This is a unique encyclopedia that includes: A-Z Investigations: Short and to the point discussions of such phenomena as acupuncture, alien abductions, astrology, facilitated communication, Feng Shui, hypnosis, magnetic therapy, polygraph and lie detection, prayer and healing, recovered memories, reincarnation, spiritualism, subliminal perception, Tut's curse, UFOs and dozens more. Case Studies: In-depth analyzes of very specific case studies made as part of a larger phenomenon under investigation, such as acupuncture, alternative medicine, Atlantis, chiropractic, hoeopathy, immortality, police psychics, pyramids, Satanic Ritual Abuse, science and religion, witchcraft, and many more. For and Against: The encyclopedia includes a unique "Pro and Con" debate section between experts, allowing readers to judge for themselves by hearing both sides of an issue. Topics examined as good science versus pseudoscience include: evolutionary psychology, memes, Race and Sports, Race and I.Q. and other great debates Historical Documents: the encyclopedia includes classic works from science history including the "Report of the Commissioners...to Examine Animal Magnetism, Printed on the King's Order" by Benjamin Franklin and Antonie Lavoisier; William Jennings Bryan's last speech on evolution and creationism; David Hume's "Of Miracles," and the famous Condon report on the Scientific Study of UFOs.
The encyclopedia features a prologue and epilogue by the editor, Michael Shermer, on the nature of an difference between science and pseudoscience and sense and nonsense.
Contents of Volume One:
Section 1 - Important Pseudoscientific Concepts
Alien Abductions by Lance Rivers, p.3
Alternative Achaeology by Garret G. Fagan, p.9
Ancient Astronauts by Kenneth L. Feder, p.17
Animal Mutilations by Andrew O. Lutes, p.23
Anomalous Psychological Experiences by Chris Duva, p.25
Anthroposophy and Anthroposophical Medicine by Dan Dugan, p.31
Astrology by Geoffrey Dean, Ivan W. Kelly, Arthur Mather, and Rudolf Smit, p.35
Attachment Therapy by Jean Mercer, p.43
Ball Lightning by Stewart Campbell, p.48 Bermuda Triangle by Maarten Brys, p.52
Biorhythms by Diego Golombeck, p. 54
Castaneda, Carlos by Phil Mole, p.57
Clever Hans by Thomas F. Sawyer, p.60
Cold Reading by Bob Steiner, p.63
Crop Circles by Jorge Soto, p.67
Cryptozoology by Ben S. Roesch and John L. Moore, p.71
Cults by Steve Novella and Perry DeAngelis, p.79
Dietary Supplements by Ricki Lewis, p.85
Dowsing by Steve Novella and Perry DeAngelis, p.93
Earthquake Prediction by Russell Robinson, p.95
Electromagnetic Fields and Cell Phones by Steven Korenstein, p.98
Fairies, Elves, Pixies, and Gnomes by David J. W. Lauridsen Jr., p.101
Faster-Than-Light-Travel by Roahn H. Wynar, p.104
Feng Shui by Jon Puro, p. 108
Geller, Uri by Simon Jones, p. 113
Handwriting Analysis and Graphology by John Berger, p.116
Hypnosis by Robert A. Ford, p.121
Ideomotor Effect (the "Ouija Board"Effect) by Michael Heap, p.127
Laundry Balls by Roahn H. Wynar, p.130
Magnetic Therapy by Satyam Jain and Daniel R. Wilson, p.132
The Mars Face: Extraterrestrial Achaeology by Kenneth L. Feder, p.136
Meditation by Juan Carlos Marvizon, p.141
Multiple Personality Disorder by Scott O. Lilienfeld and Steven Jay Lynn, p.146
Near-Death Experiences by Susan J. Blackmore, p.152
Observer Effects and Observer Bias by Douglas G. Mook, p.158
Out-of-Body Experiences by Susan J. Blackmore, p.164
Phrenology by John van Wyhe, p.170
Piltdown Man (Hoax): Famous Fossil Forgery by Richard Milner, p.173
Placebo Effect by Geoffrey Dean and Ivan W. Kelly, p.178
Planetary Alignments by John Mosley, p.181
Polygraph and Lie Detection by Marc E. Pratarelli, p.186
Prayer and Healing by Kevin Courcey, p.190
Pseudoscience and Science: A Primer in Critical Thinking by D. Alan Bensley, p.195
Reincarnation by Phil Molé, p.204
Séance by Drew Chrsitie, p.209
Shamans and Shamanism by All Caroll, p.211
The Shroud of Turin by Chris Cunningham, p.213
Societies for Psychical Research by Drew Christie, p.217
Spiritualism by Brad Clark, p.220
Stock Market Pseudoscience by Jon Blumenfeld, p.227
Subliminal Perception and Advertising by Rebecca Rush, p.232
Sun Sign Astrology by Geoffrey Dean, Ivan W. Kelly, Arthur Mather, and Rudolf Smit, p.235
Synchronicity by Christohper Bonds, p.240
Therapeutic Touch by Larry Sarner, p.243
Tunguska by Alan Harris, p.253
Tutankhamun's Curse by Rebecca Bradley, p.258
UFOs by Barry Markovsky, p.260
Undeceiving Ourselves by Geoffrey Dean, Ivan W. Kelly, and Arthur Mather, p.278
Witchcraft and Magic by Julianna Yau, p.278
Section 2: Investigations from Skeptic Magazine
Acupuncture by Dr. George A. Ulett, p.283
Alternative Medicien v. Scientific Medicine by Dr. Harry K. Ziel, p.292 Atlantis: The Search for the Lost Continent by Pat Linse, p.297
Chiropractic: Conventional or Alternative Healing? by Dr. Samuel Homola, p.308
Christian Science as Pseudoscience by Robert Miller, p.316
EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing by Gerald M. Rosen, Richard J. McNally, and Scott O. Lilienfeld, p.321
Do Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence?: A Reappraisal of a Classic Skeptics' Axiom by Theodore Schick Jr., p.327
