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Think #1
Think: Why You Should Question Everything
Think more critically, learn to question everything, and don't let your ownbrain trip you up.This fresh and exciting approach to science, skepticism, and critical thinking will enlighten and inspire readers of all ages. With a mix of wit and wisdom, it challenges everyone to think like a scientist, embrace the skeptical life, and improve their critical thinking skills.Thinkshows you how to better navigate through the maze of biases and traps that are standard features of every human brain. These innate pitfalls threaten to trick us into seeing, hearing, thinking, remembering, and believing things that are not real or true. Guy Harrison's straightforward text will help you trim away the nonsense, deflect bad ideas, and keep both feet firmly planted in reality.With an upbeat and friendly tone, Harrison shows how it's in everyone's best interest to question everything. He brands skepticism as a constructive and optimistic attitude--a way of life that anyone can embrace. An antidote to nonsense and delusion, this accessible guide to critical thinking is the perfect book for anyone seeking a jolt of inspiration.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Guy P. Harrison
9 books104 followersI have a deep passion for science, history, anthropology, and nature. My mission is to inform and inspire as many people as I can about the workings and content of our world and universe. Reality is infinitely beautiful and endlessly fascinating. It's tragic that some people never quite glimpse the wonder of it all. Please don't be one of those people. I want you to be fully alive and awake as a human being.
Science is a body of knowledge and a practical tool available for everyone everywhere. Professional historians, anthropologists, and archaeologists tell the human story--your story. Listen to them. You live in exciting times because so much remains to be discovered and understood. In a sense, your home is an alien world filled with mystery and surprises. Learn, explore, dream. The more we know, the more we can imagine. The more we can imagine, the more we can do.
I am a positive and constructive skeptic. Think of me as a human who warns humans about being human. I use my imperfect brain to talk and write about the human brain's imperfections. I try to overcome my irrational beliefs and subconscious miscues so that I may better teach others about the problems of irrational belief and subconscious miscues.
I believe that our world could be much better - and a lot less crazy - if more people simply understood how science works and appreciated the protective value of scientific thinking in everyday life.
I've held numerous positions in the news industry, including editorial writer, world news editor, sports editor, photographer, page designer, and columnist. I've traveled extensively, having visited 30 countries on six continents. I have also had some very rewarding jobs teaching history and science to bright kids. My degree is in history and anthropology (University of South Florida). I've won some nice international awards for my writing and photography, including the WHO (World Health Organization) Award for Health Reporting and the Commonwealth Media Award for Excellence in Journalism.
What I am most proud of in relation to my work is that my writing has touched and helped many people. I consistently receive messages from around the world and it's always rewarding to learn that my words have inspired one more person to think in new and better ways.
When I'm not staring at a blank computer screen hoping my subconscious will deliver the next word, I'm likely running, hiking, reading, or teaching critical life lessons to my children via repeated viewings of Star Trek. When normal people are consumed with thoughts of politics, economics, or the Kardashians, there's a good chance I'll be daydreaming about time travel, the Singularity, ancient Greece, microbial life, the possibility of extraterrestrial life, World War II, robots, interstellar space travel, viruses, Homo erectus, the Apollo Moon landings . . .
Science is a body of knowledge and a practical tool available for everyone everywhere. Professional historians, anthropologists, and archaeologists tell the human story--your story. Listen to them. You live in exciting times because so much remains to be discovered and understood. In a sense, your home is an alien world filled with mystery and surprises. Learn, explore, dream. The more we know, the more we can imagine. The more we can imagine, the more we can do.
I am a positive and constructive skeptic. Think of me as a human who warns humans about being human. I use my imperfect brain to talk and write about the human brain's imperfections. I try to overcome my irrational beliefs and subconscious miscues so that I may better teach others about the problems of irrational belief and subconscious miscues.
I believe that our world could be much better - and a lot less crazy - if more people simply understood how science works and appreciated the protective value of scientific thinking in everyday life.
I've held numerous positions in the news industry, including editorial writer, world news editor, sports editor, photographer, page designer, and columnist. I've traveled extensively, having visited 30 countries on six continents. I have also had some very rewarding jobs teaching history and science to bright kids. My degree is in history and anthropology (University of South Florida). I've won some nice international awards for my writing and photography, including the WHO (World Health Organization) Award for Health Reporting and the Commonwealth Media Award for Excellence in Journalism.
What I am most proud of in relation to my work is that my writing has touched and helped many people. I consistently receive messages from around the world and it's always rewarding to learn that my words have inspired one more person to think in new and better ways.
When I'm not staring at a blank computer screen hoping my subconscious will deliver the next word, I'm likely running, hiking, reading, or teaching critical life lessons to my children via repeated viewings of Star Trek. When normal people are consumed with thoughts of politics, economics, or the Kardashians, there's a good chance I'll be daydreaming about time travel, the Singularity, ancient Greece, microbial life, the possibility of extraterrestrial life, World War II, robots, interstellar space travel, viruses, Homo erectus, the Apollo Moon landings . . .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
April 10, 2022
I think this is one of the worst reads of the year. Not the worst one, probably, but one that's seriously close to hitting the dreadful mark.
Basically, anything the author can't touch or handle isn't worth considering. I'm sure atoms wouldn't be worth his attention as well, had he lived a tweensy tad earlier. So, he goes on to sneer at beliefs, at people in honest error, at people using heuristics (like we all do, all the time or else we would've never made it out of our caves, methinks). At pretty much anything he deems unworthy. So, bad attitude is one strike against.
The other one is material: it's like a longlist of things to sneer at. I wonder, did he just publish his personal notes? His blog? Chosen pieces from his notebooks from his late teens?
Basically, anything the author can't touch or handle isn't worth considering. I'm sure atoms wouldn't be worth his attention as well, had he lived a tweensy tad earlier. So, he goes on to sneer at beliefs, at people in honest error, at people using heuristics (like we all do, all the time or else we would've never made it out of our caves, methinks). At pretty much anything he deems unworthy. So, bad attitude is one strike against.
The other one is material: it's like a longlist of things to sneer at. I wonder, did he just publish his personal notes? His blog? Chosen pieces from his notebooks from his late teens?
April 5, 2014
If I could give this book negative stars, I would. It's that bad; a complete waste of paper, time, and book space. Harrison's book reads like "Think; For Dummies". I picked this book up, randomly, with the idea that this would be a book that applied logic to a few well selected current social issues. The praise on the back of the book, especially, had me excited! I was very disappointed. In his book, instead, Harrison uses an insulting tone for criticize faulty beliefs and the people who believe them. The faulty beliefs he highlights are fringe beliefs that have already been attacked to death. What I'd have liked to see is logic applied to new ideas that effect a majority of us; trickle down economic theory, upward mobility, causes of poverty... all ideas and concepts that we hold dearly but that have never been held up to the standards of logic. Meanwhile, Harrison's over here talking about Roswell and the Bermuda Triangle. Yeah, they're easy targets and easy to poke holes in, but why bother? It's like fishing in a fishbowl.
