The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe

Product Description

In a world increasingly filled with alternative facts, learn how to know what's really real by reading The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe. This all-encompassing guide to skeptical thinking will help you apply logic and reason to your everyday life. [Read more]

Top Reviews

Disappointing
by Glycon (1 out of 5 stars)
August 14, 2019

As a fan of Carl Sagan for many decades, and a scientist myself, physics, a book touted as a second "Demon-Haunted World" looked too good to pass up. Receiving the book, and delighted with the references to Douglas Adams, another author who's work I have enjoyed, I was really looking forward digging in.

My first clue that something was amiss came from the banner reviewer, one Michael Mann who was listed as a renowned scientist. Say what?!? Infamous or perhaps totally debunked would be a better description. If you want to know what the scientific community thinks of Mann may I suggest you read "A Disgrace to The Profession", in which you will learn what over 100 PhD scientists think of this charlatan and his non-scientific work. The book's title sums it up nicely. Why would Novella list this impostor, who once claimed to have received a Nobel Prize (the Nobel Committee disagrees), as a top reviewer?

Scanning "The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe" I begin to find answers to the above question. One lame aphorism after another, statement after statement without any supportive fact, and really telling, political bias throughout. For example, Hillary Clinton's blatant lie about being under fire in Bosnia is fluffed off as just another "misremembrance of events that we all do". Bull hockey! I've been under fire, US Army Combat Leader, Bronze Star thank you, and you do not misremember whether or not you have been under fire! Video of the "attack" show's young girls handing a clearly unalarmed Madam Clinton flowers. Just another lie from a family notorious for extreme lack of veracity. Look closely if you choose to read this book and you will see numeral instances of what is either political bias or very fuzzy thinking.

Fuzzy thinking, or perhaps political motivation, is also shown in acceptance of "argument from consensus", i.e. if most people believe it, it must be true. Consensus and the prevailing orthodoxy once informed us that the world was flat and that the sun and stars revolved around the earth. Many were killed for questioning those "consensuses". Science is not about consensus, it's about the scientific method, peer review, and reproducibility. Any scientist worth their salt knows that the most important scientific breakthroughs and achievements have often been made going up stream against consensus. Consensus is the forte and realm of politics, not science, especially when claim of consensus is used to thwart legitimate questions.

In short, I believe it is an insult to Carl Sagan to mention the likes of Michael Mann on the same page at a truly renowned scientist. If Sagan were alive today I believe he would take Novella, Mann, and unfortunately Tyson also, (Neil you know better!), out behind the woodshed for a serious talk about the scientific method, valid skepticism, and the need to contain their our own biases.
"The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe" has been returned for full credit. My mistake, I should have known better to seek truth and logic from an MD. Next time I will be sure the author is from one of the "hard" sciences, preferably physics, and not just another political biased hack.
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Wonderful, just buy it.
by Frank (5 out of 5 stars)
October 2, 2018

Wow- I started listening to the skeptics guide in 2006 at the age of 12, over the years I kept coming back during hard times, those podcasts taught me more about how to think than almost anything else. They have shaped who I am now (for better or worse). Losing Perry was and still is a punch to the stomach, wish he could have seen this book. This book is wonderful, the design is clever and in a way very much like the older skeptical books, "flim-flam" comes to mind, but with a take on new subjects. Congratulations everyone, you did it right!
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One of the most important books someone can read
by Ben Tingey (5 out of 5 stars)
October 2, 2018

This is without a doubt one of the most important books anyone can read right now, regardless of how knowledgeable of Scientific Skepticism they are. A spiritual successor to Carl Sagan's "The Demon Haunted World", this book does an astounding job of showcasing and justifying a rational, methodical worldview.

If I could snap my fingers and have everyone in the world read a single book, it would be this one.
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A worthy update of "the Demon Haunted World.'
by Wayne Robinson (5 out of 5 stars)
October 6, 2018

It's a little worrying writing yet another 5-star review of a book that so far received only 5-star reviews. It was written as an updated version of "the Demon Haunted World,' it which it succeeds. I recently listened to the audiobook of Carl Sagan's book after reading it years ago, and I found just as good as I did when I first read, so it has high standards to reach, which it manages to do.

It takes a more encyclopaedia approach to scepticism and critical thinking, so it's very much a book for future reference.

Anyway. I was amused when Steve Novella was discussing "˜zebras,' and mentioned the patient with "˜palpitations, headaches, sweating, and high blood pressure,' my first thought (after having trained as an anatomical pathologist) was "˜phaeochromocytoma,' which I admit is rare - I think I've seen one case in 30 years of practice. I was surprised that its hormone was given as "˜adrenaline,' which is what the rest of the world calls it (it's secreted by the adrenal glands) instead of "˜epinephrine,' which is what Americans prefer to call it.

