Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias

Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias PDF Author: Robert E. Bartholomew
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1615923381
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 230

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Book Description
Thinking is an innate ability that most people take for granted. But like writing well or speaking effectively before the public, thinking well is a skill that can be learned and improved with practice. In this unique introduction to critical thinking, Robert Bartholomew and Benjamin Radford first lay out the principles of critical thinking and then invite readers to put these principles to the test by examining a series of unusual and challenging case studies. Assembling a wide range of bizarre but actual incidents from many cultures and various time periods, they demonstrate how the tools of critical thinking can help to unravel alleged paranormal events and seemingly mysterious behavior.What factors led to the "Martian panic" of 1938? Why did many people conclude that an alien spaceship crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947? How do we explain the panic expressed by otherwise normal Southeast Asian men who came to believe that a contagious disease was causing their genitals to shrink, or the frenzied dance manias that captivated thousands of Europeans during the Middle Ages? Bartholomew and Radford show that reality is very much a social construction, that cultural assumptions play a large part in our judgments about what is normal and what is deviant, and that the use of critical reasoning is our best means of ensuring an objective perspective.

Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias

Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias PDF Author: Robert E. Bartholomew
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1615923381
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 230

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Book Description
Thinking is an innate ability that most people take for granted. But like writing well or speaking effectively before the public, thinking well is a skill that can be learned and improved with practice. In this unique introduction to critical thinking, Robert Bartholomew and Benjamin Radford first lay out the principles of critical thinking and then invite readers to put these principles to the test by examining a series of unusual and challenging case studies. Assembling a wide range of bizarre but actual incidents from many cultures and various time periods, they demonstrate how the tools of critical thinking can help to unravel alleged paranormal events and seemingly mysterious behavior.What factors led to the "Martian panic" of 1938? Why did many people conclude that an alien spaceship crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947? How do we explain the panic expressed by otherwise normal Southeast Asian men who came to believe that a contagious disease was causing their genitals to shrink, or the frenzied dance manias that captivated thousands of Europeans during the Middle Ages? Bartholomew and Radford show that reality is very much a social construction, that cultural assumptions play a large part in our judgments about what is normal and what is deviant, and that the use of critical reasoning is our best means of ensuring an objective perspective.

Media Mythmakers

Media Mythmakers PDF Author: Benjamin Radford
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1615923349
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
This hard-hitting critique of media culture examines not only the ways in which the public is deceived, but the media's role in propagating those deceptions. Illustrations.

The Martians Have Landed!

The Martians Have Landed! PDF Author: Robert E. Bartholomew
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786486716
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
History is replete with examples of media-created scares and panics. This book presents more than three dozen studies of media scares from the 17th century to the 21st century, including hoaxes perpetrated via newspapers, radio, television and cyberspace. From the 1835 batmen on the Moon hoax to more recent bird flu scares and Hurricane Katrina myths, this book explores hoaxes that highlight the impact of the media on our lives and its tendency to sensationalize. Most of the hoaxes covered occurred in the United States, though incidents from Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and Australia are featured as well. Several are global in scope, revealing the power global media wields.

Truth: A Brief History of Total Bullsh*t

Truth: A Brief History of Total Bullsh*t PDF Author: Tom Phillips
Publisher: Harlequin
ISBN: 1488076774
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 317

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Book Description
“A lighthearted history of lying”—from the international bestselling author of Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up (Kirkus Reviews). We live in a “post-truth” world, we’re told. But was there ever really a golden age of truth-telling? Or have people been lying, fibbing and just plain bullsh*tting since the beginning of time? Tom Phillips, editor of a leading independent fact-checking organization, deals with this question every day. In Truth, he tells the story of how we humans have spent history lying to each other—and ourselves—about everything from business to politics to plain old geography. Along the way, he chronicles the world’s oldest customer service complaint, the Great Moon Hoax of 1835 and the surprisingly dishonest career of Benjamin Franklin. Sharp, witty and with a clear-eyed view of humanity’s checkered past, Truth reveals why people lie—and how we can cut through the bullsh*t. Praise for Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up “A laugh-along, worst-hits album for humanity.” —Steve Brusatte, New York Times–bestselling author of The Rise and Reign of the Mammals “[A] perfect blend of brilliance and goofiness.” —BuzzFeed “[A] timely, irreverent gallop through thousands of years of human stupidity.” —Nicholas Griffin, author of The Year of Dangerous Days “Chronicles humanity’s myriad follies down the ages with malicious glee and much wit . . . a rib-tickling page-turner.” —Business Standard

Tracking the Chupacabra

Tracking the Chupacabra PDF Author: Benjamin Radford
Publisher: UNM Press
ISBN: 0826350151
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
This title explores the legend of the chupacabra, literally goat-sucker, a mythical being from Latin America.