The structure of the book is grating. The beginning is an introduction of sorts, Harrison introduces the reader to the 'fantasy-prone planet'. Here, Harrison tries to trite definitions of fantasy, fiction, skepticism, evidence, the brain and bad thinking antidotes ("The most effective antidote for bad thinking is good thinking". Talk about using circular logic, and it's this kind of writing and tone that permeate the book. 'Good' think, is vaguely defined later as some combination of seeing, listening, and then asking questions. The rest of the definitions are almost entirely floating in a mire of subjective judgements. The second part of the book is the fringe beliefs that I mentioned earlier. Roswell, Nostradamus, haunted houses, etc are attacked. Then last part of the book is concerned mostly with taking care of the brain, so that one can continue "good think". This section is cobbled together with the same advice that most people have already heard, although Harrison also thoughtfully provides plenty of personal stories *eye roll* highlighting his point.
Don't waste your time.
The structure of the book is grating. The beginning is an introduction of sorts, Harrison introduces the reader to the 'fantasy-prone planet'. Here, Harrison tries to trite definitions of fantasy, fiction, skepticism, evidence, the brain and bad thinking antidotes ("The most effective antidote for bad thinking is good thinking". Talk about using circular logic, and it's this kind of writing and tone that permeate the book. 'Good' think, is vaguely defined later as some combination of seeing, listening, and then asking questions. The rest of the definitions are almost entirely floating in a mire of subjective judgements. The second part of the book is the fringe beliefs that I mentioned earlier. Roswell, Nostradamus, haunted houses, etc are attacked. Then last part of the book is concerned mostly with taking care of the brain, so that one can continue "good think". This section is cobbled together with the same advice that most people have already heard, although Harrison also thoughtfully provides plenty of personal stories *eye roll* highlighting his point.
Don't waste your time.
August 16, 2016
Poorly edited, childish, over simplified, and strangely lacking in self-awareness for a skeptic book. The illustrations are absurd and given the simplistic and condescending tone of the book make me think it was originally targeted towards children.
Harrison's main goal seems to be to convert people to a skeptical way of thinking about the world, but I doubt he's at all effective at doing so because he regularly compares non-skeptics to man-eating predators, criminals, scam artists, liars, the infected, the diseased, foolish, unthinking, crooks, crazies, smothered, dim, ignorant, weak, enslaved, deluded, irrational, uncritical, unthinking, superstitious, stagnant magic-seekers, stumbling, passive, making up answers, and pretending to know what they don't know. And that's just when he's talking about actual people (not just beliefs). All of this while simultaneously downplaying that EVERYONE has irrational beliefs, skeptics like the author and this reader included.
You can't convert someone and insult them in the same breath. Terrible.
Harrison's main goal seems to be to convert people to a skeptical way of thinking about the world, but I doubt he's at all effective at doing so because he regularly compares non-skeptics to man-eating predators, criminals, scam artists, liars, the infected, the diseased, foolish, unthinking, crooks, crazies, smothered, dim, ignorant, weak, enslaved, deluded, irrational, uncritical, unthinking, superstitious, stagnant magic-seekers, stumbling, passive, making up answers, and pretending to know what they don't know. And that's just when he's talking about actual people (not just beliefs). All of this while simultaneously downplaying that EVERYONE has irrational beliefs, skeptics like the author and this reader included.
You can't convert someone and insult them in the same breath. Terrible.
July 16, 2016
I want to give -5 stars to this book. Totally waste of my time. I'm so disappointed. It's childish, and i feel like a teenager wrote it. I thought the Author's goal is to help people to be skeptical when it comes to thinking about our choices in politics, social awareness and some important subjects, but instead he's telling us not to believe in UFOs, Bigfoot, Lochness Monster, Bermuda Triangle, Area 51. Don't waste your time.
Tell me something i don't know.
Tell me something i don't know.
October 18, 2015
I am a scientist and skeptic. I did expect the book to be written at a slightly higher level than it is, so I was a bit underwhelmed. The author tries to hard to be uncontroversial and soft-peddling in his presentation. As a result, the whole book is repetitive and generally boring. Intellectual argument is exciting. It's sometimes even bombastic. That's what it is to think. Not some soothing mammby-pammby. I THINK he missed the point, as will many of the readers.
The entire contents could adequately have been summed up in a short essay rather than 200+ pages of repetitive mantra. The argument is at a high-school level at best.
The entire contents could adequately have been summed up in a short essay rather than 200+ pages of repetitive mantra. The argument is at a high-school level at best.
November 7, 2013
Think: Why You Should Question Everything by Guy P. Harrison
“Think" is a fantastic and inspirational book that will teach readers how to think like scientists. Question everything, embrace doubt is a recurring theme that accomplished author, historian, anthropologist Guy P. Harrison drives home with mastery and clarity. This is an entertaining and illuminating book that will empower you to avoid common pitfalls of bad thinking in a constructive way. This enlightening 300-page book includes the following five chapters: 1. Standing Tall on a Fantasy-prone Planet, 2. Pay a Visit to the Strange Thing That Lives Inside Your Head, 3. A Thinker’s Guide to Unusual Claims and Weird Beliefs, 4. The Proper Care and Feeding of a Thinking Machine, and 5. So Little to Lose and a Universe to Gain.
Positives:
1. Beautifully written and researched book. Harrison has a passion for his topic that is palpable and admirable. A master at conveying clear and inspirational thoughts grounded in good science and sound thinking.
2. Skepticism is a great topic. This book is enlightening and fun to read.
3. Harrison always delivers! Quality critical thinking goes in before his books come out. He has earned my trust as an author that will consistently deliver a book worthy of my time and interest.
4. Drives home the need for skepticism. “Skepticism is an important issue for everyone. It’s something we all need, regardless of intelligence, education, location, social status, or income.”
5. This is a thought-provoking book and a quote fest, “Skepticism is just about having a healthy dose of doubt and using reason to figure out what is probably real from what is probably not real. It means not believing you know something before you can prove it or at least make a very good case for it. Skepticism is nothing more than thinking and withholding belief until enough evidence has been presented.”
