Put-On: Modern Fooling and Modern Mistrust."
Chicago: Regnery, 1971. Breezy exploration of a modern social
phenomenon, the put-on: how it works, what's behind it, and
what it might mean about contemporary sensibility. Trickery
in public events, art, literature, fashion, music, and
advertising is examined from a sociological perspective. RL
Brian, Denis. "The Enchanted Voyager: The Life of J. B. Rhine."
New York: Prentice-Hall, 1982. An authorized biography of
the founder of modern parapsychology in the U.S. Both a portrait
of Rhine and a history of parapsychology.
Bringle, Mary. "Jeane Dixon: Prophet or Fraud?". New York: Tower,
1970. "Publisher's Weekly" (198 [Nov. 2, 1970]: 54) says this
is a hatchet job on a sitting duck. RL
Burnam, Tom. "More Misinformation." New York: Lippincott, 1981.
A new collection of fables, fallacies, and fictions. In this
lively sequel to his "Dictionary of Misinformation" (1975),
Burnam once again shows that the debunking of commonly
accepted misconceptions of all kinds can be entertaining as
well as informative. KF Fall 1981 SI
Calder, Nigel. "The Comet is Coming!" New York: Viking Press, 1980.
A humorous look at the history of popular ideas about comets,
including a discussion of Sir Fred Hoyle's theory of comet-
borne viruses. Calder deals with public reactions to comets in
much the same way that Mackay deals with other manias (in
"Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds"). JM
Campbell, John L., and Trevor H. Hall. "Strange Things." London:
Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1968. A detailed debunking of a
turn-of-the-century Scottish hoaxer. Subtitle: "The story
of Fr. Allan McDonald, Ada Goodrich Freer, and the Society
for Psychical Research's enquiry into Highland second sight." RL
Cantril, Hadley. "The Invasion from Mars: A Study in the Psychology
of Panic, with the Complete Script of the Famous Orson Welles
Broadcast." Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1940.
A good case history and psychological study of how people in
1938 could easily be convinced that the earth was being invaded
by creatures from Mars. RL
Capaldi, Nicholas. "The Art of Deception." Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus
Books, 1979. A handbook for people who want to be able to
recognize when they're being bamboozled in an argument--a clear
discussion of logical fallacies and other tricky tactics used
in intellectual confrontations. Although not purely a debunking
book, a mastery of this material will help the skeptic see
through a lot of trash. JM
Carpenter, William Benjamin. "Mesmerism, Spiritualism, & Co. Historically
and Scientifically Considered" (two lectures delivered at the
London Institution, with preface and appendix). New York:
Appleton, 1877; London: Longmans, Green, 1877. RL
Carrington, Hereward. "The Physical Phenomena of Spiritualism, Fraudulent
and Genuine." Boston: Turner, 1907; 3rd ed. New York: Dodd,
Mead, 1920. Subtitle: "Being a brief account of the most
important historical phenomena, a criticism of their evidential
value, and a complete exposition of the methods employed in
fraudulently reproducing the same." Although the author believes
psychic phenomena do occasionally occur, he wants to demonstrate
that many claims are fraudulent. RL
Chevreul, Michel Eugene. "De La Baquette Divinatoire, du Pendule dit
Explorateur et des Tables Tournantes, au Point du Vue L'Histoire
de la Critique et de la Methode Experimentale." Paris: Mallet-
Bachelier, 1954. A classic--one of the first scientific
attempts to explain the pendulum, divining rod, and tilting
tables in terms of subconscious psychology. RL
Christopher, Milbourne. "ESP, Seers, and Psychics." New York: Crowell,
1970. The author is a past president of the Society of American
Magicians and currently chairman of the Occult Investigation
Committee. As indicated by the title, this is a general treatment
of many subjects. Each chapter is short and written in a breezy
style. Criticism is brief and ironic, with no sustained
criticism of the various claims. RL
___________. "Mediums, Mystics, and the Occult." New York: Crowell, 1975.
This book picks up where the previous book ended. Many current
occult personalities are covered, including Uri Geller, Arthur
Ford, Ted Serios, and Peter Hurkos, each handled with an eye
toward the possibilities of deception. RL
Cohen, Daniel. "The Great Airship Mystery." New York: Dodd, Mead, 1981.
An examination of the "mysterious airship" sightings of 1896 and
1897. An entertaining look at the nineteenth century "UFO" flap.
In his final chapter the author concludes that, suggestions of
"real" UFOs and parapsychical explanations to the contrary, the
great airship mystery probably grew out of mistaken identification
of natural phenomena combined with intentional hoaxes. He draws
parallels with UFO reports of today. KF Spring 1982 SI
_______. "Myths of the Space Age." New York: Dodd, Mead, 1967.
Extensive but superficial survey of fringe beliefs, covering
such subjects as astrology, ESP, Velikovsky, UFOs, the Loch Ness
monster, prophets and psychics, Atlantis, and the sasquatch. RL
_______. "Masters of the Occult." New York: Dodd, Mead, 1971. Each
short chapter covers a famous occultist, usually a cult leader,
written from a skeptical point-of-view: Madame Blavatsky, L. Ron
Hubbard, D. D. Home, Eileen Garrett, Mesmer, et al. RL
_______. "Voodoo, Devils, and the New Invisible World." New York: Dodd,
Mead, 1972. A survey of the dark side of the current occult
revival: the beliefs that we are all threatened by forces beyond
our control. The author says that this is not a "debunking" book
because "the task is usually hopeless." Although it is a critical
survey, it is mostly descriptive. RL
_______. "The Magic Art of Foreseeing the Future." New York: Dodd, Mead,
1973. A short history of the various traditional modes of divin-
ation. Mostly straight description, but tinged with skepticism. RL
Cole, Sonia. "Counterfeit." London: John Murray, 1955. "First it is
necessary to review in general terms the main types of forgeries,
a brief history of their manifestations, their penalties and
implications. Next comes a study of forgers themselves, their
psychology and motives, illustrated by widely drawn examples.
The particular stories which follow, from archaeological, artistic
and literary fields, are in fact detective stories with the merit
of being true." (Chapter 1, page 1.) RL
Collins, H. M., and T. J. Pinch. "Frames of Meaning: The Social Construc-
tions of Extraordinary Science." Boston: Routledge and Kegan
Paul, 1982. Two English sociologists of science examine the
"rationality debate." The first section deals with the theoretical
framework of parapsychology's relationship with science. The
middle section is devoted to the 1975 empirical studies by Brian
Pamplin and Collins at the University of Bath of children who
claimed paranormal abilities of metal bending (they were observed
to cheat). The final section deals with unreported details and
sociological aspects of those experiments and with issues of
"experiment and paradigm." KF Spring 1983 SI
Condon, Edward U. "Final Report of the Scientific Study of Unidentified
Flying Objects." New York: Dutton, 1969. The research for this
report was conducted by the University of Colorado under contract
to the United States Air Force. The report is a model of how
reason and science can shed light on anomalous experience.
Section 6, "The Scientific Context," is especially useful for the
methodological problems. It considers, among other problems, the
perceptual, psychological, and sociological aspects of individual
sightings. The key conclusion: "On the basis of present
knowledge the least likely explanation of UFO's is the hypothesis
of extraterrestrial visitations by intelligent beings." RL
Cooper, Paulette. "The Scandal of Scientology." New York: Tower, 1971. RL
Coover, John Edgar. "Experiments in Psychical Research." Palo Alto,
Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1917. A detailed report of
early research done at Stanford University on psychical phenomena.