Does this mean that Steve Novella is about to agree with the rest of the world and advocate that America adopts a rational system of measurement including Celsius?

I also listened to the audiobook at the same time, so I actually "˜read' the book twice. The two versions are equally good.
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Don't follow their own rules of skepticism
by Dr. Horn (1 out of 5 stars)
December 21, 2018

Here's one of many examples. The authors arrogantly criticize the Mayo clinic for promoting bogus "alternative therapies" such as acupuncture stating that they have no evidence at all of efficacy and its all pseudoscience.

Only problem is if you go to the US National Library of Medicine's website (pubmed) and type in the word "acupuncture", you will get (as of today) 29,195 peer reviewed journal articles. You read that correctly: twenty-nine thousand articles, many of them being original research with findings that acupuncture is safe and effective as you can see for yourself if you start reading through them.

Now let's compare that to the author's own medical specialty. According to Wikipedia, he is a subspecialist in botulinum therapy. If you search for "botulinum" on pubmed you get 21,335 articles. Now that's using the most generous search term I could use as not all articles on botulinum will be on botulinum therapy.

In other words, the author dismisses acupuncture (and all other "alternative therapies") as not being evidence based, even though there is more research on acupuncture than there is on the botulinum therapy that he specializes in. Of course he would argue that just because there is a lot of research doesn't mean it's good quality or one better than the other ... introducing more of his own biases because he certainly did not even read 1% of the acupuncture studies that are available yet is happy to make definitive (and incorrect) conclusions that it is not evidence based.

This is representative of the book as a whole. Subjects the authors don't understand but don't like (personal biases) are dismissed through a variety of manipulation techniques that are in stark contrast to how they state a skeptic should be. They are both arrogant and misinformed. They sound really informed until you look into their claims further.

I am left skeptical that much of the information presented was properly researched ... then again maybe that was the point of the book.
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Demon Haunted World 2.0
by Daniel Sean Osborne (5 out of 5 stars)
October 4, 2018

There's A LOT of meat in this book.

It serves as a GREAT introduction to scientific skepticism and critical thinking that we need now more than ever in this age where we retreat to tribalism and carelessly employ sloppy thinking leaving no room for conversation, compromise, or thoughtful and sincere dialogue. This book is a primer to help the reader avoid overthrowing reason and common sense with ideology and fear.

We, as a culture, are in desperate need of a course correction of the mind. This book is a great start to understand how the mind works and how it synthesizes and generates truths, deceives itself and fortifies falsehoods. We have always lived in a world full of fake, but only recently has it been normalized and expected.

Here is a great start to help maneuver the currents of this new world of data inundation. It also serves as a foundation on how to spot bullshit and refrain from retreating to our cultural bubbles. It's a great introduction on how to open your mind and evaluate new information based on evidence and merit rather than seeking out information that conforms to your sacred beliefs.

There is a way out this. Using our brain lazily got us in this mess. Perhaps employing some critical thinking and using our brain skillfully will get us out.

Should be mandatory reading for all high schoolers.
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Comprehensive skepticism guide.
by Born2309 (5 out of 5 stars)
October 2, 2018

Incredibly comprehensive...this book is no thumb-through, it is a thorough dive into skepticism and will be a great read for those already versed in skepticism and those new to it. The Skeptics Guide podcast changed my life, it enabled me to see the world through a truth filter lens...now that lens will be polished with this book.
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Excellent explanations of WHY people defend pseudoscience.
by Chris E (5 out of 5 stars)
October 3, 2018

I'm only about halfway through the second section of this book, but I'm already back to buy some more copies to give as gifts. As a scientist, I often have difficulty understanding why otherwise rational people defend psuedosciences... but this book goes into great detail about the metacognition that likely leads to their decisions, and the media and culture that perpetuate these things in our society. A great read- highly recommended.
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Demon-Haunted World 2.0
by Emma (5 out of 5 stars)
October 5, 2018

I'm only 100 pages into the book and it is excellent. I am sitting at work wanting to read more, waiting to go home, put my kids to bed early, and turn some more pages! I will be getting copies for all of my immediate family, it is an incredibly important book summarizing modern scientific skepticism and the dozens of ways we can deceive ourselves. Everyone should do themselves a service and grab a copy to better understand yourself, your friends, your neighbors, and society at large. Really looking forward to page 300 with the writings on science skepticism in journalism (or lack-thereof!).
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I bought three!
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
October 4, 2018

All the best parts of the podcast in book form! I've only just gotten started, but I looked through the whole thing and have already started trying to convince my friends they want it as a gift from me. It's definately true that lots of people still prefer paper to a podcast or audiobook, so I'm sending it to them all :) The physical book is good quality as well as the content.

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