6. Harrison has a unique gift of giving intellectual beat downs in the nicest and most constructive ways. “Millions of people say that paranormal mind powers can move objects. Big deal; people can say anything. Let’s wait until someone gets around to proving it before we get excited. In the meantime, why not check out how nature moves entire continents? It’s called plate tectonics and scientists have plenty of evidence for it.”
7. In defense of good science. “Science is best thought of as a tool. And, like most tools, it can be used to do something constructive or to whack somebody over the head. Science is a great way of thinking and discovering that helps us figure out much about the world and the universe.”
8. Debunking common misconceptions. “Being smart, whatever that word means to you, doesn’t automatically make someone a good skeptic.”
9. Understanding the right approach to skepticism and it may involve just asking the right questions. “If believers refuse to think critically about their claims, then call them on it. Why are you reluctant to challenge a claim that you say is so important and obviously true? What are you afraid of?”
10. The value of being a good skeptic. “Weak skepticism is perhaps the greatest unrecognized global crisis of all. Every day, people waste time, throw away money, suffer, and even die because they failed to think like a scientist.”
11. A great discussion on brain science and how it relates to skepticism. “The good news for you is that just being aware of how your brain goes about its business greatly improves your chances of keeping both feet planted in reality.” A bonus quote, “We don’t really see what we look at. Instead our brain tells us what we see, and it doesn’t give us the complete and accurate picture.” Great stuff!
12. One of the great strengths of this wonderful book: reasons to be skeptical. Harrison goes through a long list of reasons to be skeptical in an accessible and intelligible manner.
13. Sound scientific principles. “The best we can do is accept conclusions that are backed up by the best evidence we have today and agree to change our minds if better evidence ever comes along that says something different tomorrow.”
14. Great examples of common biases/fallacies and how to recognize them. Base-rate fallacy. “We can readily find ourselves focusing on one tiny speck of information (a single story, for example) or on bad data that supports a claim while simultaneously ignoring more credible information or a larger body of data that goes against it.”
15. Provides MANY great examples of bad claims. “The basic claim of homeopathic medicine is that water can “remember” an active ingredient in the original brew and that—contrary to logic—the more you dilute the solution, the more potent it becomes for treating diseases. Most homeopathic remedies are diluted to such extremes that there is nothing left of the original active ingredient!” “Complementary or alternative medicine is really just unproven medicine.”
16. Find out Harrison’s favorite end-time scenario.
17. Addressing the so called Moon-hoax, “The late Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, summed it up nicely: “It would have been harder to fake it than to do it.”
18. Good overall health, including brain health. “There is just something about flipping back and forth between languages that keeps a brain sharp and healthy. It even seems to delay for years the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in elderly people.”
19. The hard cold facts, “humankind currently spends hundreds of billions of dollars per year on fortunetellers, medical quackery, and other nonsense.”
20. A sense of awe. “By the way, if your life ever seems too slow, just remember that the Earth is spinning at the equator at a rate of about a thousand miles per hour. We are also flying through space around the Sun at speeds of more than 65,000 miles per hour.”
21. Excellent notes, Bibliography and even a section called Resources to Keep Learning.
Negatives:
1. There is very little in this excellent book to complain about other than the feeling I get that Harrison wanted to go deeper into some of the topics and decided to go for quality and brevity over a more comprehensive approach.
2. On such an ambitious and broad topic like thinking and skepticism you can certainly question everything but it’s too hard to cover everything. That is, some topics were left out: 911 conspiracy, Holocaust deniers, etc… understandably so.
In summary, what a wonderful and inspirational book this turned out to be. Skepticism is a fantastic topic that has real value for the individual and society. Harrison succeeds in showing how to put good thinking into practice by applying it to a number of fascinating and popular paranormal claims. But what set this book apart from most is the youthful glee for knowledge and the quest for wisdom. “I love knowing that I’ll never run out of things to learn and experience.” My sentiments exactly! You owe it to yourself to be a good skeptic, get this book and learn how.
Further recommendations: “50 Popular Beliefs People Think Are True” and “50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God” by the same author, “Critical Thinking” by Wayne Bartz, “An Appetite for Wonder” and “The Magic of Reality” by Richard Dawkins, “Demon-Haunted World” by Carl Sagan, “This Explains Everything” edited by John Brockman, “Nonsense: A Handbook of Logical Fallacies” by Robert J. Gula “The Science of Miracles” by Joe Nickell, “Do You Believe in Magic” by Paul A. Offit, “Tales of the Rational” by Massimo Pigliucci, “Voodoo Science” by Robert Park, “Science Matters” by Robert M. Hazen “Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science” by Shawn Lawrence, “Lies, Damned Lies, and Science” by Sherry Seethaler, and “Science Under Siege” by Kendrick Frazier.
“Think" is a fantastic and inspirational book that will teach readers how to think like scientists. Question everything, embrace doubt is a recurring theme that accomplished author, historian, anthropologist Guy P. Harrison drives home with mastery and clarity. This is an entertaining and illuminating book that will empower you to avoid common pitfalls of bad thinking in a constructive way. This enlightening 300-page book includes the following five chapters: 1. Standing Tall on a Fantasy-prone Planet, 2. Pay a Visit to the Strange Thing That Lives Inside Your Head, 3. A Thinker’s Guide to Unusual Claims and Weird Beliefs, 4. The Proper Care and Feeding of a Thinking Machine, and 5. So Little to Lose and a Universe to Gain.
Positives:
1. Beautifully written and researched book. Harrison has a passion for his topic that is palpable and admirable. A master at conveying clear and inspirational thoughts grounded in good science and sound thinking.
2. Skepticism is a great topic. This book is enlightening and fun to read.
3. Harrison always delivers! Quality critical thinking goes in before his books come out. He has earned my trust as an author that will consistently deliver a book worthy of my time and interest.
4. Drives home the need for skepticism. “Skepticism is an important issue for everyone. It’s something we all need, regardless of intelligence, education, location, social status, or income.”
5. This is a thought-provoking book and a quote fest, “Skepticism is just about having a healthy dose of doubt and using reason to figure out what is probably real from what is probably not real. It means not believing you know something before you can prove it or at least make a very good case for it. Skepticism is nothing more than thinking and withholding belief until enough evidence has been presented.”
6. Harrison has a unique gift of giving intellectual beat downs in the nicest and most constructive ways. “Millions of people say that paranormal mind powers can move objects. Big deal; people can say anything. Let’s wait until someone gets around to proving it before we get excited. In the meantime, why not check out how nature moves entire continents? It’s called plate tectonics and scientists have plenty of evidence for it.”
7. In defense of good science. “Science is best thought of as a tool. And, like most tools, it can be used to do something constructive or to whack somebody over the head. Science is a great way of thinking and discovering that helps us figure out much about the world and the universe.”
