Dr. Steven Novella, host and producer of the SGU, is an internationally recognized science educator. He brings his academic credentials and long history as a dynamic speaker and educator to the show. Dr. Novella is an academic clinical neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine, where he is known for his dedication to excellence in teaching. When not podcasting, he also authors the popular and award-winning NeuroLogica blog, is senior editor of Science-Based Medicine, and makes regular appearances on radio, podcasts, and tv promoting science. He is also the author of two courses for The Great Courses on medical myths and critical thinking.
He is joined by his co-writers, Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella, and Evan Bernstein, each of whom bring their own personality and knowledge to the show and this book. Together they create a dynamic and engaging group of friends who like discussing cutting-edge science, philosophy, and controversial topics.
"This important addition to the literature of skepticism deserves
shelf space beside the works of such notables as Michael Shermer,
James Randi, Robert A. Baker, and Martin Gardner."--Booklist
"A fantastic compendium of skeptical thinking and the perfect
primer for anyone who wants to separate fact from
fiction."--Richard Wiseman, Professor of the Public Understanding
of Psychology at University of Hertfordshire and bestselling author
of 59 Seconds
"A lighthearted, wide-ranging romp through pseudoscience, quackery,
and nonsense of all kinds. Fun and fascinating, with an
undercurrent of darker urgency-given the upsurge in bald faced lies
and bizarro claims all around us, this book may be your best
defense."--Steven StrogatzProfessor of Mathematics, Cornell
University and author of The Joy of x
"A lively, engaging, and very timely guide to navigating a world
rife with misinformation and pseudoscience. This book will give you
the tools to ferret out nonsense and confront your own biases-and
hopefully change a few minds along the way."--Jennifer Oullette,
author of Me, Myself, and Why and The Calculus Diaries
"A terrific book for anyone who wants a better understanding about
the world around them and an essential guide to navigating modern
life. The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe will help readers
recognize pitfalls in reasoning, combat bad arguments and avoid
superstitious thinking."--Simon Singh, Skeptic & Author of Fermat's
Enigma
"At last! A user's guide to scientific skepticism written by some
of the most prominent and influential Rogues in the Skeptical
Community. From phantom Pompeii penis memories to the current fake
news phenomenon, The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe reads like a
dream; casual, occasionally irreverent, full of great anecdotes and
humor but ultimately a well-researched and authoritative account of
the vagaries of human folly and foolishness. What I particularly
like is that it is neither smug nor condescending but rather,
well-intentioned and genuinely urges the reader to recognize that
it is in our nature to believe nonsense but equally that we should
be vigilant. This is what we have been waiting for. I will be
recommending this to my students as a comprehensive guide to
developing critical thinking. "--Bruce Hood, author of SuperSense,
The Self Illusion, and Possessed
"Empowering and illuminating, this thinker's paradise is an
antidote to spreading anti-scientific sentiments. Readers will
return to its ideas again and again."--Publisher's Weekly (starred
review)
"If everyone in the world were to read this book, we might just
arrest humankind's depressing slide into truthlessness. Someone
should put the Skeptics' Guide on the vaccination schedule."-- Tim
Minchin
"If there's one thing we all need in these confusing and stressful
times, it is clear thinking and accurate appraisals of the
information flooding our senses. Thankfully, this book gives to the
reader precisely the tools needed to bring this about. The Skeptics
Guide to the Universe is an essential resource for a lifetime of
critical thinking and analysis."--Michael Whelan, award-winning
artist and author of The Art of Michael Whelan and Beyond Science
Fiction
"In his 1995 book The Demon-Haunted World, the great Carl Sagan
prophesied a descent into superstition and ignorance. Well, that
world has arrived. Fortunately, Steve Novella and his co-authors
are here to help us navigate it with critical thinking and
scientifically-appropriate skepticism, along the way exposing the
antiscience and pseudoscience so prevalent in our public discourse
today, from confirmation bias to conspiracy theories, N-Rays to
Nessie, the Face on Mars, to Flat-Eartherism."--Michael Mann,
Distinguished Professor, Penn State University and co-author of The
Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial is Threatening our
Planet, Destroying our Politics, and Driving us Crazy
"In this age of real and fake information, your ability to reason,
to think in scientifically skeptical fashion, is the most important
skill you can have. Read The Skeptics' Guide Universe; get better
at reasoning. And if this claim about the importance of reason is
wrong, The Skeptics' Guide will help you figure that out, too."--
Bill Nye
"Our lack of critical thinking skills and embarrassing scientific
illiteracy are among the most critical issues of our time. We are
drowning in a sea of myths, lies, deceptions, fakes and
superstitions. We are inundated and surrounded by pseudoscience and
illogic. We have lost our way. The timing couldn't be better for
the publication of a brilliant new book, The Skeptics Guide to the
Universe. It's a friendly, comprehensive, clear and direct guide to
these pressing issues and guess what...it's a hell of a lot of fun
to read."--Dean Edell M.D., host of the Dr. Dean Edell Show and
author of Eat Drink and Be Merry
"Steve and the gang have done it again. The Skeptics' Guide to the
Universe is the best and most popular podcast on science and
skepticism out there (I am honored to have been their first
guest!). And now this book is the best, soon to be the most
popular, guide to what's really real, so far as we can
tell."--Massimo Pigliucci, K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at
the City College of New York, author of Nonsense on Stilts: How to
Tell Science from Bunk
"There are so many ways to be wrong, what we all need is a
guidebook to being right. And here it is: The Skeptics' Guide to
the Universe is an invaluable manual to avoiding all of the ways we
can fool ourselves and be fooled by others. It's depressing to
think of how many ways there are, but at least now we have no
excuse for not being prepared."--Sean Carroll, author of The Big
Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe
Itself
"There's nothing more riveting, nor more frightening, than the
economy-size ability of the citizenry to embrace unscientific
explanations for puzzling events. We hardly blink when ordinary
folk are seduced by easy-to-grasp--if wrong--explanations for
autism or mysterious lights in the night sky. But we should be
alarmed. The science may be pseudo, but the grievous consequences
are real. Steve Novella and colleagues offer a fascinating
collection of the many contemporary phenomena now ascribed to
mysterious or even conspiratorial causes. They also point out the
logical errors that are repeatedly made by those who claim that the
truth is out there--and frequently too far out there! For those who
want to know, not merely believe, this book is an essential read.
It's also a great one."--Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer, SETI
Institute
"Thorough, informative, and enlightening, The Skeptic's Guide to
the Universe inoculates you against the frailties and shortcomings
of human cognition. If this book does not become required reading
for us all, we may well see modern civilization unravel before our
eyes."--Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist, American Museum of
Natural History
"Using examples ranging from Monty Python to Monty Hall, The
Skeptics Guide to the Universe offers the first ever page-turner
that teaches you how to think clearly."--Paul A. Offit, MD, author
of Bad Advice: Or Why Celebrities, Politicians, and Activists
Aren't Your Best Source of Health Information
Steven Novella (Clinical Neurology/Yale Univ. School of Medicine),
a founding fellow of the Institute for Science in Medicine and host
and producer of the titular science and critical thinking podcast,
pulls no punches in his attack on the misinformation, myths, and
biases that surround us. Aided here by several writing associates,
the author demonstrates his vast experience explaining the
mechanisms of deception and the tactics used by pseudoscientists.
Presented as "one giant inoculation against bad science, deception,
and faulty thinking," the book succeeds superbly.--Kirkus (starred
review)
Ask a Question About this Product More... |