Most of it is critical. These early experiments did not find
much evidence for ESP. RL
Davies, John D. "Phrenology: Fad and Science; a 19th Century American
Crusade." New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1955. A
scholarly study, partly "a chronological narrative of the rise
and spread of phrenology in America" and partly a "topical
analysis of the impact of phrenology on various categories
of social thought." RL
de Camp, Lyon Sprague. "Lost Continents: The Atlantis Theme in History,
Science, and Literature." New York: Gnome Press, 1954.
(Published by Ballantine Books in 1975 with the title "Lost
Continents: The Atlantis Theme") One of the best of debunking
books--not that it proves there are no "lost continents," but
it does take up each theory and, after exhaustive, erudite
examination, demonstrates its weakness. RL
_______. "The Ragged Edge of Science." Philadelphia: Owlswick Press,
1980. This is a neat little book. de Camp manages to provide
a fairly unique skeptical treatment of a lot of hokum, with
an extremely good section on Theosophy and Madame Blavatsky.
Includes some pretty funny subject matter, such as the theory
that "Lemurians" are hiding inside Mt. Rainier (Washington).
de Camp knows his stuff, and is an excellent writer. Highly
recommended. JM
de Camp, Lyon Sprague, and Catherine C. de Camp. "Spirits, Stars and
Spells: The Profits and Perils of Magic." New York: Canaveral
Press, 1966. RL
De Giustino, David. "Conquest of Mind: Phrenology and Victorian Social
Thought." Totowa, N.J.: Rowman, 1975; London: Croom Helm, 1975. RL
Deutsch, Ronald M. "The New Nuts Among the Berries: How Nutrition
Nonsense Captured America." Palo Alto, Calif.: Bull Publishing
Co., 1977. A history of food faddism in America written with
wit. Debunks such books as 'Calories Don't Count' and 'Folk
Medicine'. RL
Dingwall, Eric John, and Trevor H. Hall. "Four Modern Ghosts." London:
Duckworth, 1958. RL
Dingwall, Eric John, Kathleen M. Goldney, and Trevor H. Hall. "The
Haunting of Borley Rectory." London: Duckworth, 1956. RL
Dingwall, Eric John, and John Langdon-Davies. "The Unknown, Is It
Nearer?" New York: New American Library, 1956; London: Cassell,
1956. One of the many books that offer critical comments on the
claims of the paranormal but still find something positive in
all of it. RL
Dunninger, Joseph. "Inside the Medium's Cabinet." New York: Davis
Kemp, 1935. Detailed exposure of several fraudulent, celebrated
mediums, as well as photographs and diagrams that debunk their
more spectacular tricks. RL
Easlea, Brian. "Witch-hunting, Magic & the New Philosophy: An
Introduction to the Debates of the Scientific Revolution (from)
1450 (to) 1750". New Jersey: Humanities Press, 1980. Identifies
the transition from the traditional world of magic to the modern
world of science and technology. The author shows the social change
and stratification, demonic and natural magic, Newtonian gravi-
tational theory, mechanical and experimental philosophy. Chapters
include The Existence of Witches, The Status of the Earth, The
Barrenness of Matter, Gravitational Attraction, and the Appropriation
Appropriation of Nature. Very scholarly. MC
Edmunds, Simeon. "Spiritualism: A Critical Study." London: Antiquarian
Press, 1966. A balanced study, critical of the obvious frauds
but willing to give evidence for the supernatural in a pro and
con format. RL
Eisler, R. "The Royal Art of Astrology." London: Herbert Joseph, 1946.
The history of astrology, written from an opposing point-of-view. RL
Evans, Bergen. "The Natural History of Nonsense." New York: Knopf,
1946. Exposition of popular fallacies about animals, death,
childbirth, race, and other diverse subjects, written with a
sense of humor. RL
______. "The Spoor of Spooks, and Other Nonsense." New York: Knopf,
1954. Witty but somewhat rambling discussion of fallacies
regarding such varied subjects as youth and age, ghosts, sex,
food, drugs, poison, and ESP. RL
Evans, Christopher. "Cults of Unreason." New York: Farrar, Straus,
1973. An examination of a few of what the author calls
"surrogate belief-systems," principally UFO cults, mysterious
gadgetry, a few Eastern religious beliefs, and Scientology.
The latter receives the most attention, and Evans gives one
of the best accounts of it. RL
Fair, Charles. "The New Nonsense: The End of the Rational Consensus."
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1974. One of the more interesting
and serious of the new crop of critical works. Only one of the
three parts of the book is devoted to debunking such phenomena
as ESP, UFOs, and Velikovsky. The other two parts are "about
nonsense as a way of life, as therapy, and as a mother of
institutions....It is important to know why we should doubt
Dr. Velikovsky's ideas, but more important to understand why
millions of supposedly educated people have not done so." RL
Festinger, Leon, Henry W. Riecken, and Stanley Schachter. "When
Prophecy Fails." Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press,
1956. Deals with the behavior of individuals within a movement
that made specific and unfulfilled prophecies, namely that the
earth would shortly be destroyed but that the followers would
be picked up by extraterrestrial creatures and transported to
another planet. A classic in social psychology. RL
Flew, Antony G.N. "A New Approach to Psychical Research." London:
Watts, 1953. A British philosopher provides a linguistic
analysis of the claims of psychic research. The approach is
skeptical, as befits a good philosopher, with extensive attention
paid to language as the tool with which psychic phenomena are
described and explained. Of special interest are the two
case studies in the appendices: "...the first, on 'An Adventure,'
shows how the facts about what may or may not have been some
kind of paranormal experience have been irrecoverably concealed
by the subsequent actions of the two vital witnesses; the
second, on 'An Experiment With Time,' shows how an impressive
structure of pretentious and misguided theory came to be
erected on unsound foundations." RL
Flournoy, T. "From India to the Planet Mars." New York: Harper,
1900. A detailed study of a certain Helen Smith (pseudonym),
who lived in Switzerland at the turn of the century and took
on the personalities of various individuals, such as a Martian,
a Hindu, etc. The treatment is careful and skeptical. Most
of the explanation is by reference to natural laws, even though
there is a residue the author says he cannot explain. A
translation from the French edition of 1894. RL
Fornell, Earl Wesley. "The Unhappy Medium: Spiritualism and the Life
of Margaret Fox." Austin: University of Texas Press, 1964.
A historical account of Margaret Fox put into a social and
cultural context. The Fox case is used as an example to
represent the larger story of spiritualism in America during
the last half of the nineteenth century. RL
Frazier, Kendrick, ed. "Paranormal Borderlands of Science." Buffalo,
N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1981. This is a selection of 47
articles from the Skeptical Inquirer, examining some of the
more popular paranormal claims. Included are discussions of
the Bermuda Triangle, dowsing, UFOs, parapsychology, astrology,
and many others. If you don't subscribe to SI, this is one
way of getting a taste of its content. JM
Freedland, Nat. "The Occult Explosion." New York: Berkeley Publishing
Co., 1972. This book is not critical of the occult; in fact,
it is a breezy, journalistic account. The reason for its
inclusion here is the fact that it covers so much ground and,
hence, is useful as an introductory survey. RL
Friedman, William F., and Elizabeth S. Friedman. "The Shakespearean
Ciphers Examined; An Analysis of Cryptographic Systems Used as
Evidence That Some Author Other Than William Shakespeare Wrote
the Plays Commonly Attributed to Him." London: Cambridge
University Press, 1957. An excellent example of two competent
scholars taking the time and trouble to examine the evidence
for the claims of a fringe group. "They are entitled to a
courteous and--whenever possible--a scientific examination of
their arguments." RL
Fuller, U. "Confessions of a Psychic." Teaneck, N.J.: Karl Fulves,
1980. More insights into the psychic rackets by a man who knows
all the tricks. "Fuller" shows how dozens of them are done.