8. Debunking common misconceptions. “Being smart, whatever that word means to you, doesn’t automatically make someone a good skeptic.”
9. Understanding the right approach to skepticism and it may involve just asking the right questions. “If believers refuse to think critically about their claims, then call them on it. Why are you reluctant to challenge a claim that you say is so important and obviously true? What are you afraid of?”
10. The value of being a good skeptic. “Weak skepticism is perhaps the greatest unrecognized global crisis of all. Every day, people waste time, throw away money, suffer, and even die because they failed to think like a scientist.”
11. A great discussion on brain science and how it relates to skepticism. “The good news for you is that just being aware of how your brain goes about its business greatly improves your chances of keeping both feet planted in reality.” A bonus quote, “We don’t really see what we look at. Instead our brain tells us what we see, and it doesn’t give us the complete and accurate picture.” Great stuff!
12. One of the great strengths of this wonderful book: reasons to be skeptical. Harrison goes through a long list of reasons to be skeptical in an accessible and intelligible manner.
13. Sound scientific principles. “The best we can do is accept conclusions that are backed up by the best evidence we have today and agree to change our minds if better evidence ever comes along that says something different tomorrow.”
14. Great examples of common biases/fallacies and how to recognize them. Base-rate fallacy. “We can readily find ourselves focusing on one tiny speck of information (a single story, for example) or on bad data that supports a claim while simultaneously ignoring more credible information or a larger body of data that goes against it.”
15. Provides MANY great examples of bad claims. “The basic claim of homeopathic medicine is that water can “remember” an active ingredient in the original brew and that—contrary to logic—the more you dilute the solution, the more potent it becomes for treating diseases. Most homeopathic remedies are diluted to such extremes that there is nothing left of the original active ingredient!” “Complementary or alternative medicine is really just unproven medicine.”
16. Find out Harrison’s favorite end-time scenario.
17. Addressing the so called Moon-hoax, “The late Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, summed it up nicely: “It would have been harder to fake it than to do it.”
18. Good overall health, including brain health. “There is just something about flipping back and forth between languages that keeps a brain sharp and healthy. It even seems to delay for years the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in elderly people.”
19. The hard cold facts, “humankind currently spends hundreds of billions of dollars per year on fortunetellers, medical quackery, and other nonsense.”
20. A sense of awe. “By the way, if your life ever seems too slow, just remember that the Earth is spinning at the equator at a rate of about a thousand miles per hour. We are also flying through space around the Sun at speeds of more than 65,000 miles per hour.”
21. Excellent notes, Bibliography and even a section called Resources to Keep Learning.
Negatives:
1. There is very little in this excellent book to complain about other than the feeling I get that Harrison wanted to go deeper into some of the topics and decided to go for quality and brevity over a more comprehensive approach.
2. On such an ambitious and broad topic like thinking and skepticism you can certainly question everything but it’s too hard to cover everything. That is, some topics were left out: 911 conspiracy, Holocaust deniers, etc… understandably so.
In summary, what a wonderful and inspirational book this turned out to be. Skepticism is a fantastic topic that has real value for the individual and society. Harrison succeeds in showing how to put good thinking into practice by applying it to a number of fascinating and popular paranormal claims. But what set this book apart from most is the youthful glee for knowledge and the quest for wisdom. “I love knowing that I’ll never run out of things to learn and experience.” My sentiments exactly! You owe it to yourself to be a good skeptic, get this book and learn how.
Further recommendations: “50 Popular Beliefs People Think Are True” and “50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God” by the same author, “Critical Thinking” by Wayne Bartz, “An Appetite for Wonder” and “The Magic of Reality” by Richard Dawkins, “Demon-Haunted World” by Carl Sagan, “This Explains Everything” edited by John Brockman, “Nonsense: A Handbook of Logical Fallacies” by Robert J. Gula “The Science of Miracles” by Joe Nickell, “Do You Believe in Magic” by Paul A. Offit, “Tales of the Rational” by Massimo Pigliucci, “Voodoo Science” by Robert Park, “Science Matters” by Robert M. Hazen “Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science” by Shawn Lawrence, “Lies, Damned Lies, and Science” by Sherry Seethaler, and “Science Under Siege” by Kendrick Frazier.
June 18, 2014
I was disappointed with this book. I was expecting a more advanced book. The information in the book is very basic. I learned this in a general science course in high school. Harrison claims that too many people accept information without examining it critically. He discusses alien abduction, miracles, Bigfoot, conspiracy theories, pseudoscience and fallacies and explains why we should ask questions and be skeptical. He does provide a few useful tools to analyze a claim but mostly he list things to be suspicious of. The book is short, entertaining easy read but provides no new information. The book primarily is about being a skeptic not about critical thinking. I read this book as an audio book downloaded from Audible. George Newbern did a good job narrating the book.
December 22, 2015
Not even worth a rating. This was the most pointless book I've ever skimmed. Yes, skimmed. Read the intro and skimmed the rest. How it landed on a Forbes "must read" list is beyond me. I should return it to the library and tell them to put in the farm animal section because it was clearly written for sheep. I'm concerned by the success of this book. - Baaaaaa
May 1, 2019
Honestly must read and well written.
January 5, 2022
The best part of this book is that it includes a section on Resources to Keep Learning. Which the author based his chapters on but weakly presents a summary of those findings. (Note: also reiterated with a bit more clarity at the end of each chapter, under the heading of "good thinking.")
The biggest draw back is the condescending and mocking attitude throughout the book. Which is usually an ineffective way to convince people to change the way they believe.
There are some good points but sadly all of them are crammed into each other like a collection of blog posts. I don't know if this is because of the typeface or the lack of space between changes of ideas, but reading this hurts my brain!
While I do believe in most of his arguments FOR skepticism, they are weakly presented here without support or evidence. (Which I thought was funny because he spends a bit of time discussing who has the burden of proof in regards to claims.) Several times he mentions what he says makes a "good" skeptic, but he fails to demonstrate how to be skeptical without poisoning the well.
For example;
"Those who try to convince you that skepticism is negative, pessimistic, or destructive are either profoundly clueless on the matter, or they are being deceptive because they hope to sell you something that you don't need. Skepticism is positive, optimistic, and constructive. It's the invaluable defensive weapon that you want and need every day of your life. The only people who should not be good skeptics are those who have a deep desire to be a victim, to be foolish, to waste time, and money, and perhaps to risk their life for nothing. Three things make it abundantly clear why it is wise to be a good skeptic..." chp 1 p.52
UUGGH! Everytime he makes a point to draw me in, he makes an equally profound one that pushes me away! I suppose his writing tone surprises me because he notes several worthwhile reads that clearly talk about how as human beings we can't help but believe the type of woo he passionately rails against. His presentation here leads me to believe that skepticism is a weapon of snide remarks loosely held together with science...
