I’ve come to see this book as a handy little owner’s manual for anyone with a brain. In an entertaining and highly readable style, Cordelia Fine has synthesized a host of cognitive research to show that our minds often give us a much more distorted picture of reality than any of us would imagine. Our brains, it seems, are masters of self-deception, engaging in a whole host of hidden activities designed to protect both our fragile egos and our pre-existing beliefs.

While there are benefits to be gained from these distortions, Fine also spells out in detail the price that we pay when we allow our brain to keep us comfortably insulated from information that might otherwise change our minds. In one particularly compelling example, Fine discusses how a doctor discovered that the standard pre-natal practice of giving x-rays to pregnant women doubled the risk that the fetus would go on to develop childhood cancer. Her findings, however, were completely dismissed for decades and millions of children were unnecessarily exposed to x-rays while advocates of the procedure vigorously denied her claims. The techniques these doctors used to defend x-rays in the face of mounting evidence against them shows just how dangerous these self-deceptions can be, not just to us personally, but also to humanity as a whole.

While generally light in tone, Fine’s book is very comprehensive in that each chapter outlines a specific technique of distortion used in the brain, discusses the research used to discover that process, and talks about the impact of that technique in everyday life. Many of the subjects she discusses will be very familiar to anyone dealing with cultic issues. In “The Deluded Brain,” Fine reveals research that shows how we will rewrite personal history in order to fit with our expectations. This chapter has major implications for anyone who has ever spent time and money on a spiritual or self-help path. In “The Immoral Brain,” Fine reveals the part of us that is programmed to blame others for their misfortunes so that we might feel less fear that those same misfortunes could befall us. This chapter goes a long way towards explaining how die-hard believers in “The Secret” could adopt the morally reprehensible position that the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks “attracted” their misfortune through their own negative thinking.

While it can be disturbing to realize just how far removed from reality we often are, Fine also provides information on how we can use our brains’ natural tendencies to overcome some of its more damaging handicaps. Her examination of how disciplined dieters transcend temptation and how those who work with the disadvantaged combat the brain’s natural inclination towards bigoted stereotypes show that we do not, in fact, have to be at the mercy of our unconscious processes. At a time when the national debate on controversial issues often seems to be more about who can shout the loudest than genuinely trying to come to an understanding of opposing positions, I think pretty much everyone could benefit from reading this book.

This is a very useful book for anyone who has found themselves wondering how they came to accept as true a belief system that turned out to be detrimental to their well-being. Editor Bryan Farha discovered early on that it was difficult to get his students excited about the process of learning how to think critically. So he decided to expose people to the basic tenants of this crucial skill by collecting essays investigating claims of the paranormal, an endlessly fascinating subject that so often causes good critical thinking to go out the window.

The book begins with an excellent essay by Carl Sagan entitled “The Fine Art of Baloney Detection.” In it, Sagan outlines the tools needed for good skeptical thinking and details the logical errors and bad arguments that can undermine the inquiry process. These skills are then artfully applied throughout the rest of the book as the contributors deconstruct such phenomenon as faith healing, psychics, astrology and the Bigfoot controversy.

In one chapter, Michael Shermer touches briefly on cultic issues as he discusses how influence can cause us to believe unproven things. Another chapter explains the fascinating physiological phenomenon behind near-death experiences. Yet another discusses how the widespread healing practice of Therapeutic Touch was thoroughly debunked by a nine year-old working on a science-fair project.

Towards the end of the book, well-known skeptic James Randi discusses his involvement in an ABC Primetime Live special on the Brazilian healer, John of God. Randi reveals the age-old carny trick at the center of John of God’s performances and holds him up as yet another example of those who make a living off the hopes of desperate people. But it is Randi’s discussion of how ABC chose not to use most of Randi’s skeptical commentary on this healer and instead presented a mainly sensational story about John of God that is so disturbing. It is but one of many examples that make it clear why the critical thinking skills championed by this book are so sorely needed.

Having believed more than my share of impossible things, I’ve become very interested in the thinking processes behind matters of belief.  Evolutionary biologist Wolpert tackles this subject from a different angle than many in his field.  Wolpert proposes that our development of tool use created a heavy mental emphasis on the relationship between cause and effect.  While searching for cause and effect in the natural world has served us well in such fields as science and technology, not being able to find a cause for an effect is apparently so vexing to the brain that it has proven more than willing to simply make one up when necessary.

 
There’s a litany of interesting studies cited in this book in support of these arguments, but Wolpert rarely goes into detail as he discusses everything from complex tool use in ravens to retention rates in Moon’s Unification Church.  This left me wanting a lot more information at times and also makes the reading a bit dense.  Still, I learned a great deal about how the brain functions in relationship to various topics.  The book is well-organized, with each chapter addressing issues on a theme ranging from belief development in children to the persistence of beliefs in the paranormal despite the lack of evidence to how scientific beliefs differ from other kinds of beliefs.  Very useful for anyone interested in how we think and why we believe what we do. 

Martha Beck was an atheist-inclined grad student when miraculous happenings during her second pregnancy reawakened her interest in spirituality.  After moving back to her hometown of Provo, she embraced her childhood religion in effort to deepen this newfound faith.  She writes with lucidity and humor about how she instead discovered the dark side of the Mormon church, including fundamental beliefs that contradict known fact, a culture that stifled intellectual exploration, and a suspected relationship between the inferior position of women in the church and incidents of sexual abuse.

A large part of Beck’s journey involves confronting her own history of sexual abuse, and the book sometimes feels disjointed as it shifts back and forth between the narrative and a scene in which she confronted her abuser.  That issue aside, Beck’s attempt to free herself from the bonds of this unhealthy religion while still keeping her seed of faith alive serves as a fascinating example of how important it is to continually ask critical questions in all matters of faith. 

This book is a collection of the author’s columns written for both Skeptical Inquirer and several other publications.  Though published nearly 20 years ago, many of the topics Gardner discusses are still highly relevant in current times. His essays range over subjects including televangelism to UFOlogy. I found his discussion on the widespread fraud perpetuated by famous psychics and the persistent gullibility of paranormal researchers to be particularly informative.  Though not specifically just about the New Age, his insightful commentary on spiritual con artists of all stripes would be educational for anyone interested in the ease with which human belief can be manipulated.