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Good Thinking: Why Flawed Logic Puts Us All at Risk and How Critical Thinking Can Save the World
Good Thinking is our best defense against anti-vaccine paranoia, climate denial, and other dire threats of today
Publisher’s Good Thinking was previously published in the UK as The Irrational Ape.
In our ever-more-polarized society, there’s at least one thing we still agree The world is overrun with misinformation, faulty logic, and the gullible followers who buy into it all. Of course, we’re not among them—are we?
Scientist David Robert Grimes is on a mission to expose the logical fallacies and cognitive biases that drive our discourse on a dizzying array of topics–from vaccination to abortion, 9/11 conspiracy theories to dictatorial doublespeak, astrology to alternative medicine, and wrongful convictions to racism. But his purpose in Good Thinking isn’t to shame or place blame. Rather, it’s to interrogate our own assumptions–to develop our eye for the glimmer of truth in a vast sea of dubious sources–in short, to think critically .
Grimes’s expert takedown of irrationality is required reading for anyone wondering why bad thinking persists and how we can defeat it. Ultimately, no one changes anyone else’s mind; we can only change our own–and give others the tools to do the same.
Publisher’s Good Thinking was previously published in the UK as The Irrational Ape.
In our ever-more-polarized society, there’s at least one thing we still agree The world is overrun with misinformation, faulty logic, and the gullible followers who buy into it all. Of course, we’re not among them—are we?
Scientist David Robert Grimes is on a mission to expose the logical fallacies and cognitive biases that drive our discourse on a dizzying array of topics–from vaccination to abortion, 9/11 conspiracy theories to dictatorial doublespeak, astrology to alternative medicine, and wrongful convictions to racism. But his purpose in Good Thinking isn’t to shame or place blame. Rather, it’s to interrogate our own assumptions–to develop our eye for the glimmer of truth in a vast sea of dubious sources–in short, to think critically .
Grimes’s expert takedown of irrationality is required reading for anyone wondering why bad thinking persists and how we can defeat it. Ultimately, no one changes anyone else’s mind; we can only change our own–and give others the tools to do the same.
400 pages, Paperback
Published March 30, 2021
About the author
David Robert Grimes
3 books27 followersDavid Robert Grimes (born 1985) is an Irish science writer with professional training in physics and cancer biology, who contributes to several media outlets on questions of science and society. He has a diverse range of research interests and is a vocal advocate for increased public understanding of science. He was the 2014 recipient of the Sense about Science/Nature Maddox Prize for "Standing up for Science in the face of Adversity". He is a fellow with the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 8, 2023
2nd read, still one of my favourite more current non-fictions. I don’t say this about many non-fiction books but I feel like this is an important read. It’s very current (released a couple years ago) and super applicable to the current state of affairs in politics and info-heavy channels.
At first I was concerned that author had a far left leaning biases (something I also possess and try not to throw too much fuel on) but he also took many pot shots at some liberal ideologies which I think is important to have a meaningful discussion about “the way forward” so to speak. He even called out America’s sweetheart Oprah for her constant advertising of bogus claims.
My only complaint is that the author went from subject to subject without any headers and while reading NF I like to be able to find sections easily in case I want to refresh my memory on something. The only headers were under the chapter titles, which by the way, were really good and entertaining. I love a well labelled chapter (The Memory Remains; Great Expectations; Tales from the Echo Chamber. Etc. It’s reminiscent of my favourite books, the Sherlock Holmes Collections).
At first I was concerned that author had a far left leaning biases (something I also possess and try not to throw too much fuel on) but he also took many pot shots at some liberal ideologies which I think is important to have a meaningful discussion about “the way forward” so to speak. He even called out America’s sweetheart Oprah for her constant advertising of bogus claims.
My only complaint is that the author went from subject to subject without any headers and while reading NF I like to be able to find sections easily in case I want to refresh my memory on something. The only headers were under the chapter titles, which by the way, were really good and entertaining. I love a well labelled chapter (The Memory Remains; Great Expectations; Tales from the Echo Chamber. Etc. It’s reminiscent of my favourite books, the Sherlock Holmes Collections).