KF Spring 1981 SI
Gaines, S.S. "Marjoe: The Life of Marjoe Gortner." New York: Harper
& Row, 1973. The story of the child evangelist from three-year-
old precocity through adolescent awkwardness to his final break
with the tent-evangelist life-style at twenty-three. Not
particularly well written but does portray the stage management
and showmanship of today's revival circuit. RL
Gardner, Martin. "Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science." New
York: Dover, 1957. This is one of the "standards" in any
skeptics book collection. In a very readable style Gardner
examines a spate of "eccentric" theories and manias, including
Dianetics, UFOs, Atlantis, Bridey Murphy, Reich's "Orgone
Energy", and others. This is a revised version of an earlier
book called "In the Name of Science." It's hard to go
wrong with anything written by Gardner. JM
_________. "Science: Good, Bad, and Bogus." Buffalo, N.Y.:
Prometheus Books, 1981. As many of you have already indicated
in your letters, this is one of the favorite new additions
to the "skeptic's library." Gardner has essentially created
a sequel to "Fads and Fallacies" by compiling a collection
of more recent writings. Good reading; make sure you remember,
however, that the book is organized into chapters based on
subject, with material often spanning some 25 years. Gardner
shows a little more feistiness here than in his earlier book
(example: media bible-thumpers like Garner Ted Armstrong are
unceremoniously flayed using references to such articles as
"In Bed With Garner Ted"; Oral Roberts is also given a healthy
working-over). A warning to people who prefer buying paperbacks:
the softback version of this book is missing the index. JM
Gauld, Alan. "The Founders of Psychic Research." London: Schocken,
1968. A historical account of the backgrounds and motivations
of three of the early researchers of psychic phenomena, Henry
Sidgwick, Edmund Gurney, and Frederick Myers. All were
prominent in the Society for Psychical Research. Although
Gauld considers the possibility of fraud and self-deception,
he believes that after this has been accounted for there is
still something left that cannot be explained. Included here
because of its balanced and scholarly treatment. RL
Gauquelin, Michel. "The Scientific Basis of Astrology: Myth or
Reality." New York: Stein & Day, 1970 (c1966). Bibliography.
A comprehensive examination of the pseudoscience of astrology,
covering its history as well as its principles. The author
views it as an ancient and powerful means by which man first
conceptualized the world and his place in it, but asserts that
it has outlived its usefulness and is today only a caricature
of what it once was. One chapter summarizes the traditional
arguments against astrology. However, Gauquelin presents the
possibility of a new and vital kind of astrology--"astro-
biology"--for our time, in which science replaces magic but
continues to reveal the extent to which our bodies and our
thoughts are connected with the universe by invisible threads. RL
Gibson, Walter. "Secrets of Magic, Ancient and Modern." New York:
Grosset & Dunlap, 1967. Detailed explanations, with diagrams,
of how classic magic tricks are done. Includes a section on
the tricks of fake mediums. RL
[This book is written for a rather young audience, but will
provide the uninitiated with a "feel" for how many stage
illusions are accomplished, as well as a renewed respect for
the engineering skills of ancient cultures. JM]
Gibson, Walter Brown, and Morris N. Young (eds.). "Houdini on Magic."
New York: Dover, 1953. Relevant are the sections "Houdini on
Spooks," "Houdini on Miscellaneous Mysteries," and "Houdini on
the Right Way to Do Wrong." RL
Giere, Ronald. "Understanding Scientific Reasoning." New York: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston, 1979. A lot of people take the ability
to reason scientifically for granted. This, unfortunately, is
also true of many educators. Giere's book, written for the
college student, is an excellent attempt to correct this
oversight. He covers the evaluation of theories, statistical
reasoning, logical arguments and fallacies, and so on. This
book should be required reading (and probably the basis for a
course) for all science students. JM
Godwin, John. "Occult America." New York: Doubleday, 1972. The
author, a newspaperman, sets out to describe and explain the
current increase in occultism in America. It does not claim
to be either a debunking or a boosting book. Instead, he
has set out to write "a dispassionate inquiry into the
motivations and workings of America's occultism." A fair
journalistic account that compares favorably with Nat Freedland's
book but does not cover as much territory. RL
Goldsmith, Donald (ed.). "Scientists Confront Velikovsky." New York:
W.W. Norton, 1977. A collection of refutations of the
elaborate theory of Velikovsky ("Worlds in Collison").
It is a tribute to the contributing authors that they
could so patiently refute Dr. Velikovsky's rather ridiculous
claims. Sort of like killing a roach with a nuclear warhead,
but if you can wade through it, you'll never lose an argument
against a Velikovsky freak again. JM
Gould, Stephen Jay. "The Mismeasure of Man." New York: W. W. Norton,
1981. In this book Gould examines the way in which various
attempts have been made to bolster racism with "scientific
proof." Included are examinations of polygeny (different races
being regarded as different species), craniometry (the measurement
of the skull), and the hereditary theory of IQ. Says Gould
in the introduction: "This book discusses, in historical
perspective, a principal theme within biological determinism:
the claim that worth can be assigned to individuals and groups
by measuring intelligence as a single quantity." The author
of "Ever Since Darwin" and "The Panda's Thumb," Gould is
exceedingly skilled in his ability to explain science. JM
Graubard, Mark. "Astrology and Alchemy, Two Fossil Sciences." New
York: Philosophical Library, 1953. A straightforward history,
for the student in the history of science, of these two "dead"
sciences. "...Collates authoritative researches on many
phases of these sciences, and cites easily accessible works
for the sake of presenting a unifying interpretation..." The
two are presented in the social and cultural context of their
time. RL
Gresham, W.L. "Monster Midway." New York: Rinehart, 1948. A popular
account of the world of the carnival. To the extent the carnival
indulges in fraud and deception, this book is an expose of it. RL
Grim, Patrick (ed.). "Philosophy of Science and the Occult." Albany,
N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 1982. In the
introduction we are told that this collection of articles
"can be viewed in either of two ways: as an introduction to
philosophy of science through an examination of the occult,
or as a serious examination of the occult rigorous enough to
raise central issues in philosophy of science." A worthwhile
book, with topics ranging from general philosophical issues
to specific aspects of occult claims and theories. An especially
humorous paper is entitled "Winning through Pseudoscience," in
which the authors (Clark Glymour and Douglas Stalker) provide a
sure-fire scheme for getting rich by exploiting the public's
appetite for pseudoscience. Example: sell "Peruvian Pick-Up
Sticks" which foretell your future at least as well as
astrologers can. JM
Hall, Trevor H. "New Light on Old Ghosts." London: Duckworth, 1965;
Hollywood-by-the-Sea, Fla.: Transatlantic, 1965. With a sharp
eye for trickery and fraud, Hall investigates some of the famous
mysteries of the past, such as the Borley Rectory hauntings and
the D.D. Home levitations. His standards for the rules of evidence
are very strict; applied to these mysteries, none passes the tests. RL
_______. "The Spiritualists: The Story of Florence Cook and William
Crookes." London: Duckworth, 1962; New York: Garrett/Helix, 1963. RL
Hanen, Marsha P., Margaret P. Osler, and Robert G. Weyant, eds. "Science,
Pseudo-Science and Society." Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier
University Press, 1980. Twelve historians, philosophers, and
psychologists examine historical roots, impacts, and social
dimensions of pseudoscience. Proceedings of the 1979 conference
sponsored by the Calgary Institute for the Humanities.
KF Winter 1980-1981 SI
Hansel, C.E.M. "ESP and Parapsychology: A Critical Re-Evaluation." Buffalo,
N.Y.: Prometheus, 1980. One of the standard sources for
detailed criticism of the experimental methodology used in the
major parapsychology experiments (Pearce-Pratt, Soal-Goldney, etc.).