In short I don't think this is a good book to help you develop your critical thinking skills or help you be more skeptical about things in a healthy way. It will not help you identify when you are being manipulated by others.
The biggest draw back is the condescending and mocking attitude throughout the book. Which is usually an ineffective way to convince people to change the way they believe.
There are some good points but sadly all of them are crammed into each other like a collection of blog posts. I don't know if this is because of the typeface or the lack of space between changes of ideas, but reading this hurts my brain!
While I do believe in most of his arguments FOR skepticism, they are weakly presented here without support or evidence. (Which I thought was funny because he spends a bit of time discussing who has the burden of proof in regards to claims.) Several times he mentions what he says makes a "good" skeptic, but he fails to demonstrate how to be skeptical without poisoning the well.
For example;
"Those who try to convince you that skepticism is negative, pessimistic, or destructive are either profoundly clueless on the matter, or they are being deceptive because they hope to sell you something that you don't need. Skepticism is positive, optimistic, and constructive. It's the invaluable defensive weapon that you want and need every day of your life. The only people who should not be good skeptics are those who have a deep desire to be a victim, to be foolish, to waste time, and money, and perhaps to risk their life for nothing. Three things make it abundantly clear why it is wise to be a good skeptic..." chp 1 p.52
UUGGH! Everytime he makes a point to draw me in, he makes an equally profound one that pushes me away! I suppose his writing tone surprises me because he notes several worthwhile reads that clearly talk about how as human beings we can't help but believe the type of woo he passionately rails against. His presentation here leads me to believe that skepticism is a weapon of snide remarks loosely held together with science...
In short I don't think this is a good book to help you develop your critical thinking skills or help you be more skeptical about things in a healthy way. It will not help you identify when you are being manipulated by others.
May 14, 2018
The first page made me chuckle. I liked the attitude with which he approached skepticism, the bluntness of his dismissal of fantastical ideas. A little humor goes a long way, when it comes to holding attention.
But. I like my philosophy a little more seasoned, with stronger roots. This book would be an ideal addition to any child's library, or a must-read for any believer in conspiracies or the supernatural, but I personally shall be buying my tea elsewhere.
It's not that he's wrong on any point I could find, mind you. His sources, however, raise questions, to anyone already on the skeptic bandwagon. Americans watch nearly forty hours of television per week? The source cited says thirty-four. Skewing data does not help credibility, and cherry-picking sources is the simplest thing in the world. Tell me what you want to prove, and I can find data to support it. One newspaper report alone proves nothing.
Oh, I agree with everything he says... but a credible skeptic should also be able to explain why the other side was partly right. I don't want to hear about his workout schedule, or his family life. Egotism is not that enticing. Show me how you've considered different angles, maybe even cede a point or two, and then we can talk.
Simply reading this book took some perseverance, and though I applaud the author for his thoughts and attitude, I can't say I actually liked the product. Questioning is not enough... Feed your brain at every opportunity. Read about things you have no interest in. Be uncomfortable, if doing so expands the mind.
He lauds finding what works for you, what fits your comfort zone. Ok. Maybe. But learning isn't always comfortable, even when it's a habit. Reach for the stars, a wise man once said. There's always the moon to fall back on if you miss.
But. I like my philosophy a little more seasoned, with stronger roots. This book would be an ideal addition to any child's library, or a must-read for any believer in conspiracies or the supernatural, but I personally shall be buying my tea elsewhere.
It's not that he's wrong on any point I could find, mind you. His sources, however, raise questions, to anyone already on the skeptic bandwagon. Americans watch nearly forty hours of television per week? The source cited says thirty-four. Skewing data does not help credibility, and cherry-picking sources is the simplest thing in the world. Tell me what you want to prove, and I can find data to support it. One newspaper report alone proves nothing.
Oh, I agree with everything he says... but a credible skeptic should also be able to explain why the other side was partly right. I don't want to hear about his workout schedule, or his family life. Egotism is not that enticing. Show me how you've considered different angles, maybe even cede a point or two, and then we can talk.
Simply reading this book took some perseverance, and though I applaud the author for his thoughts and attitude, I can't say I actually liked the product. Questioning is not enough... Feed your brain at every opportunity. Read about things you have no interest in. Be uncomfortable, if doing so expands the mind.
He lauds finding what works for you, what fits your comfort zone. Ok. Maybe. But learning isn't always comfortable, even when it's a habit. Reach for the stars, a wise man once said. There's always the moon to fall back on if you miss.
December 16, 2016
I read a lot of books about critical thinking so I like to think I am able to rank this among books on critical thinking.
It ranks as an entry into critical thinking or sceptical thinking. It doesn't go deep or detailed. It lists the main reasons for sceptical thinking and lists some ways your brain deceive you.
It's like a "lite" version of Steven Novella's course "Your Deceptive Mind".
It would be better if it offered algorithms for people to use such as the following two-step question: 1. How do you know this? 2. Is that source reliable?
The author tries very hard to avoid offending religious people, conspiracy theorists etc. There's an emphasis on questioning the statement, not the person. This is nice, I like this.
I've often found the sceptical communities to degenerate into point-and-laugh-communities that shame people for believing illogical things. The author wants to avoid that, which is something I can only commend.
It ranks as an entry into critical thinking or sceptical thinking. It doesn't go deep or detailed. It lists the main reasons for sceptical thinking and lists some ways your brain deceive you.
It's like a "lite" version of Steven Novella's course "Your Deceptive Mind".
It would be better if it offered algorithms for people to use such as the following two-step question: 1. How do you know this? 2. Is that source reliable?
The author tries very hard to avoid offending religious people, conspiracy theorists etc. There's an emphasis on questioning the statement, not the person. This is nice, I like this.
I've often found the sceptical communities to degenerate into point-and-laugh-communities that shame people for believing illogical things. The author wants to avoid that, which is something I can only commend.
March 16, 2019
If I should describe this book with one word, I would call it oversimplified.
We are not thinking beings with emotions, we are complex emotional beings that can think - and in this book, Guy P. Harrison doesn't really seem to understand how important that is.
This book would have been better, if there had been at least one longer chapter about how we as human beings, consciously and unconsciously, are being controlled by our emotions - fear, shame, anxiety, desire, lust... and about how our childhoods, indoctrination and trauma also plays into this (eg. see http://journeyfree.org/articles/ & Jamie Lee Finch: You Are Your Own).