May 7, 2021
This is a very easy to read, insightful application of logic and sense to thorny modern issues and widespread beliefs. Surely any reader will have their beliefs challenged at some point the wide spectrum of topics handled, including:
9/11 Conspiracies
5G Panic
Anti-Vaccine Activism
"Cannabis Quacks"
Climate Change Denial
Satanic Ritual Abuse
Ghosts
Astrology
Donald Trump
The Sandy Hook Atrocity
Soviet Interference
Cancer Cure Fictions
For me, the challenge was the approach on electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) which I found very convincing in TV reporting. Then, Grimes observes:
This prompted me to do my own research. Electromagnetic hypersensitivity is not a valid diagnosis as caused by recognized by electromagnetic field according to any legitimate medical organization, as far as I can tell. There have been studies done on people claiming to be sensitive to electromagnetic radiation. A study conducted for the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority found that people who claim to be EMF-sensitive have physical symptoms, however the symptoms are not correlated with exposure to EMF radiation and may occur because of the conscious expectation of such symptoms. Even if it were possible to be sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, it would be impossible for symptoms to be triggered by cell phone signals, or nearby power lines. So, this confirmation further impressed me with the sagacity of Grimes' observations.
I really this convincing paragraph toward the end of this book I think is worth the time of anyone to ready:
9/11 Conspiracies
5G Panic
Anti-Vaccine Activism
"Cannabis Quacks"
Climate Change Denial
Satanic Ritual Abuse
Ghosts
Astrology
Donald Trump
The Sandy Hook Atrocity
Soviet Interference
Cancer Cure Fictions
For me, the challenge was the approach on electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) which I found very convincing in TV reporting. Then, Grimes observes:
There is no doubt that sufferers endure real distress but, despite their assertions that EMR is the cause of their woes, there is plenty of evidence that the illness is wholly psychosomatic. Perhaps the strongest evidence lies in provocation studies, where those with hypersensitivity are exposed to varying sources of EMR to provoke a reaction and gauge the response. In trials to date, sufferers have been entirely unable to distinguish between real and sham sources. Their reactions are consistent only with belief, with sham sources, possessing no viable EMR, triggering a reaction. Similarly, sufferers do not report symptoms where they are unaware they are being exposed to a real source of EMR. This result has been replicated in numerous trials, and the inescapable reality is that EHS has nothing to do with EMR, and everything to do with our curious psychology. The WHO report on EHS, while sympathetic, is unequivocally clear: “The symptoms are certainly real and can vary widely in their severity. Whatever its cause, EHS can be a disabling problem for the affected individual. EHS has no clear diagnostic criteria and there is no scientific basis to link EHS symptoms to EMR exposure.”
This prompted me to do my own research. Electromagnetic hypersensitivity is not a valid diagnosis as caused by recognized by electromagnetic field according to any legitimate medical organization, as far as I can tell. There have been studies done on people claiming to be sensitive to electromagnetic radiation. A study conducted for the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority found that people who claim to be EMF-sensitive have physical symptoms, however the symptoms are not correlated with exposure to EMF radiation and may occur because of the conscious expectation of such symptoms. Even if it were possible to be sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, it would be impossible for symptoms to be triggered by cell phone signals, or nearby power lines. So, this confirmation further impressed me with the sagacity of Grimes' observations.
I really this convincing paragraph toward the end of this book I think is worth the time of anyone to ready:
The great Carl Sagan worried that “we’ve arranged a global civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology. We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster.” Sagan’s lament is not hyperbole, nor is it inevitable. Improving public understanding of science and critical thought would be of huge benefit both to society and to us as individuals. But misconceptions abound; to many people, science is a mere collection of facts and figures, a compendium of banal trivia forced upon them in their schooldays by the lab-coated high priests of an arcane religion. However, as Benveniste’s story demonstrates, scientists aren’t infallible. They can be fooled by subtle mistakes, seduced by spurious results, or even be corrupt. We’ve seen too that not all studies are created equal: Some are well designed, careful to exclude confounding influences, while others are underpowered or conducted with inappropriate methodology.