One of Hansel's basic concerns is the possibility of cheating and
fraud, and how he feels this should affect the way many experiments
are regarded. Hansel is a "no-nonsense" writer, but readable. JM
Harris, Sara. "Father Divine: Holy Husband." Garden City, N.Y.:
Doubleday, 1953. A revealing look at one of the more flamboyant
gurus of the thirties and forties, a Harlem preacher who claimed
to be God incarnate and consequently managed to build a financial
empire worth millions. The author examines the movement from
within by scrutinizing the lives and motives of Father Divine's
followers and succeeds in proving that some of the people can be
fooled all the time. RL
Heenan, Edward F. (ed.). "Mystery, Magic, and Miracle: Religion in a
Post-Aquarian Age." Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1973.
A collection of papers that focus on the mysterious, magical, and
miraculous aspects of the current religious revival in the
youth culture. RL
Heftmann, Erica. "The Dark Side of the Moonies." Melbourne, Australia:
Penguin Books, 1982. A former Moonie, deprogrammed from the
Rev. Moon's cult, explores the issues and power of mind control.
Contains four parts: "Heavenly Deception," "Free Will But No
Choice," "Return to Reality," and "From the Outside Looking In."
KF Winter 1982-1983 SI
Herbert, Victor, M.D., J.D. "Nutrition Cultism: Facts and Fictions."
Philadelphia: George F. Stickley Co., 1981 (distributed to
bookstores by Scribner's). Noted physician and nutrition
researcher provides straight, no-nonsense presentation on
nutrition cultism and quackery. KF Summer 1982 SI
________. "Vitamins and Health Foods: The Great American Hustle."
Philadelphia: George F. Stickley Co., 1981 (distributed to
bookstores by Scribner's). A strong investigative report on
such subjects as the modern food quack, dubious doctoring,
the "natural-organic" rip-off, prominent promoters, the laetrile
story, nutrition and the media, and where to get accurate
information. KF Summer 1982 SI
Hering, Daniel W. "Foibles and Fallacies of Science: An Account of
Celebrated Scientific Vagaries." New York: Van Nostrand, 1924.
An early survey of the major pseudosciences: astrology, alchemy,
perpetual motion, etc. The point of view is scientific and
critical but the account is largely descriptive. RL
Holbrook, Stewart H. "The Golden Age of Quackery." New York: Macmillan,
1959. An amusing trip through American history following the
development of patent medicines and general quackery. RL
Holmyard, Eric John. "Alchemy." Baltimore: Penguin, 1957. A straight-
forward history. RL
Houdini, Harry. "A Magician Among the Spirits." New York: Harper, 1924.
The great magician wanted to believe in spiritualism, yet after
having studied it for many years came to the conclusion that it
could not be proved. In the course of studying it, he uncovered
many of the techniques by which mediums manage to deceive sitters.
These are described with clarity and wit. RL
________. "Miracle Mongers and Their Methods." Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus
Books, 1981. Houdini's pioneering skeptical investigations into
strange phenomena are further detailed in a book dealing with
such side-show miracles as fire-eating, "incombustibility" (the
ability to spend more time than the average person among roaring
flames), sword-swallowing, stone-eating, the ability to resist
venomous snake-bites, and feats of extraordinary human strength.
Houdini's accounts are intriguing and informative, especially from
a historical perspective. Includes an excellent foreword by
James Randi. JM
Huff, Darrell. "How to Lie With Statistics." New York: W.W. Norton, 1954.
This book has been mentioned on the net before. I find it hard
to believe anybody could read it without enjoying it immensely.
Although written almost 30 years ago, Huff's book entertainingly
exposes statistical double-dealings which are still popular today
(some of the easiest ones to spot are the tricks associated with
graphs and statistical illustrations). Fun and informative. JM
Jackson, Herbert G. "The Spirit Rappers." Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday,
1972. The strange story of Kate and Maggie Fox, who claimed
they could talk with the dead. They were internationally famous
before they died. Many writers trace the spiritualism movement
in America back to them. Based on letters, memoirs, court records,
newspaper accounts, and journals. RL
Jacobs, David Michael. "The UFO Controversy in America." Bloomington:
Indiana University Press, 1975. Bibliography. Although written
by a believer in UFOs and criticized for certain shortcomings
(see especially the "Review Symposium," The Zetetic [Fall/Winter
1976]: 69-73), it is the first serious attempt by a historian
to chronicle the entire UFO controversy from 1947 to 1974. RL
Jahn, Melvin E., and Daniel J. Woolf (eds.). "The Lying Stones of
Dr. Johann Bartholemew Adam Beringer, Being His Lithographiae
Wirceburgensis." Berkeley: University of California Press,
1963. The original text of one of the most famous hoaxes in the
history of science. The traditional interpretation of this is
illustrated by a quote from a bookseller's catalog: "A famous
hoax in the history of science. Beringer's students manufactured
curious 'petrified fossils' and planted them in the neighborhood
of Wurzberg, where the professor was lead to discover them. He
published the present book about them before he discovered the
fraud." However, the present edition includes, in an appendix,
various documents that demonstrate that the hoax was perpetrated
by two of Beringer's colleagues. RL
Jahoda, Gustav. "The Psychology of Superstition." Baltimore: Penguin
Books, 1971. Jahoda examines the psychological forces behind
the human tendency toward superstition. Includes some good
material, but you may find it a little tedious. JM
Jameson, Eric. "Natural History of Quackery." Springfield: C.C. Thomas,
1961; London: M. Joseph, 1961. RL
Jastrow, Joseph. "A Betrayal of Intelligence: A Preface to Debunking."
New York: Greenberg, 1938. A good account of the assault on
intelligence made by the purveyors of pseudoscience. Good chapter
on pseudopsychology. However, the description of each claim is
very brief. As Jastrow describes attempts to exploit the gullible,
his book reads as if it were written today. RL
________. "Wish and Wisdom: Episodes in the Vagaries of Belief." New
York: Appleton, 1935. Jastrow identifies seven types of distortions
of rationality that "form deviations from the path of wisdom by
yielding to wish." Each is illustrated by real cases. For
example, the case of Blondlot's N-rays is one used to illustrate
rationalization, the assigning of good reasons for weak thinking.
