SI DIGEST REVIEW OF BOOKS
SkeptInq@aol.com
Fri, 4 Dec 1998 12:54:12 EST
SI DIGEST REVIEW OF BOOKS
December 4, 1998
SI Digest Review of Books is a periodic summary of book titles in popular
science, science&the paranormal, psychology, the social sciences and other
related fields.
SI Digest Review of Books has over 2500 readers worldwide, and is distributed
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Review is compiled by Matt Nisbet and Barry Karr.
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In this week's edition of the SI Digest Review of Books:
--Encounters with the Paranormal, edited by Kendrick Frazier
--The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal, edited by Gordon Stein
--Studies Show, John H. Fennick
--The Science Gap, Milton Rothman
--Child Sex Abuse and False Memory Syndrome, edited by Robert Baker
--SCIENCE AND THE PARANORMAL--
ENCOUNTERS WITH THE PARANORMAL
Science, Knowledge, and Belief ....
Edited by Kendrick Frazier
<A HREF="http://www.prometheusbooks.com">http://www.prometheusbooks.com</A>
1800-421-0351
....Do polygraph tests really detect lies? Can memories be implanted? Is
subliminal perception a reality? What is the relationship between science and
belief? Experts in the fields of physical/biological science, psychology,
philosophy, social science, and forensic science bring their perspectives to
controversies that affect the way we think and how we perceive reality and the
natural world. From science's influence on beauty to antiscience in our
universities and from UFO mythologies to near-death experiences, this volume
spans the gamut of pseudoscience today. Contributors include James Alcock,
Susan Blackmore, Alan Cromer, Mandy Fowler, Christopher C. French, Martin
Gardner, Thomas Gilovich, Theodore Goertzel, Paul R. Gross, Peter Huston, Ray
Hyman, Noretta Koertge, Paul Kurtz, Dan Larhammar, Leon M. Lederman, James
Lett, Norman Levitt, Scott O. Lilienfeld, Elizabeth Loftus, Lee Loevinger,
Katy McCarthy, Joe Nickell, Bernard Oritz de Montellano, Debbie Peers, Anthony
Pratkanis, Carl Sagan, Kenneth Savitsky, Glenn Seaborg, Elie Shneour, Matthew
Smith, Victor Stenger, Jeffrey F. Victor, Jeff Wiseman, and Richard Wiseman.
Kendrick Frazier (Albuquerque, NM) is a board member of the Committee for the
Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, editor of the Skeptical
Inquirer, and former editor of Science News. PAGES: 426 pp COMMENTS:
ISBN:1-57392-203-X BINDING: Paper PRICE: $22.95 SIZE: 6 x 9 CATEGORY: Science
& The Paranormal
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE PARANORMAL
Science & The Paranormal
Edited by Gordon Stein, Ph.D.
<A HREF="http://www.prometheusbooks.com">http://www.prometheusbooks.com</A>
1800-421-0351
....The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal contains over 90 articles by more than
50 experts on topics including the strictly paranormal (psychokinesis,
channeling, levitation, astrology, phrenology, palmistry); the historical
(mediums, psychic research, alchemy, Houdini); the philosophical (miracles,
survival of death, reincarnation); and work on investigatory photography,
statistics, the media and the Bermuda Triangle. In his forward, Carl Sagan
says, "I wish [this book] were on the shelves of every newspaper editorial
desk and every television newsroom, to encourage more skeptical backbone in
reporting . . . . [I]n school libraries so that children would have some
counterbalance to the many paranormal and mystical claims in our society."
". . .will provide new perspectives in reference collections that contain
only
middle-of-the-road treatments. Recommended for academic, public, and high-
school libraries." Booklist Reference Books Bulletin
"Few editors strive so demonstrably for fairness as does Stein . . . this
book will surely occupy a secure place as one of the lasting treatments on its
broad subject. It's a reference book to which the intelligently curious will
have occasion to return again and again." The American Rationalist
"First comprehensive encyclopedia written from a scientific perspective"
Bookwatch
"There have been encyclopedias on paranormal, pseudoscience, the
supernatural, and the occult before, but this volume supersedes all that came
before." Skeptic
"If any member of your family on any given day watches 'Sightings' ("Look,
Doris, it's our little dog, Bobo, back from the grave!") or the ghostly
apparition segments of 'Unsolved Mysteries' for a period of time longer than
it normally takes the human eye to recognize feces and inform the brain, then
your family must buy this book now. . . . Read front-to-back, it's the
ultimate self-help book." Country Connections
PAGES: 871 pp COMMENTS: (Index, Cross References, Illustrations) ISBN:
1-57392-021-5 BINDING: Cloth PRICE: $149.95 SIZE: 6 x 9 CATEGORY: Science &
The Paranormal
--POPULAR SCIENCE--
STUDIES SHOW
A Popular Guide to Understanding Scientific Studies
John H. Fennick
<A HREF="http://www.prometheusbooks.com">http://www.prometheusbooks.com</A>
1800-421-0351
....If you're not sure what to make of all the claims and counterclaims, this
new
book will help cut through the conflicting reports and contradictory
findings. We are bombarded daily with media reports of startling new findings
from "just released" studies often in major, authoritative publications on
consumer products, medications, foods, alcohol, safety devices, social
behavior, public policy, and much more. The decisions of millions of
