Robert Todd Carroll (1945–2016)

This book examines some of the common fallacies in thinking, and how we fool ourselves even when we think we're following the evidence. The author, who has taught critical thinking for years, examines pseudoscience, politics, and religion to discover ways in which we don't always think about things in a rational way. The very weakest part of the book was the conclusion, where the author just sort of seems to throw up his hands and say "oh, well, nothing to be done, and it doesn't really hurt anyone that much" - in spite of the fact that he has just worked his way through a myriad of ways in which it DOES hurt. Then he says he's going to give 59 ways to overcome your biases, but he really doesn't. He just lists 59 particular types of biases. Overall, a good book, but it could have been better.… (meer)

I don't think it's really accurate to call this a dictionary. "Encyclopedia" might be a little closer, but it often lacks the fully objective tone that we expect an encyclopedia to have, as the author sometimes interjects his own thoughts, perspectives, and even his personal experiences. Really, I think the best way to describe it is as a series of very short articles, from a few sentences to a few pages, exploring various ideas and claims from a skeptical, critical-thinking perspective. How much these topics are explored varies a lot. Some broad subjects are glossed over with quick summaries, while some more obscure ones are examined in considerable detail. Every entry, however, does list resources for further reading, which is nice. The tone can occasionally get a little snarky, which sometimes comes across as a pointed and amusing salvo against a deserving target, but sometimes feels like the author is substituting a dismissive tone for actual analysis, which is not exactly useful in this context. Still, I approve of the basic idea.

Carroll says flat-out in his introduction that this book is not aimed at an audience of true believers, and that is unquestionably accurate. If you have any kind of personal investment in ideas such as the power of crystals, the authenticity of psychics, the existence of UFOs, or or the effectiveness of homeopathy, this book isn't going to change your mind, it's only going to piss you off. But for those who are interested in getting a critical perspective on subjects that mostly just bring up page after page of breathless testimonials from people trying to sell you stuff when you google them, this can be a good starting point. And, for the skeptically inclined, it can be kind of fun to browse through and see all the various nutty things people have believed at one point or another.… (meer)