Because of the number of cases, it is a sort of forerunner of
Gardner's "Fads and Fallacies." RL
Jordon, Davis S. "The Higher Foolishness." Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill,
1927. A facetious account of what the author calls Sciosophy,
the school of thought opposed to science and reason. With a
good deal of irony he describes its basic beliefs. RL
Kaufman, Robert. "Inside Scientology." New York: Olympia, 1972. The
author, a musician, turned to Scientology to solve his personal
problems. The book is an expose of Scientology as a therapeutic
system but not a complete attack on all aspects of the movement. RL
Keene, M. Lamar (as told to Allen Spraggett). "The Psychic Mafia." New
York: St. Martin's, 1976. From an ad: "Keene explains how he
bamboozled the gullible...not intended as an attack on all
psychic phenomena." RL
Klass, Philip J. "UFOs Explained." New York: Random House, 1975. One
of the few books critical of the UFO phenomenon. The book is
composed of cases, one to a chapter, selected to illustrate
different kinds of sightings. For each case there is a
"UFOlogical Principle" that sums up the lesson to be learned and
which is to be applied whenever the reader reads of a new sighting. RL
[Skeptical UFO books all tend to make the same points, but
Klass' book makes them in a more methodical way. This makes it
easier to absorb the pertinent lessons to be learned. Klass
is chairman of the UFO subcommittee of CSICOP. JM]
Klein, Alexander (ed.). "The Double Dealers: Adventures of Grand
Deception." New York: Lippincott, 1958. A collection of true
stories of deceptions, hoaxes, ruses, and impostures. While
these are not deceptions in the area of the occult, they do serve
to demonstrate both the prevalence and technique of deception. RL
_______. (comp.). "Grand Deception: The World's Most Spectacular and
Successful Hoaxes, Impostures, Ruses and Frauds." New York:
Lippincott, 1955. A diverse anthology of lesser-known frauds,
running the gamut from pathos to humor. Basic criterion of
selection is entertainment. Varied locales, spheres of action,
and periods of time are represented, with arrangement based on
motivation, the immediate goal of deception, and the field in
which it operated. RL
Kline, Milton V. (ed.). "A Scientific Report on 'The Search for Bridey
Murphy'." New York: Julian, 1956. "It is the purpose of this
book to deal with the psychological problems which are presented
and directly involved in 'The Search for Bridey Murphy' and to
elaborate and to clarify the nature of the story which unfolds,
as well as to present a comprehensive and accurate account of
scientific hypnosis for the general public and the interested
scientist." (Editor's Foreword) Excellent examination of the
methodological and logical shortcomings of Morey Bernstein's
book. RL
Kuhn, Thomas S. "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions." Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1970. This is not really a
debunking book at all, but it's a must for anybody who wants
to gain the background necessary to understand some of the basic
problems in parapsychology research. One of the fundamental
concepts Kuhn puts forth is the role of paradigms in the
formulation of new scientific disciplines. An important work
for people interested in the history and philosophy of science. JM
Kusche, Lawrence David. "The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved." New
York: Harper, 1975. A classic example of a debunking book.
Through careful and exhaustive research, Kusche establishes
a natural explanation of the various dissappearances in the
area. It would have to appear on any list of the best books
that shed light on the claims of the irrational. RL
_______. "The Disappearance of Flight 19." New York: Harper, 1980.
The first book-length examination of what really happened to
the five Avenger torpedo bombers lost on a training flight
east of Florida in 1945. Kusche, who recounted the basic facts
in a chapter in his 1975 book "The Bermuda Triangle Mystery--
Solved," here goes into all the issues in greater detail. He
also portrays the life of flight leader Charles Taylor and his
mother's attempts to overturn the verdict of official inves-
tigations that a series of mistakes in judgement by a disoriented
Taylor during the flight was the primary cause of its loss at
sea. That verdict, Kusche convincingly shows, is still correct.
Kusche, a meticulous researcher, has here produced the authoritative
account of the tragedy. KF Fall 1980 SI
[For all you movie fans: the group of aircraft which mysteriously
appear in the opening sequence of "Close Encounters" are supposed
to be the same planes discussed in this book. In the movie
Spielberg is, of course, suggesting that these bombers were
"sucked up" by an inquisitive and resourceful UFO. JM]
Lamont, Corliss. "The Illusion of Immortality." New York: Putnam,
1935; 4th ed., New York: Ungar, 1965. Because of the claims
of out-of-body experiences and spiritualism, the implications
for immortality are obvious. Since this book considers
critically and negatively all the arguments for immortality,
it is relevant to the concerns of this bibliography. Among
the arguments is the putative evidence from spiritualism. RL
Leith, Harry. "The Contrasts and Similarities Among Science, Pseudo-
science, the Occult, and Religion." 3rd ed. (Available from
the author, Dept. of Natural Sciences, Atkinson College, York
University, Toronto, Canada.), 1982. Updated, expanded (44
additonal pages) edition of Prof. Leith's earlier (1978)
bibliography. Hundreds of books and articles listed in 29
categories, such as Astrology; Healing; Glossolalia (Tongue
Speaking); Parapsychology; Pseudoscience, Magic and the Occult;
Survival After Death and Reincarnation; and UFOs and Space
Visitors. KF Summer 1982 SI
Leoni, Edgar. "Nostradamus: Life and Literature." New York:
Exposition Press, 1961. The best edition currently available.
The reason for its inclusion is the critical apparatus. Each
quatrain or paragraph of Nostradamus' prophecies is accompanied
by a commentary that attempts to clarify the meaning and that
often points out its asininity. Of special interest is the
critical bibliographical essay on works of commentators and
critics. RL
Lewinsohn, Richard. "Science, Prophecy, and Prediction: Man's Effort
to Foretell the Future, from Babylon to Wall Street." A.J.
Pomelons (trans.). New York: Harper, 1961. Summaries and
appraisals of the art of prediction done with an attitude of
practical disbelief. RL
Lofland, John. "Doomsday Cult: A Study of Conversion, Proselytization,
and Maintenance of Faith." Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall,
1966. An early sociological study of the Reverend Moon and his
cult that concluded with an accurate prediction: "As of June
1964, then, the [cult] was still quite small, but was experiencing
healthy growth. It will not be long before they effectively
blanket the country with a thin, but active, layer of proselytizing
true believers." (p. 268) RL
Ludwig, Jan (ed.). "Philosophy and Parapsychology." Buffalo, N.Y.:
Prometheus Books, 1978. As Mario Bunge states in the Summer,
1979 Skeptical Inquirer (p. 63): "..this volume may impress the
naive reader because, on the whole, it recommends parapsychology
as a serious field of research and its philosophy as being on
the same footing as the philosophy of physics--as the editor
himself suggests." Although it certainly fails to justify this
attitude, the book is valuable because of its collection of
famous papers by parapsychologists. Recommended more as a
historical document (most of the writers are dead, for one thing)
than as an example of brilliant scholarship. JM
McComes, Henry Clay. "Ghosts I Have Talked With." Baltimore: Williams,
1935. Based on the author's investigations for the American
Society for Psychical Research. Almost all the cases are
expositions of fraudulent mediums. RL
MacDougall, Curtis D. "Hoaxes." 2nd ed. New York: Dover, 1958. A
compendium of accounts detailing hundreds of frauds over the
past several centuries in which assorted forgers, swindlers,
imposters, and con men have thrived on human gullibility.
Thoroughly researched and entertainingly written. It covers
hoaxes in the fields of art, science, literature, history,
journalism, and politics. RL
[This book is filled with information, but it's organized in
a rather rambling fashion. The boundaries between descriptions
of "hoax-incidents" are often difficult to distinguish unless
you start at the beginning of a chapter and read it straight
through. Nevertheless, it's worthwhile reading... JM]
Mackay, Charles. "Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the
Madness of Crowds." London: Bentley, 1841. One of the
first debunking books. A classic work on popular obsessions
and manias from the nineteenth century and earlier. Mackay
looks at a variety of "money madnesses" (including the infamous
"South Sea Bubble"), as well as a number of delusions of the occult.
Alchemy, witchcraft, the Crusades, religious relics, are all
discussed. The chapter on haunted houses is quite humorous. JM
Macy, Christopher (ed.). "Science, Reason, and Religion." Buffalo, N.Y.:
Prometheus Books, 1974. From the 1976 Prometheus catalog:
"This book examines the recent growth of religious cults and
the rejection of science and reason. Among the contributors
are: Christopher Evans, an experimental psychologist, who
deals critically with Scientology and dianetics; Colin Campbell,
of the University of York, who recommends a rational approach
to secularization; D.J. Stewart, of Brunel University, who
analyzes rationalism and the justification of belief; and
Ernest Hutten, of the University of London, who discusses the
future of science." RL
Mair, Lucy. "Witchcraft." New York: McGraw-Hill, 1969. A good
general account, in the authoritative World University Library
series. Primarily concerned with the ideas and practices of
people who take the existence of witchcraft for granted today.