Debunk It! Fake News Edition

Debunk It! Fake News Edition PDF Author: John Grant
Publisher: Zest Books ™
ISBN: 1541578686
Category : Young Adult Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 217

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Book Description
We live in an era of misinformation, much of it spread by authority figures, including politicians, religious leaders, broadcasters, and, of course, apps and websites. In this second edition, author John Grant uses ripped-from-the-headlines examples to clearly explain how to identify bad evidence and poor arguments. He also points out the rhetorical tricks people use when attempting to pull the wool over our eyes, and offers advice about how to take these unscrupulous pundits down. Updated to include a chapter on fake news, Debunk It serves as a guide to critical thinking for young readers looking to find some clarity in a confusing world.

Popular Fads and Crazes through American History [2 volumes]

Popular Fads and Crazes through American History [2 volumes] PDF Author: Nancy Hendricks
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1440851832
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 897

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Book Description
This informative two-volume set provides readers with an understanding of the fads and crazes that have taken America by storm from colonial times to the present. Entries cover a range of topics, including food, entertainment, fashion, music, and language. Why could hula hoops and TV westerns only have been found in every household in the 1950s? What murdered Russian princess can be seen in one of the first documented selfies, taken in 1914? This book answers those questions and more in its documentation of all of the most captivating trends that have defined American popular culture since before the country began. Entries are well-researched and alphabetized by decade. At the start of every section is an insightful historical overview of the decade, and the set uniquely illustrates what today's readers have in common with the past. It also contains a Glossary of Slang for each decade as well as a bibliography, plus suggestions for further reading for each entry. Students and readers interested in history will enjoy discovering trends through the years in such areas as fashion, movies, music, and sports.

Bad Clowns

Bad Clowns PDF Author: Benjamin Radford
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
ISBN: 0826356664
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 216

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Book Description
A short history of the earliest clowns -- The despicable rogue Mr. Punch -- The unnatural nature of the evil clown -- Coulrophobia: Fear of clowns -- Bad clowns of the Ink -- Bad clowns of the Screen -- Bad clowns of the Song -- The carnal carnival: Buffoon boffing and clown sex -- Creepy, criminal, and killer clowns -- Activist clowns -- Crazed caged carny clowns -- The phantom clowns -- Troll clowns and the future of bad clowns

Debunk It!

Debunk It! PDF Author: John Grant
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 1936976684
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
Uses modern headline examples to explain how to identify bad evidence and poor arguments, summarizing the rhetorical tricks people use to sway public opinion in a range of fields.

Lincoln Legends

Lincoln Legends PDF Author: Edward SteersJr.
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 0813172756
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 283

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Book Description
In the more than 140 years since his death, Abraham Lincoln has become America's most revered president. The mythmaking about this self-made man began early, some of it starting during his campaign for the presidency in 1860. As an American icon, Lincoln has been the subject of speculation and inquiry as authors and researchers have examined every aspect—personal and professional—of the president's life. In Lincoln Legends, noted historian and Lincoln expert Edward Steers Jr. carefully scrutinizes some of the most notorious tall tales and distorted ideas about America's sixteenth president. These inaccuracies and speculations about Lincoln's personal and professional life abound. Did he write his greatest speech on the back of an envelope on the way to Gettysburg? Did Lincoln appear before a congressional committee to defend his wife against charges of treason? Was he an illegitimate child? Did Lincoln have romantic encounters with women other than his wife? Did he have love affairs with men? What really happened in the weeks leading up to April 14, 1865, and in the aftermath of Lincoln's tragic assassination? Lincoln Legends evaluates the evidence on all sides of the many heated debates about the Great Emancipator. Not only does Steers weigh the merits of all relevant arguments and interpretations, but he also traces the often fascinating evolution of flawed theories about Lincoln and uncovers the motivations of the individuals—occasionally sincere but more often cynical, self-serving, and nefarious—who are responsible for their dispersal. Based on extensive primary research, the conclusions in Lincoln Legends will settle many of the enduring questions and persistent myths about Lincoln's life once and for all. Steers leaves us with a clearer image of Abraham Lincoln as a man, as an exceptionally effective president, and as a deserving recipient of the nation's admiration.