consumers, professionals, and government
agencies can be influenced by just one study. Light, humorous, and
entertaining, Studies Show reviews sample studies to expose their traps and
pitfalls. In plain English, statistics analyst John H. Fennick discusses the
methods of good and bad studies to explain how scientific results can differ
sometimes radically. Fennick shows that when armed with common sense and
critical intelligence, we can understand almost any study. John H. Fennick
(Blacksburg, VA) is a former member of the technical staff at Bell Telephone
Laboratories, where he conducted
computer simulations and statistical studies. ". . . a fine survey of
studies, their findings, and their methods." The Midwest Book Review "If you
find yourself quoting or interpreting scientific studies in your articles and
books, you'll want to read this one. Discusses the methods of good and bad
studies, why results can differ, new ways to examine your data and preempt the
embarassing conflict." Freelance Writer's Report ........PAGES: 240 pp
COMMENTS: ISBN: 1-57392-136-X BINDING:
Paper PRICE: $17.95 SIZE: 6 x 9 CATEGORY: Popular Science
THE SCIENCE GAP
Dispelling the Myths and Understanding the Reality of Science
Milton A. Rothman
<A HREF="http://www.prometheusbooks.com">http://www.prometheusbooks.com</A>
1800-421-0351
....At a time when there is an ever-widening gap between what the expert
knows and what the average person believes, this accessible volume clearly
explains the scientific facts and concepts that are indispensible for an
understanding of our material universe. Milton Rothman examines sixteen
standard myths about the nature of science, demonstrating that much of what
passes for logical argumentation consists of the repetition of cliches and
current
folklore.
"I expect every reader will object to one or more of Rothman's statements.
But no matter which side of the debate you find yourself on, Rothman's
discussion is stimulating and brings life to the discourse about the
philosophy of science." Astronomy
". . . the book will be a valuable resource for educators and students . . ."
The Science Teacher
"The book is to the point, easily read and highly logical. It will be of
great help, and is recommended, to those who wish to dispel myths and enter
the debate between science and superstition. It should occupy one's library as
a reference to be used in the refutation of nonsense." The American
Rationalist
". . . extraordinary volume. . . . so clear is the exposition that both the
novice and the self-styled expert can benefit from its demolition of the
widespread fallacies concerning both the physical universe and the community
of scientists who observe, explore, and explain it. . . . For a generation
that has grown up with
'Star Trek', an immense library of science fiction, and media that entertain
rather than educate, this book will be harsh but desperately needed therapy. .
. . The National Science Foundation would be well advised to put a copy of
this book in every high school and college." Science Books & Films
"Very clearly written, well footnoted, with a useful index. . ." Choice
PAGES: 254 pp COMMENTS: (Index) ISBN: 0-87975-710-8 BINDING: Cloth PRICE:
$31.95 SIZE: 6 x 9 CATEGORY: Popular Science
--PSYCHOLOGY--
CHILD SEX ABUSE AND FALSE MEMORY SYNDROME
Edited by Robert A. Baker, Ph.D.
<A HREF="http://www.prometheusbooks.com">http://www.prometheusbooks.com</A>
1800-421-0351
....Is repressed memory fact or fiction? What role should therapists play in
determining the truth? What, if any, weight should these "memories" be given
when prosecuting claims of child sexual abuse? Noted experts seek answers that
could
affect thousands of lives. Tabloid talk shows and the courts are overflowing
with adults alleging sexual and other abuses they endured as children. Parents
have been hauled into court, convicted, and jailed over their children's
claims of abuse, many of which have been based upon "memories" that have
surfaced after therapists employed dubious techniques and suggestive
"therapies." In some cases, the abuse really did occur. Alarmingly, in other
cases, it did not. Noted psychologist and author Robert A. Baker states that
experienced and responsible
therapists vehemently disagree about the nature, source, and reliability of
these "memories." In Child Sexual Abuse and False Memory Syndrome doctors,
therapists, victims, researchers, and others search for answers in seven major
areas: memory and its recovery, childhood trauma, repression and amnesia,
hypnosis, suggestibility, professional problems and ethical issues, as well as
needed research and legal implications. Distinguished contributors include
Maggie Bruck, Stephen J. Ceci, Gail Goodman, James Hudson, John F. Kihlstrom,
Elizabeth Loftus, Richard Ofshe, Harrison Pope, Leonore Terr, Ralph
Underwager, Hillida Wakefield, Ethan Watters, Michael Yapko, and more than 20
others. Robert A. Baker, Ph.D. (Lexington, KY) is the author of the acclaimed
They Call It Hypnosis. He has taught psychology at MIT, Standford University,
and the University of Kentucky, where he was chairman of the Psychology
Department until his retirement. He is also the author of Hidden Memories:
Voices and Visions from Within, and Mind Games: Are We Obsessed with Therapy?
........PAGES: 479 pp COMMENTS: ISBN:1-57392-182-3 BINDING: Cloth PRICE:
$34.95 SIZE: 6 x 9 CATEGORY: Psychology