Emphasis is on anthropological studies. RL
Mannix, Daniel P. "Step Right Up!" New York: Harper, 1951. Mannix
describes his own experiences traveling with the carnival and
mastering mind-reading, fire-eating, sword-swallowing, and the
like. Written in a semi-fictional style and filled with
anecdotes, it nevertheless describes how these corny acts
are done. RL
Marks, David, and Richard Kammann. "The Psychology of the Psychic."
Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1980. One of the more
popular debunking books. Ray Hyman has used this as a textbook
in his pseudoscience class at the University of Oregon. Marks
and Kammann methodically examine the famous "psi" experiments,
as well as the "miraculous feats" of famous psychic Uri Geller.
The last part of the book deals with some general aspects of
skeptical reasoning. One interesting tactic used by the authors
was to attend the stage performances of "The Amazing Kreskin"
and figure out how his "miracles" are accomplished. Very
readable and very effective. JM
Mathison, Richard R. "Faiths, Cults, and Sects of America: From
Atheism to Zen." New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1960. Short,
humorously written chapters on the standard cults; included
are several that demonstrate the charlatanry of some cult
leaders and the gullibility of their followers. RL
Mauskopf, Seymour H. (ed.). "The Reception of Unconventional Science."
From the AAAS Selected Symposia Series. Boulder, Colo.: Westview
Press, 1979. This book consists of four papers, dealing with
acausal quantum mechanics, Wegener's continental drift theory,
acupuncture, and the use of statistics in parapsychology. The
first two topics represent "normalized" science, whereas the
latter two are still not fully embraced by the scientific community.
The intent is to examine "borderline" cases from a historical,
philosophical, and scientific perspective, and thus to provide
some insights into how unusual theories and claims are received
by the scientific community. Excellent papers with excellent
references. JM
Menzel, Donald H. "Flying Saucers." Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard
University Press, 1953. The earliest debunking book on
UFOs. The author was a professor of astrophysics at Harvard.
The last chapter, "What to Do if You See a Flying Saucer,"
gives a checklist of tests to apply to any sighting. The
book is especially good for its presentation of natural
explanations of UFO reports. RL
Meyer, Donald. "The Positive Thinkers: A Study of the American
Quest for Health, Wealth, and Personal Power from Mary Baker
Eddy to Norman Vincent Peale." New York: Doubleday, 1969.
A thorough, scholarly, and fair study of some lightweight
popular psychologies. Their inconsistencies and gaps in
logic are pointed out. RL
Miller, Ronald. "The Piltdown Man." New York: St. Martin's, 1972.
A good retelling of one of the all-time great hoaxes, Piltdown
man, which endured for forty years. RL
Moger, Art. "Pros and Cons: Incredible True Tales About Famous
Con Men, Frauds, Hoaxes, and Beguiling Swindlers." New York:
Fawcett, 1975. Mostly reprints of articles about ten "pro"
con men, some recent, some older. RL
Montagu, Ashley, and Edward Darling. "The Prevalence of Nonsense."
New York: Harper, 1967. A large collection of short, critical
comments on scores of common beliefs the authors consider
nonsense. In the personal-essay genre; not every reader will
agree with the authors. RL
Moore, Brooke Noel. "The Philosophical Possibilities Beyond Death."
Springfield, Ill.: Charles C. Thomas, 1981. A philosopher's
critical examination of the purported evidence of after-death
survival. Although his conclusions are essentially negative,
his approach is mild and nonhostile to believers' sensibilities.
KF Spring 1982 SI
Moore, Patrick. "Can You Speak Venusian? A Guide to Independent Thinkers."
New York: W.W. Norton, 1972. Humorously written survey of
several different fringe science individuals and groups. "The
independent thinker is a genuine, well-meaning person, who is
not hidebound by convention, and who is always ready to strike
out on a line of his own - frequently, though not always, in the
face of all the evidence." Topics covered include a Flatter Earth,
Hollow Earth, the Cold Sun, the Solid Skys, Velikovsky's Comet,
Down with Darwin, Atlantis, Flying Saucers, Messages from Mars,
Dinosaurs on the Moon, Chariots and Pyramids, Astrology, World
Floods, the Tipsy Earth, and Orgone Energy. Recommended for light
entertainment. MC
Munsterberg, H. "Psychology and Social Sanity." New York: Doubleday,
1914. An early attempt to apply what the psychologist knows to
"social difficulties." Of relevance to this bibliography is
the chapter on thought transference, which offers several
explanations of how mind-reading is done, and the chapter on
"the intellectual underworld" by which the author means the
propensity of some educated people to fall prey to superstition
and humbug. RL
Murchison, Carl A. (ed.). "The Case For and Against Psychical Belief."
Worcester, Mass.: Clark University, 1927. Papers presented at
a public symposium at Clark University in 1926. Of interest here
are two papers in Part III, "Unconvinced As Yet," by John E.
Coover and Gardner Murphy, and the two papers in Part IV,
"Antagonistic to the Claims That Such Phenomena Occur," by
Joseph Jastrow and Harry Houdini. RL
Napier, John. "Bigfoot." New York: Dutton, 1972. Consideration of the
existence of the Pacific Northwest sasquatch and the Himalayan
yeti by a primate biologist. After the most thorough and
informed examination of both hard and soft evidence to date,
Napier concludes that we have no scientific proof of its
physical existence but that it has considerable mythic value for
contemporary humanity. RL
Needleman, Jacob. "The New Religions." New York: Doubleday, 1970.
A sympathetic, yet somewhat skeptical, survey of religions that
have been imported, often with leaders, from the East. Much
attention is paid to their organization, and there are interviews
with leaders and followers. RL
Neher, Andrew. "The Psychology of Transcendence." Englewood Cliffs,
N.J.: Prentice Hall/Spectrum, 1980. An excellent work
demystifying mystical and transcendental experiences. Psychologist
Neher shows that "mystical" and "psychic" experiences often
have normal physiological explanations that avert the need to
resort to "paranormal" hypotheses. Forewords by Robert Morris
and Ray Hyman. KF Spring 1981 SI
Nolen, William A. "Healing: A Doctor in Search of a Miracle." New
York: Random House, 1975. Dr. Nolen spent two years searching
for healing that was, in fact, miraculous. He found none. He
studied some of the most famous healers: Kathryn Kuhlman,
Norber Chen, and the Filipino psychic surgeons. He describes
their methods and why, to the trained eye, no miraculous healing
took place. One of the top debunking books. RL
Oberg, James E. "UFOs and Outer Space Mysteries: A Sympathetic Skeptic's
Report." Norfolk, Va.: Donning Company, 1982. A collection
of the author's writings on UFOs, close-encounter tales, moon-
mystery myths, the Sirius mystery, and other related themes.
The book's Introduction is an expanded version of his award-winning
Cutty Sark essay; the Afterword is his assessment of UFO research
at the Smithsonian UFO symposium. Oberg always brings a welcome
freshness and critical but open-minded skepticism to his work.