That is probably my biggest issue with this book - a big important piece of the puzzle is missing. It isn't always as easy or simple, as he seems to think.
We are not thinking beings with emotions, we are complex emotional beings that can think - and in this book, Guy P. Harrison doesn't really seem to understand how important that is.
This book would have been better, if there had been at least one longer chapter about how we as human beings, consciously and unconsciously, are being controlled by our emotions - fear, shame, anxiety, desire, lust... and about how our childhoods, indoctrination and trauma also plays into this (eg. see http://journeyfree.org/articles/ & Jamie Lee Finch: You Are Your Own).
That is probably my biggest issue with this book - a big important piece of the puzzle is missing. It isn't always as easy or simple, as he seems to think.
February 19, 2014
Two of my favorite books of all time are James Allen's "As a Man Thinketh" and John Maxwell's "Thinking for a Change." So, I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations. And, it wasn't about critical thinking. It was about being skeptical. And, I didn't care for his oversimplification, stating that a lack of skepticism is at the core of all the worlds problems. I thought he said the same thing over and over and over. This is in no way enough material to be a book. This is a short paper/article at best. The first 85 pages were readable, but the rest of the book was not worth reading in my opinion.
My other complaint about this book was the layout. It felt very much like a cheap, self-published book. And, the cheesy illustrations didn't help. When I read books like this I wonder to myself where the editor was???
My other complaint about this book was the layout. It felt very much like a cheap, self-published book. And, the cheesy illustrations didn't help. When I read books like this I wonder to myself where the editor was???
November 30, 2018
This book might not be the best of its kind (skepticism), but it provides a fairly useful tool to question everything around us. There are parts that some may find boring because the author disproved hypotheses that most of us find false already like Bermuda triangle and other superstitions.
However, I learned one new and surprising information from this book. After knowing he had cancer, Steve Jobs started taking alternative medicines instead of having modern medical treatment like his doctors suggested. We all can agree that Jobs was pretty smart, but being smart without some skepticism is quite dangerous.
However, I learned one new and surprising information from this book. After knowing he had cancer, Steve Jobs started taking alternative medicines instead of having modern medical treatment like his doctors suggested. We all can agree that Jobs was pretty smart, but being smart without some skepticism is quite dangerous.
December 29, 2015
I don't identify as a skeptic, as many of my friends do, but I apparently have some skeptical tendencies. I thought I was just using critical thinking skills. I think I put this on my list because I thought it would help me teach critical thinking to my students. It will not. This was simplistic and padded with filler. The author tells us to look for evidence but fails to provide guidance on how to distinguish good evidence from bad. I only finished it because it was short.
October 7, 2017
Other subtitles for this book could have been, "Critical Thinking 101" or "A Skeptic's Guide to the Universe." This is one of the best books on critical thinking I've read, and I've read a lot. Right up there with Sagan's "The Demon-Haunted World". In this day of "alternative facts" and fake news, books like this or more important than ever. This book should be a part of all high school curriculum. Seriously.
November 30, 2014
Think: Why You Should Question Everything is a basic primer on critical thinking. If you're a fan of the Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcast (or similar) then there's very little you'll get out of the book.
The subject matter and content is fine, but Harrison's handling of the text is about as lively as a dead fish.
The subject matter and content is fine, but Harrison's handling of the text is about as lively as a dead fish.
March 13, 2015
A good motivational primer, which warns about the dangers non-critical thinking. The 2nd chapter is probably the strongest, with explanations of how our own perceptions can work against us. The 3rd chapter, covering a number of specific irrational beliefs, is a little uneven but does a good job of refuting dubious claims.
August 22, 2016
(really a 3.5/5 rating) I love the premise of this book. Of course you should question everything. And I certainly can't argue with the approach the author champions, which is to think like a scientist and look for proof. A very readable book, with an interesting discussion of the fallibility of the human mind, especially as it relates to memory and interpreting our experiences.
August 10, 2014
Not quite what I was expecting - Think is more of a recruitment to be skeptical, to rely on scientific explanations, than anything else. The same ideas are harped on incessantly throughout the book - the author just used different words. Disappointing.
October 11, 2015
Decent work on critical thinking, however, the author makes several fallacious arguments and axiomatic claims.
Was looking for something that presented a more mechanistic examination of syllogisms and fallacies and found loose application and an ideological bent.
Was looking for something that presented a more mechanistic examination of syllogisms and fallacies and found loose application and an ideological bent.
November 3, 2018
A good book, just consider it more of an introduction to critical thinking. I liked the way he approached some classic myths and urban legends.
December 16, 2017
I had never read a book which appeared to be a record of all the ideas a person stored in one’s head at a time before I found the one written by Guy P. Harrison. This book is not simply a diary of all the thoughts the author has on his mind. It is a kind of a session of a self-directed speech in front of the mirror which gives enormous sense of confidence and self-satisfaction to the orator since there is no one around who has the slightest chance to express another opinion on the topic.
Actually, the book covers several interesting ideas. Precisely speaking, I have only two things worth my attention. The first one is the facts about the nature of humans’ brain, whereas another one is the harm of homeopathy. In point of fact, this second issue wasn’t new for me, I was just pleased to find one more person who agrees with it. Except for these two things, I have found absolutely nothing informative in the entire book.
First of all, the author repeats the same things all the time. I appreciate the fact he is anxious about the harm which can be made to people by some misbelieves. Yet, constant repetition of the same ideas doesn’t help the author to create the right impression. He seems to be either too dominant and emotional or incompetent forgetting about the things he has already described at least thrice during the previous parts of the book or simply because he doesn’t have anything new to tell us.
Another weirdness about this book is the fact that Guy P. Harrison isn’t a sceptic at all despite all his statements. It becomes really obvious when it comes to the part about the Americans’ landing on the Moon. The author himself tells us how it was difficult not to believe the members of the crew working on these projects because so many of them simply couldn’t lie. Well, why not to believe the witnesses of public exorcisms or ghosts’ apparitions? I suppose there are even more such witnesses than the scientists who claim to launch a spaceship and help people to land on the Moon. Guy P. Harrison tells us that we shouldn’t believe even ourselves, than why should I believe a group of scientists and politicians? I don’t aim to tell there is no way those people were really on the Moon, I just think that being a sceptic means one can’t lough at the believes in conspiracy. Your neighbor might believe in having seen a UFO. As a sceptic you are sure this just a delusion. Then, when politics, scientists and other authorities try to make you believe something, you feel it is stupid to find it a conspiracy?
