Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time

Michael Shermer

Henry Holt and Company, Sep 1, 2002 - Science - 384 pages

Revised and Expanded Edition.

In this age of supposed scientific enlightenment, many people still believe in mind reading, past-life regression theory, New Age hokum, and alien abduction. A no-holds-barred assault on popular superstitions and prejudices, with more than 80,000 copies in print, Why People Believe Weird Things debunks these nonsensical claims and explores the very human reasons people find otherworldly phenomena, conspiracy theories, and cults so appealing. In an entirely new chapter, "Why Smart People Believe in Weird Things," Michael Shermer takes on science luminaries like physicist Frank Tippler and others, who hide their spiritual beliefs behind the trappings of science.

Shermer, science historian and true crusader, also reveals the more dangerous side of such illogical thinking, including Holocaust denial, the recovered-memory movement, the satanic ritual abuse scare, and other modern crazes. Why People Believe Strange Things is an eye-opening resource for the most gullible among us and those who want to protect them.

What people are saying

Review: Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time

User Review  - Ryan - Goodreads

A fun--though occasionally disturbing--read. The sections where Shermer goes into specific "weird" beliefs are especially entertaining. His main examples are pseudoscience, creationism, and holocaust ...

Review: Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time

User Review  - Bracken - Goodreads

Although the book is somewhat out of date (published in 1997), Shermer logically debunks several beliefs that are popular in current western culture. It was quite interesting to read. My only ...

About the author

Michael Shermer is the author of The Believing Brain, Why People Believe Weird Things, The Science of Good and Evil, The Mind Of The Market, Why Darwin Matters, Science Friction, How We Believe and other books on the evolution of human beliefs and behavior. He is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, the editor of Skeptic.com, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and an adjunct professor at Claremont Graduate University. He lives in Southern California.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time
• Author: Michael Shermer
• Contributor: Stephen Jay Gould
• Edition: revised
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 2002
• ISBN: 0805070893, 9780805070897
• Length: 384 pages
• Subjects: Body, Mind & Spirit / Unexplained Phenomena; Science / Philosophy & Social Aspects