September 30, 2021
“Good Thinking” by Grimes, an Irish physicist, cancer researcher and science journalist, is an easy-to-read explanation of common sources of bias, logical fallacies and motivated reasoning, fallacies of argument and devious rhetorical techniques, conspiracy theories and related tribal thinking, misuse of statistics, the Dunning-Kruger effect, limits of our senses and of memory, false equivalency, “cargo cult science”, and the harmful role of social and mass media, among other things. And he points out that these problems are hardly new in our society. It’s just that social media have exacerbated them. I thought the author was an equal-opportunity criticizer, politically, although it’s almost impossible to talk about conspiracy theories without bringing in people who are associated with the “right wing” in this country. To his credit, he does come up with several "left" examples as well.
This is the kind of book that I wish every university student read and discuss as part of a curriculum in decision-making with incomplete information, along with others such as “Thinking Fast and Slow”, “Fooled by Randomness”, “The Black Swan”, “The Biggest Bluff”, and “Thinking in Bets”. A common theme emerges in all of them – don’t trust your first thoughts on any complex matter. I might also add not to be taken in by simple explanations offered by others, however sincere they are. There is something in this book to challenge every reader concerning their own behavior and that of the people they are most comfortable hanging out with.
Each chapter is readable in 25 minutes and concerns a different source of flawed thinking. The language is easy. Grime’s gives explicit examples and pulls no punches, naming notable charlatans, celebrity influencers, homeopaths, scientists on the make, talking “nobody could possibly take my words seriously” heads, anti-vaxxers, etc. Some of the examples were eye-opening. I learned a wonderful new word – “ultracrepidarian”, which I have been applying silently as I read posts on-line.
I thought the explanation of model evaluation needed more work. (I knew the topic and still had trouble following the explanation.)
The book ends with specific advice to enhance the quality of one’s thinking and to detect the lack of it in arguments others are making, and on how to be a true “skeptic” searching for knowledge rather than a “cheap cynic” who appears to use the same techniques but is interested only in defending their beliefs.
Grime’s gets a bit preachy at the end but, given some of the ultracrepidarians the author has had to put up with, I could tolerate that.
This is the kind of book that I wish every university student read and discuss as part of a curriculum in decision-making with incomplete information, along with others such as “Thinking Fast and Slow”, “Fooled by Randomness”, “The Black Swan”, “The Biggest Bluff”, and “Thinking in Bets”. A common theme emerges in all of them – don’t trust your first thoughts on any complex matter. I might also add not to be taken in by simple explanations offered by others, however sincere they are. There is something in this book to challenge every reader concerning their own behavior and that of the people they are most comfortable hanging out with.
Each chapter is readable in 25 minutes and concerns a different source of flawed thinking. The language is easy. Grime’s gives explicit examples and pulls no punches, naming notable charlatans, celebrity influencers, homeopaths, scientists on the make, talking “nobody could possibly take my words seriously” heads, anti-vaxxers, etc. Some of the examples were eye-opening. I learned a wonderful new word – “ultracrepidarian”, which I have been applying silently as I read posts on-line.
I thought the explanation of model evaluation needed more work. (I knew the topic and still had trouble following the explanation.)
The book ends with specific advice to enhance the quality of one’s thinking and to detect the lack of it in arguments others are making, and on how to be a true “skeptic” searching for knowledge rather than a “cheap cynic” who appears to use the same techniques but is interested only in defending their beliefs.
Grime’s gets a bit preachy at the end but, given some of the ultracrepidarians the author has had to put up with, I could tolerate that.
September 27, 2021
We live in a time in which we are plagued with information. I'd love to use a word other than "plagued" to describe it, but the reality is that much of the information we consume is just not reliable. It's much easier to disguise unfounded rhetoric than it is to present well-researched information that's grounded in reality.
"Good Thinking" has truly changed the way I think. I've always valued skepticism and scrutiny, sometimes to my own detriment, but this book has given me a concrete foundation to apply to this way of thinking. I've learned how to better criticize and find holes in claims. It's become much easier to say "'X' argument is not incredibly compelling because 'Y'". In other words, I'm now better at expressing why I don't find an argument convincing. This is an important skill to have to avoid hurting people's feelings, and to be more convincing when presenting an argument.
In addition to applying these concepts to other people's arguments, it's profoundly more important to apply them to our own thinking. To be able to ask questions like "Why do I believe that?" or "Do I really know that?" is to allow yourself to learn and come closer to reality.