Finally, I am afraid the author allows himself to judge people on their interests too much. Guy P. Harrison mentions the idea of spending one’s time on more useful things than believing in weird things several times in his book. Certainly, I myself think that in some cases it is a good recommendation, for instance, instead of being a homoeopathist one can carry out a real scientific research for real medicines or, instead of praying all days long for the health of deprived people, one can become a volunteer helping them in a real way. Still, being crazy about the topic of paranormal activities or inter-terrestrial life is a part of private lives of anyone. One can be interested in reading criminals, watching talk shows, playing guitar or even jogging which also won’t help other people in any way.
Well, fortunately I have already finished this book.
Actually, the book covers several interesting ideas. Precisely speaking, I have only two things worth my attention. The first one is the facts about the nature of humans’ brain, whereas another one is the harm of homeopathy. In point of fact, this second issue wasn’t new for me, I was just pleased to find one more person who agrees with it. Except for these two things, I have found absolutely nothing informative in the entire book.
First of all, the author repeats the same things all the time. I appreciate the fact he is anxious about the harm which can be made to people by some misbelieves. Yet, constant repetition of the same ideas doesn’t help the author to create the right impression. He seems to be either too dominant and emotional or incompetent forgetting about the things he has already described at least thrice during the previous parts of the book or simply because he doesn’t have anything new to tell us.
Another weirdness about this book is the fact that Guy P. Harrison isn’t a sceptic at all despite all his statements. It becomes really obvious when it comes to the part about the Americans’ landing on the Moon. The author himself tells us how it was difficult not to believe the members of the crew working on these projects because so many of them simply couldn’t lie. Well, why not to believe the witnesses of public exorcisms or ghosts’ apparitions? I suppose there are even more such witnesses than the scientists who claim to launch a spaceship and help people to land on the Moon. Guy P. Harrison tells us that we shouldn’t believe even ourselves, than why should I believe a group of scientists and politicians? I don’t aim to tell there is no way those people were really on the Moon, I just think that being a sceptic means one can’t lough at the believes in conspiracy. Your neighbor might believe in having seen a UFO. As a sceptic you are sure this just a delusion. Then, when politics, scientists and other authorities try to make you believe something, you feel it is stupid to find it a conspiracy?
Finally, I am afraid the author allows himself to judge people on their interests too much. Guy P. Harrison mentions the idea of spending one’s time on more useful things than believing in weird things several times in his book. Certainly, I myself think that in some cases it is a good recommendation, for instance, instead of being a homoeopathist one can carry out a real scientific research for real medicines or, instead of praying all days long for the health of deprived people, one can become a volunteer helping them in a real way. Still, being crazy about the topic of paranormal activities or inter-terrestrial life is a part of private lives of anyone. One can be interested in reading criminals, watching talk shows, playing guitar or even jogging which also won’t help other people in any way.
Well, fortunately I have already finished this book.
August 15, 2019
While I respect the author's enthusiasm for encouraging skeptical and critical thinking, and he wrote in an entertaining style, he truly missed some important points. He doesn't actually describe the scientific method--the development and testing of a hypothesis. He doesn't cover basic statistical methods of validating and measuring data. He doesn't discuss populations, sampling methods, etc. He devotes many pages to telling why we should be skeptics, and why we should use critical thinking, and ask good questions--but a basic understanding of data collection, sampling, and statistics is never discussed. He just totally avoids these necessary subjects.
For example, the mega vitamin craze started with Nobel Prize Winner Linus Pauling, and his assertion that megadoses of Vitamin C cures colds. Why not cover this almost hoax, and the mess it began? The results of Pauling's research, back in the 70s, I think, has never been duplicated. In fact, his co-researchers, after his death, admitted that there were problems with the research methods and data. It's a pile of baloney.
He never discusses how the food supplement industry is virtually unregulated, due to the virtual bribing of elected and administration officials in the US government. Or how so many other quack remedies fall into the same category.
He also seems to think individuals come to believe crazy ideas as individuals--as if humans aren't under enormous peer pressure to go along with others. For example, I have many acquaintances who are perfectly intelligent and well educated. They eat gluten free, avoid dairy, and drink apple cider vinegar mostly because all their friends do, too. And the other thing the author seems to forget--rarely can you actually question anyone about the goofiness of these ideas, without them getting damned upset. As well as everyone around them. It's as much about fitting into a group, than it is about actual belief. I can't be friends with anyone like this, and I had to quit my UU church because of all the nice people there who do live these weird lifestyles. I could barely have a conversation with anyone there, without ending up in a discussion about some pseudoscience belief.
The author does his best to make this a light and entertaining book about a truly disturbing trend in our society. Maybe too light.
For example, the mega vitamin craze started with Nobel Prize Winner Linus Pauling, and his assertion that megadoses of Vitamin C cures colds. Why not cover this almost hoax, and the mess it began? The results of Pauling's research, back in the 70s, I think, has never been duplicated. In fact, his co-researchers, after his death, admitted that there were problems with the research methods and data. It's a pile of baloney.
He never discusses how the food supplement industry is virtually unregulated, due to the virtual bribing of elected and administration officials in the US government. Or how so many other quack remedies fall into the same category.
He also seems to think individuals come to believe crazy ideas as individuals--as if humans aren't under enormous peer pressure to go along with others. For example, I have many acquaintances who are perfectly intelligent and well educated. They eat gluten free, avoid dairy, and drink apple cider vinegar mostly because all their friends do, too. And the other thing the author seems to forget--rarely can you actually question anyone about the goofiness of these ideas, without them getting damned upset. As well as everyone around them. It's as much about fitting into a group, than it is about actual belief. I can't be friends with anyone like this, and I had to quit my UU church because of all the nice people there who do live these weird lifestyles. I could barely have a conversation with anyone there, without ending up in a discussion about some pseudoscience belief.
The author does his best to make this a light and entertaining book about a truly disturbing trend in our society. Maybe too light.
April 5, 2020
“Skepticism (is) something we all need, regardless of intelligence, education, location, social status, (or) income”
Guy P Harrison’s Think was not what I was expecting when I picked it up. So many books on thinking make you want to give up, well, thinking. They can laborious, be very academic and even though they can be extremely informative and useful, they are never described as… fun. This book is a little different and a little more fun.
“The mere fact that you have a human brain makes you extremely vulnerable to believing things that are not true”
Think is a book mostly about skepticism, what it means to be a skeptic, how to think like a skeptic and how to not act like a dick while doing it. It develops along with the idea that skeptics are scientific thinkers by nature. That responsible thinking is asking questions, making observations, its doing research, experimenting and sharing your conclusions with others. It is about thinking critically and about being a critic.