Facilitated Communication by Gina Green, p.334
Homeopathy by William Jarvis and the National Council Against Health Fraud, p.347
Immortality: The Search for Everlasting Life by Steven B. Harris, p.357
The Liquefying "Blood" of St. Januarius by James Randi, p.371
Psychoanalysis as Pseudoscience by Kevin MacDonald, p.373
Psychotherapy as Pseudoscience by Tana Dineen, p.384
Pyramids: The Mystery of Their Origins by Pat Linse, p.397
Satanic Ritual Abuse by Jeffrey Victor, p.413
Science and God by Bernard Leikind, p.423
Science and Its Myths by William F. McComas, p.430
Science and Religion by Massimo Pigliucci, p.443
Skepticism and Credulity: Finding the Balance between Type I and Type II Errors by Bill Wisdom, p.455
Thought Field Therapy by David X. Swenson, p.463
Velikovsky: Cultures in Collision on the Fringes of Science by David Morrison, p.473
Witchcraft and the Origins of Science by Dr. Richard Olson, p.489
Witches and Witchcraft by Clayton Drees, p.499
Contents of Volume two
Section 3 - Case Studies in Pseudoscience from Skeptic Magazine
The Alien Archetype: The Origin of the "Grays" by John Adams, p.513
Anastasis: A Case Study in the Myth of the Miracoulous Survival by Tim Callahan, p.520
Ancient Astronauts: Zecharia Sitchin as a Case Study by Eric Wojciehoski, p.530
Holistic Medicine: The Case of Caroline Myss by Phil Molé, p.537
Police Psychics: Noreen Renier as a Case Study by Gary P. Posner, p.547
Pseudoarchaeology: Native American Myths as a Test Case by Kenneth L. Feder, p.556
Pseudoarchaeology: Precolumbian Discoverers of America as a Test Case by Ronald Fritze, p.567
Pseudoscience and the Paranormal by James Randi, p.580
Psi and Psi-Missing by Todd C. Riniolo and Louis A. Schmidt, p.592
Recovered Memory Therapy and False Memory Syndrome: A Fathers's Perspective as a Test Case by Mark Pendergrast, p.597
Recovered Memory Therapy and False Memory Syndrome: A Patient's Perspective as a Test Case by Laura Pasley, p.606
Recovered memory Therapy and False Memory Syndrome: A Psychiatrist's perspective as a Test Case by John Hochman, p.614
Section 4 - Science and Pseudoscience - For and Against
Evolutionary Psychology as Good Science by Frank Miele, p.623
Evolutionary Psychology as Pseudoscience, Henry schlinger Jr., p.636
Memes as Good Science by Susan J. Blackmore, p.652
Memes as Pseudoscience by James W. Polichak, p.664
Race and I.Q. as Good Science by Vince Sarich, p.678
Race and I.Q. as Pseudoscience by Diane Halpern, p.694
Race and Sports as Good Science by Jon Entine, p.705
Race and Sports as Pseudoscience by Michael Shermer, p. 714
Science Is at an End by John Horgan, p.724
Science Is Just Beginning by John Casti, p.739
The Science Wars: Deconstructing Science Is Good Science by Dr. Richard Olson, p.743
The Science Wars: Deconstructing Science Is Pseudoscience by Norm Levitt, p.750
Section 5 - Historical Documents
Creationism: "Mr. Bryan's Address to the Jury in the Scopes' Case. The Speech Which was enver Delivered" by William Jennings Bryan, p.796
David Hume's "Of Miracles": From An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, 1758, p.785
Mesmerism: "Report of the commissioners Charged by the King to Examine Animal Magnetism, Printed on the King's Order Number 4 in Paris from the Royal Printing House" by Benjamin Franklin and Antoine Lavoisier, p.797
What Ever Happened to N-Rays? By Robert Wood's 1904 N-Ray letter in Nature, p.822
Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects by Edward Condon, p.826
Epilogue: Let Us Reflect by Michael Shermer, p.861
List of Contributors, p.867
Index, p.879
About the Editors, p.903
Dr. Michael Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, the director of the Skeptics
Society, contributing editor and monthly columnist for Scientific American, and the host of the Skeptics Lecture Series at Caltech. According to Stephen Jay Gould: "Michael Shermer, as haed of one of America's leading skeptic organizations, and as a powerful activist and essayist in the service of this operational from of reason, is an important figure in American public life."
Dr. Shermer received his B.A. in psychology from Pepperdine University, M.A. in experimental psychology from California state University-Fullerton, and his Ph.D. in the history of science from Claremont Graduate University. Since his creation of the Skeptics Society, Skeptic magazine, and the Skeptics Lecture Series at Caltech, he has appeared on such shows as 20/20, Dateline,
Charlie Rose, Tom Snyder, Donahue, Oprah, sally, Lezzua, Unsolved Mystery, and other shows as a skeptic of weird and extraordinray claims, as well as on dcumentaries aired on A&E, Discovery, and the Learning Channel.
Pat Linse is an award winning illustrator specializing in film industry art. Long active in the skeptical Movement, she is one of the founders of the Skeptics society, Skeptic magazine, and Jr. Skeptic magazine, of which she is publisher and editor-in-chief. As Skeptic's art director, she has created most of the illustrations for both Skeptic and Jr. Skeptic. She is coauthor of
the first Baloney Detection Kit and is presently working on a Baloney detection Kit series of books for teaching children science and critical thinking.