"Good Thinking" has truly changed the way I think. I've always valued skepticism and scrutiny, sometimes to my own detriment, but this book has given me a concrete foundation to apply to this way of thinking. I've learned how to better criticize and find holes in claims. It's become much easier to say "'X' argument is not incredibly compelling because 'Y'". In other words, I'm now better at expressing why I don't find an argument convincing. This is an important skill to have to avoid hurting people's feelings, and to be more convincing when presenting an argument.
In addition to applying these concepts to other people's arguments, it's profoundly more important to apply them to our own thinking. To be able to ask questions like "Why do I believe that?" or "Do I really know that?" is to allow yourself to learn and come closer to reality.
September 3, 2021
A must read!
December 12, 2021
I’m not sure how I came across this book, but I’m so glad that I did. I read a ton of books on thinking errors, critical thinking, and decision-making, and this is definitely one of the best. David Robert Grimes made a book that has just about everything you need if you want to become a better thinker and learn how to avoid mistakes that are part of our daily life. The book covers logical fallacies, some psychology behind why we make these thinking errors, and a variety of ways we can avoid flawed logic. I also really enjoyed how Grimes was able to provide extremely useful examples to paint a picture of how these thinking errors can happen. Many of these books can sound just like the others in the genre, but this one was unique and more informative than most and accessible to all. I hate to say it, but I read this a week or two after Steven Pinker’s new book Rationality, and I think this one by David Robert Grimes was 10x better.
April 7, 2021
This book is interesting. It starts off with anecdotal tales of Russian heroes that saved us all from the horrors of nuclear annihilation. Hurrah! Okay, well enough. Though, and what I find most interesting about the book is the author’s technique for demonstrating critical thinking, “self–contradiction.” How does he pull this off. Well, by introducing his own biases, prejudices and non–critical thoughts as if they were “facts” meant to suggest other facts (or truths for that matter) in such a way as to induce in the reader a belief in the latter based upon the ground of the former, in other words—to think critically. Of course, as I said, this is a self–contradiction, that is, setting up a distortion between the contents of the book and its overall intent. I’m giving it two stars for uncertainty, uncertainty as to whether Mr. Grimes intended this inducement in the reader or not. But if you enjoy loosely connected tales about “good” thinking, well read on...it certainly is all of that...
January 29, 2021
A very well done book that could quell your anxiety and help reason out our crazy world.
Critical thinking is the analysis and evaluation of an ideas in order to form a judgement. As humans it's the only thing that prevents us from making a critical error of faulty thinking.
The internet and our media choices are loaded with lies and half truths. We can choose to believe anything. This emotional response only drags us further into our tribes and disallows us to reach out of our own ideological group. This book employs scientific and analytical thinking to sift through the cacophony of news with which we are faced. Pulling from historical moments in time and lesser known individuals, examples of confusion from the truth to the absurd, are explored in this book. This author helps the reader have a plan to analyze thoughts, dissolve the rhetoric, shine light on sources and review the science, or lack of, in this nebulous time of mass information.
Critical thinking is the analysis and evaluation of an ideas in order to form a judgement. As humans it's the only thing that prevents us from making a critical error of faulty thinking.
The internet and our media choices are loaded with lies and half truths. We can choose to believe anything. This emotional response only drags us further into our tribes and disallows us to reach out of our own ideological group. This book employs scientific and analytical thinking to sift through the cacophony of news with which we are faced. Pulling from historical moments in time and lesser known individuals, examples of confusion from the truth to the absurd, are explored in this book. This author helps the reader have a plan to analyze thoughts, dissolve the rhetoric, shine light on sources and review the science, or lack of, in this nebulous time of mass information.
February 27, 2021
Wonderful, clever look at critical thinking
I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. The writing is excellent, in a conversational tone, and with a sense of humor. Even the footnotes are worth reading. This book has everything I like, including politics, history of science, and philosophy of science. Where the book discusses actual science, everything is well explained. The book also brilliantly discusses biases of thinking. It was enlightening to look at my own biases. Overall, this is an outstanding book and is science writing at its best. It’s one of those books where I was disappointed when I reached the end. Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for the advance reader copy.