Harrison also gives a cursory introduction to the cognitive bias’ and fallacy we are all prone to and makes the pitch for belief “only in evidence” as critical thinking is a faith free zone.
Where this book really shines is in its exploration of why people believe in weird shit. He touches on UFO’s, and why believing in aliens makes little sense but thinking about them does, and explaining people’s need to believe in alternative medicines, psychics, conspiracy theories, cryptozoology, ghosts and all other kinds of hocus pocus and woo woo.
“If you...think that you are immune, it only makes you more vulnerable to nonsense and delusion”
Think - Why You Should Question Everything, is not a book for the ‘intellegencia’ crowd. This is a book for someone who wants to understand why their neighbor wears tinfoil hats, why their boss can’t see that they make stupid decisions all the damn time and how you might be able to get your son/daughter to change their mind about absurd conspiracies without coming off like an ass. You might even get a laugh in.
Overall score: 3.3 / 5
In a sentence: an easy read about thinking, that inspired me to get dick, ass, and shit into a review.
Guy P Harrison’s Think was not what I was expecting when I picked it up. So many books on thinking make you want to give up, well, thinking. They can laborious, be very academic and even though they can be extremely informative and useful, they are never described as… fun. This book is a little different and a little more fun.
“The mere fact that you have a human brain makes you extremely vulnerable to believing things that are not true”
Think is a book mostly about skepticism, what it means to be a skeptic, how to think like a skeptic and how to not act like a dick while doing it. It develops along with the idea that skeptics are scientific thinkers by nature. That responsible thinking is asking questions, making observations, its doing research, experimenting and sharing your conclusions with others. It is about thinking critically and about being a critic.
Harrison also gives a cursory introduction to the cognitive bias’ and fallacy we are all prone to and makes the pitch for belief “only in evidence” as critical thinking is a faith free zone.
Where this book really shines is in its exploration of why people believe in weird shit. He touches on UFO’s, and why believing in aliens makes little sense but thinking about them does, and explaining people’s need to believe in alternative medicines, psychics, conspiracy theories, cryptozoology, ghosts and all other kinds of hocus pocus and woo woo.
“If you...think that you are immune, it only makes you more vulnerable to nonsense and delusion”
Think - Why You Should Question Everything, is not a book for the ‘intellegencia’ crowd. This is a book for someone who wants to understand why their neighbor wears tinfoil hats, why their boss can’t see that they make stupid decisions all the damn time and how you might be able to get your son/daughter to change their mind about absurd conspiracies without coming off like an ass. You might even get a laugh in.
Overall score: 3.3 / 5
In a sentence: an easy read about thinking, that inspired me to get dick, ass, and shit into a review.
December 3, 2017
The author has some good points about critical thinking and being a skeptic in the first third of the book. He seems to think that critical thinking and skepticism are one and the same, which is not quite true. The second third of the book is devoted to debunking or attempting to debunk a lot of the false beliefs people may have, and he admits that in some cases the "many" is a considerable majority. Along with pointing out in most cases that astrology, ghosts, UFO and alternative medicine (which he much too narrowly defines) have not been proven scientifically, he also includes entreaties that you should not believe in those things, you should use your brain to better effect. The last third of the book becomes a sermon for why we don't need to believe anything that has not been proven. He makes an assumption that people believe in ghosts and aliens and such because there is not enough in the world as it is for them to believe in and then goes off on long expositions on the wonders of microbes, Man of War, and the universe. He does have a decent section on the care and feeding of the brain which is primarily common sense: eat well, exercise, get enough sleep, etc. However, once he leaves the domain of why people don't think well and make good decisions - the domain of Dan Kanheman, Amos Tversky, Dan Ariely and others - the book sounds like a parent extolling a child to get better grades and think clearly. The simple reason so many people believe in things that have not been proven and do not apply critical thinking is that it is easier to do so; it takes less energy; it is less risky; and in some cases much more fun. Those who would choose the book to read have already determined to think (thus they choose a book called Think) so the book preaches to the choir. Those who are going to just go along will never read the book and if they do; they won't believe it anyway. Confirmation bias is difficult to overcome.
May 20, 2019
"we can't always be sure about what we think we see. Yes, that might be an angel that you see up ahead. Or your brain could be showing you an angel that it has mistakenly constructed out of a bush"
Gee whiz! Thanks for that.
This is the nonsense that masquerades as science writing these days!
I get the feeling the author is a pretty decent science writer/speaker. He mentions lots of interviews he has conducted with famous scientists, and I'm sure there are some good stories that come from that. But none are in this book. It seems like he's written a decent book or two, and has been forwarded a fee from his publisher to write another. So he just cobbled together some adolescent comments and observations, and managed to submit it by the publisher's deadline.
"I often wonder how much thought believers give to what reality offers them. Why worry about invisible mystical forces that science can't detect, measure, or confirm when there are real things like nebulae and black hoes out there"
Well, if you are 14 years old and trying to work out your position in the world, this might be fun. It's written in the kind of zippy prose that middle aged writers think that adolescents want (they don't). But if you are fully grown, choose another of Harrison's books to try.
Gee whiz! Thanks for that.
This is the nonsense that masquerades as science writing these days!
I get the feeling the author is a pretty decent science writer/speaker. He mentions lots of interviews he has conducted with famous scientists, and I'm sure there are some good stories that come from that. But none are in this book. It seems like he's written a decent book or two, and has been forwarded a fee from his publisher to write another. So he just cobbled together some adolescent comments and observations, and managed to submit it by the publisher's deadline.
"I often wonder how much thought believers give to what reality offers them. Why worry about invisible mystical forces that science can't detect, measure, or confirm when there are real things like nebulae and black hoes out there"
Well, if you are 14 years old and trying to work out your position in the world, this might be fun. It's written in the kind of zippy prose that middle aged writers think that adolescents want (they don't). But if you are fully grown, choose another of Harrison's books to try.
June 4, 2017
I just listened to this audio book and I really liked what I heard...It made so much sense--it is amazing the things we do unconsciously--until some one makes aware of it. His explanations and analogies sure help make us understand the concepts better....I will be way more skeptic now, for sure--the way he puts it--it make us understand everything better and you learn to not ever guess anything--just find out, for sure. An excellent read for everyone.
August 30, 2017
The book's theme is quite good and really actual, but the writer didn't deepend enough the topic. It seems like it was written for young adults or for children. The tone especially at the beginning seems to be lecturing and a little bit strained. He sais: He didn't judge and despice people, just their beliefes. If it is so, why isn't he guiding people in their thinking instead of preaching. I learned werry little from this book.
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