KF Spring 1983 SI
Ord-Hume, Arthur W.J.G. "Perpetual Motion." New York: St. Martin's
Press, 1977. The delusion of perpetual motion is, contrary
to popular belief, still with us. Ord-Hume provides a
thorough and informative look at the history of this obsession,
from ridiculous self-motivating windmills to sophisticated
frauds. Also covered are some gizmos which, although certainly
representing a clever use of energy, do not really represent
"classical" perpetual motion at all. These include Cox's
atmospheric pressure-driven clock and a chimes powered by
special "dry piles." JM
Pennsylvania, University of. Seybert Commission. "Preliminary Report
of the Commission Appointed by the University of Pennsylvania
to Investigate Modern Spiritualism in Accordance with the
Request of the Late Herbert Seybert." Philadelphia: Lippincott,
1920. The report itself, dated May 1887, presented a negative
conclusion. An extensive appendix contains the documents
examined, together with the texts of interviews. RL
Planer, Felix E. "Superstition." London: Cassell Ltd., 1980. A
detailed study of superstition in its many forms, including
prognostications, the spirit world, magic (including voodoo,
faith healing, and psychokinesis), and religion. The author
defines superstition as "a belief affording the relief of an
anxiety by means of an irrational notion." KF Fall 1981 SI
Rachleff, Owen S. "The Occult Conceit: A New Look at Astrology,
Witchcraft, and Sorcery." New York: Bell, 1971. One of the
few books that takes on almost the entire field of the occult
with the objective of debunking it. "By depending on common
sense, and logic, this book denies and then debunks the usual
allegations of the occult, both of the past and in the present."
Unfortunately, the author has tried to cover so many fields
that his debunking effort is inevitably superficial. RL
Radner, Daisie, and Michael Radner. "Science & Unreason." Belmont,
Calif.: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1982. Written by a man & wife
team of psychologists, this is an excellent, short treatment on
the earmarks of pseudoscience. The authors carefully avoid
using special terminology without first defining it, and manage
to convey some subtle points in a very clear, readable way.
Nowhere have I seen a clearer, more concise description of the
problems with "fringe" science (especially in the discussion on para-
psychology). If you can find this book, grab it. JM
Randi, James (The Amazing Randi). "Flim Flam! The Truth About Unicorns,
Parapsychology, and Other Delusions." Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus
Books, 1982. This has got to be one of the all-time favorites
for dyed-in-the-wool skeptics. James Randi is committed to
an all-out war on pseudoscience, and pulls out all the stops
when it comes to grilling the purveyors of hogwash. Of special
interest is the first chapter on the Lippincott Fairies, in which
he describes how allegedly rational people like Arthur Conan Doyle
were actually duped into believing that two young ladies had
taken snapshots of the "wee folk" (actually small paper cut-outs
judiciously placed on branches or grass). Highly recommended. JM
_______. "The Truth About Uri Geller." Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus
Books, 1982. Published earlier as "The Magic of Uri Geller."
Randi has a particular distaste for the young Israeli psychic,
and has spent a considerable amount of his time ferreting out
evidence of charlatanism. Here he presents in great detail his
devastating case against the "psychic prodigy" of the '70s.
There can be no doubt that this book played an important role in
the decline of Geller's popularity with the public and the media.
If you harbor any illusions about Geller having "real" psychic
powers, you'd better read this book. One of the best examples
of comprehensive, critical investigation; highly recommended. JM
Rawcliffe, D.H. "The Psychology of the Occult." London: Ridgway,
1952. (Published in New York by Dover in 1959 under the
title "Illusions and Delusions of the Supernatural and the
Occult" and in 1971 under the title "Occult and Supernatural
Phenomena.") Rawcliffe takes a broad view of the field.
His announced objective is to bring the groundbreaking
critical studies of Podmore, Jastrow, and Tuckett, published
forty years previously, up to date. In addition to pointing
out cases of fraud, he also studies "the role played by
various types of psychological anomaly in the creation and
perpetuation of occult beliefs and practices." RL
[This book is filled with information, but Rawcliffe writes
in a rather impersonal and sometimes pompous manner. JM]
Reed, Graham. "The Psychology of Anomalous Experience." Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 1974. A very educational book on a
interesting and important topic. Reed focuses in on the
many ways in which the perceptual apparatus of the mind
can interfere with the way we interpret our surroundings
and our own feelings and memories. Very readable. JM
Rieth, Adolf. "Archaeological Fakes." New York: Praeger Publishers,
1970. A short look at some famous archaeological hoaxes.
Includes a description of the Beringer incident (see
Jahn and Woolf, above), the Piltdown hoax, forged Gothic
goldwork, the Glozel artifacts, and many others. Highly
recommended, very readable. JM
Rinn, Joseph Francis. "Sixty Years of Psychical Research: Houdini
and I Among the Spiritualists." New York: The Truth Seeker,
1950. (Published in London by Rider in 1954 under the
title "Searchlight on Psychical Research.") RL
Rogo, D. Scott. "In Search of the Unknown: The Odyssey of a Psychical
Investigator." New York: Taplinger, 1976. An example of the
curious kind of book that is part believing and part
nonbelieving. The author does a good job of exposing those
areas he chooses, but he seems to believe in others. RL
Rommel, Kenneth M. "Operation Animal Mutilation." Sante Fe: District
Attorney, First Judicial District (P.O. Box 2041, Sante Fe,
N.M. 87501), 1980. Report of the first federally funded study
of the cattle-mutilation phenomenon finds it a manufactured
mystery. KF Fall 1980 SI
Rood, Robert T, and James S. Trefil. "Are We Alone?" New York:
Scribner's, 1981. For those who have wanted a more skeptical
scientific approach to the subject of possible extraterrestrial
intelligence, this book, by two University of Virginia scientists,
is it. KF Fall 1981 SI
Rose, Louis. "Faith-healing." Ed. by Bryan Morgan. Santa Fe:
Gannon, 1968. Penguin edition, 1971. A very good study of
an area fraught with potential for deception and self-deception.
The author, a doctor, spent 15 years searching for cases that
would measure up to his criteria of confirmation. In the end
he was able to study only 96 purported faith cures. Of these,
he was able to examine only 16 personally. In the end, he
found none of the type of "miracle cure" he was seeking. RL
Rostand, Jean. "Error and Deception in Science." New York: Basic
Books, 1960. Bibliography. Translated from the French. In
this collection of essays, the first, with the same title as
the book, is relevant to this bibliography. There Rostand
attempts to "show in what ways scientific knowledge can be
perverted by mystifiers and fanatics of every kind, and even,
unwittingly, by the true scientists." Basically, it is the
story of N-rays and their study by a professor of physics,
Rene Blondlot. Many scientists studied this phenomenon and
described its properties; yet it did not exist "outside their
fertile imaginations." RL
Roszak, Theodore. "Unfinished Animal: The Aquarian Frontier and the
Evolution of Consciousness." New York: Harper, 1975. Only
the first two chapters place this book in the bibliography.
Here Roszak makes a brief, but thoughtful, excursus across
what he calls the "Aquarian Frontier." Along the way he
provides the reader with a good chart that classifies most
of the occult and pseudosciences. However, after that he
takes off on a "Reconnaisance of the Next Reality," with
intimations that those on the Aquarian Frontier are onto
something. RL
Russell, Eric. "Astrology and Prediction." Secaucus, N.J.: Citadel
Press, 1975. "Pretty sober and sane coverage, although he does
waffle and succumb in part to the wiles of Nostradamus." RH
Sabloff, Jeremy A. (ed.). "Archaeology: Myth and Reality" (Readings from
"Scientific American"). San Francisco: W. H. Freeman, 1982.
Seven articles on Stonehenge, the Nazca lines, and pyramids
(both Old World and New). They are collected here to help
combat the widespread popular acceptance of pseudoarchaeological
ideas by communicating to the public professional perspectives
on these frequently sensationalized antiquities. An excellent
introductory essay by Sabloff, chairman of the Anthropology
Department at the University of New Mexico, reviews some of the
pseudoarchaeological literature and shows how current scientific
knowledge fails to support its popularized contentions. He also
distinguishes between the methods of professional archaeologists
and pseudoscientific writers on archaeology who disregard the
scientific method. KF Winter 1982-1983 SI
Sagan, Carl, and Thornton Page (eds.). "UFOs: A Scientific Debate."
Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1972. Papers presented
at the symposium on UFOs sponsored by the American Association
for the Advancement of Science in 1969. An excellent collection
of responsible reports by people on both sides of the debate. RL
Schaller, Warren E., and Charles R. Carroll. "Health, Quackery, and
the Consumer." Philadelphia: Saunders, 1976. A college
textbook whose relevant chapters are "Quackery," "The Use and
Abuse of Health Products," "Device Quackery," "Nutritional
Quackery," "Arthritis Quackery," and "Cancer Quackery." RL
Shaeffer, Robert. "The UFO Verdict." Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books,
1981. Robert Shaeffer is vice-chairman of the UFO subcommittee of
CSICOP (the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of
Claims Of the Paranormal, the folks who bring us the Skeptical
Inquirer). Shaeffer patiently and effectively takes apart
a number of UFO accounts. Of special interest is the discussion
of how UFO photographs can be easily faked, including sample
photographs of bogus spaceships made from such prosaic parts as
cottage cheese containers and ping pong balls. JM
Silverberg, Robert. "Scientists and Scoundrels: A Book of Hoaxes."
New York: Crowell, 1965. "A baker's dozen of hoaxes."
Beringer, Mesmer, Kock, Keely, Schliemann, Kammerer, and Piltdown,
all treated in a light-hearted, non-technical way. RL
Sladek, John. "The New Apocrypha: A Guide to Strange Science and
Occult Beliefs." New York: Stein and Day, 1974. One of the
most comprehensive of the recent skeptical surveys of pseudo-
science. Very little is left out; principally, the author
covers witchcraft, satanism, some religious and philosophical
systems, and alchemy. In a way it updates Martin Gardner but
it is not as good. RL
Smith, Richard Furnald. "Prelude to Science: An Exploration of Magic
and Divination." New York: Scribner's, 1975. Written by a
chemist at the University of California, Berkeley, this book
is critical of astrology, Tarot cards, I Ching, and the
Kabbalah. However, the text is quite short (109 pp.) and
about 90 percent is straight description. RL
Spraggett, Allen. "Arthur Ford: The Man Who Talked with the Dead."
New York: New American Library, 1973. The author basically
believes in Ford's psychic powers. The reason for the book's
inclusion is the chapter on the Bishop Pike affair, in which
he tries to cope with the considerable evidence of fraud. In
attempting to explain away that evidence, Spraggett unwittingly
gives away how Ford managed to fool Bishop Pike during the
famous television seance. RL
Starkey, Marion Lena. "The Devil in Massachusetts." New York: Knopf,
1950. Because of the local hysteria resulting from people
seeing what they believed, the Salem withcraft episode of 1692
is a fascinating case history for the rationalist. Solid
research in this historical monograph. RL
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. "Adventure in Error." Detroit: Gale Research
Co., 1970. Light, but uneven, essays on error in popular belief.
Some on school textbooks. Contains a chapter on the famous
H.L. Mencken hoax about President Millard Fillmore installing
the first bathtub in the White House. This is a reprint of the
1936 edition published by Robert M. McBride & Co., New York. RL
Steiner, Lee R. "Where Do People Take Their Troubles?" Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 1945. Based on a study, made in Chicago
and New York City, of all the many places, such as counselors,
therapists, occultists, mostly charlatans, where people take
their troubles. RL
Story, Ronald. "The Space-Gods Revealed." New York: Barnes & Noble,
1980. Yet another public execution of Von Daniken's "Chariots
of the Gods?" travesty. This one isn't as good as Wilson's
"Crash Go the Chariots." Ronald Story is an interesting case,
however; after this skeptical book, he did a turnaround and
wrote "UFOs and the Limits of Science," in which he succumbs to
the same sort of squinty-eyed reasoning that he criticizes Von
Daniken for. JM
Swift, Jonathan. "Predictions for the Year 1708." (by Isaac Bickerstaff,
Esq.) In Jonathan Swift, "Prose Writings," vol. 2. London,
Oxford, 1940, pp. 139-150. The genius of English satire,
using the name Isaac Bickerstaff, makes mincemeat of an astrologer
of the time. A classic. RL
Tanner, Amy E. "Studies in Spiritualism." New York: Appleton, 1910.
An early, critical study of the records of the English Psychical
Research Society, which, according to the author, had served
primarily as source material for true believers. Also a detailed
case study of the spiritualist Mrs. Piper. RL
Thiering, Barry, and Edgar Castle (eds.). "Some Trust in Chariots."
New York: Popular Library, 1972. Sixteen views on Erich von
Daniken's "Chariots of the Gods?", in which the author asserts
that in the earth's past the planet was visited by extraterrestrial
beings who may have had a part in the origin of humanity. Each
of the essays, all written by scholars, attacks the looseness of
von Daniken's arguments and the flimsiness of his evidence. The
consensus is that von Daniken is "a clever man who has been
able to tap the deepest anxieties of technological man." RL
Truesdall, John W. "The Bottom Facts Concerning the Science of
Spiritualism: Derived from Careful Investigations Covering a
Period of Twenty-five Years." New York: G.W. Dillingham, 1892. RL
Tuckett, Ivor Lloyd. "The Evidence for the Supernatural: A Critical
Study Made with Uncommon Sense." London: Kegan Paul, 1911.
D.H. Rawcliffe (q.v.) compares this with the debunking works
of Podmore and Jastrow. RL
Vogt, Evon Z., and Ray Hyman. "Waterwitching, U.S.A." Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1959. Bibliography. Deals with
the practice of "dowsing" or "water-divining"--the use of a
forked stick, wire, or pendulum to locate underground water.
The authors report on their extensive study, in which county
agricultural extension agents throughout the country were
questioned about the extent to which dowsing is practised in
their regions. After examining the potent social and
psychological reasons behind it, they conclude that it falls
into the category of magical divination and operates basically
on the principle of involuntary motor action. RL
Williams, Mrs. Gertrude Leavenworth (Marvin). "Priestess of the
Occult: Madame Blavatsky." New York: Knopf, 1946. A well-
documented biography of the founder of the Theosophical Society.
Required reading for the student of religious movements. RL
Yates, Dorothy Maud (Hazeltine). "Psychological Racketeers." n.p.:
R. G. Badger, 1932. An early expose of a market that is still
thriving: the purveyors of courses in healing, character
analysis, the development of willpower, etc. RL
Young, James Harvey. "The Medical Messiahs: A Social History of
Health Quackery in Twentieth-Century America." Princeton, N.J.:
Princeton University Press, 1967. "Case examples of medical
messiahs from various important areas are given--the mail-order
male-weakness treatment, the alleged tuberculosis-curing
liniment, the potent weight-reducer, the vitamin-and-iron tonic
ballyhooed at gargantuan medicine shows, the complex array of
nutritional products vended by an itinerant 'lecturer,' the
diabetes and the cancer 'clinic.'" (Preface) A sequel to
"The Toadstool Millionaires." RL
_______. "The Toadstool Millionaires: A Social History of Patent
Medicines in America Before Federal Regulation." Princeton,
N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1961. "This book is a
history of proprietary medicines in America, from the early
18th-century appearance of patented brands imported from the
mother country to the early 20th-century enactment of national
legislation intended in part to restrain abuses in the packaged
medicine industry." (Preface) Because this is a scholarly
study, it is valuable for locating other literature on medical
quackery. RL
Zinner, Ernst. "The Stars Above Us, or the Conquest of Superstition."
London: George Allen, 1957. Although he was writing basically
a history of celestial observation, along the way Zinner offers
criticisms of astrology. See especially the chapter "Astrologers
Without Imagination." RL
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