Science: Good Bad, and Bogus

by Martin Gardner

In this lively collection, Gardner examines the rich and hilarious variety of pseudoscientific conjectures that dominate the media today. With a special emphasis on parapsychology and occultism, these witty pieces address the evidence put forth to support claims of ESP, psychokinesis, faith healing, and other pseudoscience.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Skepticism, History, Essays

429 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Martin Gardner was an American mathematics and science writer specializing in recreational mathematics, but with interests encompassing micromagic, stage magic, literature (especially the writings of Lewis Carroll), philosophy, scientific skepticism, and religion. He wrote the Mathematical Games column in Scientific American from 1956 to 1981, and published over 70 books.

Reviews

[Nandakishore Mridula · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book that weaned me away from pseudoscience and inculcated in me an enduring respect for the scientific method. A must read for all gullible people.

"One horse laugh is worth ten thousand syllogisms."

[Mateo Toledo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colección de artículos contra la parapsicología de los años 80. Correcto, pero poco hilvanado como libro. Muy repetitivo, a veces.

[Erik Graff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd read both editions (there's some difference) of Gardner's "Fads and Fallacies" book, an early collection of his essays. This, much later, collection covers some of the same ground. Indeed, many of the essays in this one book repeat the same stories and arguments. Generally speaking, the essays are devoted to debunking bad science, especially parapsychology and paraphysics. Much attention is paid to Uri Geller, an accomplished magician posing as a psychic. Gardner himself has some skill as a magician which allows him to discern some of the tricks people like Geller try to pull off. Many of the essays are followed by correspondences they engendered, some quite heated, as well as by postscripted updates.

My low rating of this book is owing to the redundancies. A good editor could have helped.

[Keith Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book about skepticism and pseudoscience that I ever read. At the time many of the cases, such as Uri Geller, were unfamiliar to me, but Martin Gardner's impassioned prose made an unbeliever out of me.

[Martin Herbordt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why do people, even smart and educated people, believe absurd things? Why don’t they get that exceptional claims require exceptional evidence? If you believe that this is a fascinating and sometimes amusing, but more often tragic part of the human condition then the series of books by Martin Gardner are essential. His “Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science” was a revolutionary compendium of what can easily be dismissed as stupidity and delusion. That is, if so many people didn’t believe in them. But these magical ideas are so seductive (dismissing the most absurd – flat earth, hollow earth, etc.) – can water have memory? Does the body have an inner energy? - that without someone to point out that “the emperor has no clothes,” and to do so wit and brilliance, the dividing line remains squishy. Well the dividing line does remain squishy. As Gardner pointed out from the beginning, and repeats in SGBaB, there is a spectrum of nonsense from the flat earthers on one side, through chiropractic and homeopathy, to the seeming nonsense of time reversal that is actually quite true (modern physics). But to most people a guide like Gardner is essential in the clarification of this spectrum – once identified it becomes quite easy to place (most) pseudoscience with great confidence.
So why read another book on the same subject, this one mostly constrained to PK and ESP? Because it’s fun! OK, most of it – since this is many years of essays and reviews there is much repetition as the same intros need to be given and the same targets taken down (I get it, Uri Geller is a good magician posing as a PK and fooling a lot of physicists with huge egos and poor sense of grifting). The best essays are reviews on popular science books – astrophysics, brains, catastrophe theory, etc. But all with the Gardner sparkle.

[Jim Razinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vintage Martin Gardner, though unfortunately pretty much devoted to psychic film flam. While his articles are well done, he was always at his best in responding to the objecting letters that followed his articles. Where I see his treatments as eminently fair as only occasionally biting, those who came to be reviewed/ analyzed saw otherwise. It almost seems as if he delighted in baiting the wackos, and when they took the bait, the gloves came off and he skewered them with their own arguments.

[Bruce Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magicians can teach us a lot about analyzing things...especially amazing claims from both questionable people and sometimes, experts. A magician looks at another magician's trick in a cool, logical manner, undistracted by patter, false claims of fairness, and questionable physical or psychological moves. In this book Gardner demonstrates how cool and calm investigation of miraculous claims lets you see through smoke-and-mirror misdirections and distractions to expose what you are REALLY witnessing. The results of such objective skepticism are enlightening and sometimes downright comical. P.T. Barnum said, "There's a sucker born every minute." Read this book and learn how not to be one of them.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, trying to reason with “true believers” is a fool’s errand, similar to mid wrassling with a pig — you get dirty and the pig enjoys it. Better to just let the para’s say their piece and ignore it. You will never dissuade them.

On a different note, I view publication of a compilation of previously published pieces a lazy way to make a buck. Having said that, the author provided added value by compiling articles along a similar theme and adding postscripts to each. But there was a lot of repetitive comments about the same folks, which got a bit old.

The intro was particularly relevant from my perspective in 2022.

[James Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would not be 5 stars for everyone, but it is just the kind of popular science writing I love. It exposes many phony claims about ESP, psychokinesis, psychic mumbo jumbo and new-age crap.
I have always loved Martin Gardner's writing in SiAmc and his books. Takes a bit to get into some of the chapters, but always rewarding in the end. If you believe in science you will find lots to love here. Fun read.

[Ilona · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has a laudable purpose, on with which I am in 100% agreement: identify good science, debunk the bad stuff. It's too bad the book was so plodding. Science can be fun. And bebunking the bad stuff has such scope for play and humour. This book is sadly lacking in either.

It's a laudable work. It does good service. It's necessary! But it's ... boring.

Which is really too bad.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate this book and the information in it. But I definitely had to force myself to finish it. I only did that because I promised myself I would actually finish a book for once. It’s a great book, and it kept me (a person who is not very well versed in science) from falling for “film-flam.” But I think I could have read only half of the book, and I still would have learned just as much.

[Mark's wife Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a certain type of book, Gardner's articles debunking pseudoscience. I read it when I was younger, and it helped form my viewpoint towards science, exactness, and experimental rigour.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has not aged well, but if you remember the mystical movements of the 1970s you may very well find it relevant. In my case, I went through a Uri Geller phase in the 70s, and the existence of the Rhine Institute originally associated with Duke University, and the existence of the Division of Parapsychology (part of the Psychology Department) at University of Virginia, added the weight of authority to the subject at the time.

I was hoping to find solid instances of critical thinking, but what I did find was off-the-cuff book reviews larded with flat ridicule. Each chapter contains an article previously published in a periodical like Scientific American, followed by a round of critique and correction from the subjects, and a final word by Gardner to each one. Much of the latter devolves into semantics and sarcasm.

It's best to skim this one, picking out the subjects which may still resonate with you, and avoiding the now unverifiable back-and-forth.

I will say I did learn something in a very late chapter, about whether apes were really learning and synthesizing sign language, that I found both illuminating and disappointing. That one subject may inspire more research on my part.

[Remo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compendio de artículos y críticas de libros de Martin Gardner, el GRAN Martin Gardner. Los temas que trata son muchos y muy variados, desde la ufología a la topología algebraica, pasando por psicocinesis, precognición, ciencia en general... todo un elenco de temas interesantes comentados por una gran mente. Muy divertido y fácil de leer, además de extremadamente interesante. Las pistas de la bibliografía son para tener en cuenta.

[Roqsan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is the best of Martin Gardner's books on pseudo science and other aberrations of the human mind. Although much of it may no longer be familiar to modern readers, if you substitute names such as Chopra, Sheldrake... for Velikovsky, Geller... you will find that nothing much has changed.