I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. The writing is excellent, in a conversational tone, and with a sense of humor. Even the footnotes are worth reading. This book has everything I like, including politics, history of science, and philosophy of science. Where the book discusses actual science, everything is well explained. The book also brilliantly discusses biases of thinking. It was enlightening to look at my own biases. Overall, this is an outstanding book and is science writing at its best. It’s one of those books where I was disappointed when I reached the end. Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for the advance reader copy.
May 17, 2023
This is a wonderful book that I hope that everyone will read. I did consider giving it 4 stars for some things I would like to have seen in it but overall the things it DOES do and how well it is written pushed me to five stars.
What it does do is give an accessible look into some of the basic reasons we have flawed reasoning and the tricks people use to exploit those flaws to get us to believe incorrect things. It also does give - a couple of times - a list of what we can do to help improve our critical thinking skills.
It is broken into 6 sections and unlike some other books I don't feel it loses steam in the later sections. what I mean is - some books put all their best ideas in the first sections and the last sections feel a bit like filler. I didn't feel that way in this book and there were solid points made in every section.
I feel Robert does an excellent job balancing theory with concrete examples from history (and recent history). Many I have seen before (which I can't fault him for - I like reading books in this subject area) but many I had not seen. The ones that stick with me are when geniuses in one area get it wrong in another area and can't see their flawed reasoning (example: Lord Kelvin getting the age of the Earth wrong and how his former assistant John Perry tried to correct him (BTW the index in this book could use improvement - Kelvin is in there but not Perry, Perry got it right - give him his place in the index :).
Overall it is an excellent look at critical thinking and is a must read for high school students - or students of any age. I just say "high school" because it is my extreme belief we need to do a better job of teaching critical thinking at a younger age in a formal manner. IMO students would benefit a lot more from a critical thinking class than an (as one example) algebra class. Teach them HOW to think, and gain better skills determining fact from fiction and the rest follows.
What are the things I wish were in the book? Robert touches on some interesting theories (e.g. confirmation bias, fundamental attribution error) and I wish he could have taken the time to explain them a bit more and show the scientific evidence of some of these theories in greater detail. He could say "not the point of the book" or "it would make the book too long" and "make it less readable". Which I would agree with but still I felt he glossed over them too much for my liking.
His lists of how to improve thinking (pages 311-12 and 341-43 in my edition) were great but I wish he could have given concrete (or even made up) examples of using them in practice. I know no list is perfect but I did feel the second one could have been better constructed. As an example, Human factors and Sources seemed repetitive to me, they were making basically the same point. Sure, it's a nitpick but I feel these lists are the take-home message so make sure it is a well thought out one.
But my nitpicks aside I loved this book and my complaints are "give me more!" so that is a good sign :).
What it does do is give an accessible look into some of the basic reasons we have flawed reasoning and the tricks people use to exploit those flaws to get us to believe incorrect things. It also does give - a couple of times - a list of what we can do to help improve our critical thinking skills.
It is broken into 6 sections and unlike some other books I don't feel it loses steam in the later sections. what I mean is - some books put all their best ideas in the first sections and the last sections feel a bit like filler. I didn't feel that way in this book and there were solid points made in every section.
I feel Robert does an excellent job balancing theory with concrete examples from history (and recent history). Many I have seen before (which I can't fault him for - I like reading books in this subject area) but many I had not seen. The ones that stick with me are when geniuses in one area get it wrong in another area and can't see their flawed reasoning (example: Lord Kelvin getting the age of the Earth wrong and how his former assistant John Perry tried to correct him (BTW the index in this book could use improvement - Kelvin is in there but not Perry, Perry got it right - give him his place in the index :).
Overall it is an excellent look at critical thinking and is a must read for high school students - or students of any age. I just say "high school" because it is my extreme belief we need to do a better job of teaching critical thinking at a younger age in a formal manner. IMO students would benefit a lot more from a critical thinking class than an (as one example) algebra class. Teach them HOW to think, and gain better skills determining fact from fiction and the rest follows.
What are the things I wish were in the book? Robert touches on some interesting theories (e.g. confirmation bias, fundamental attribution error) and I wish he could have taken the time to explain them a bit more and show the scientific evidence of some of these theories in greater detail. He could say "not the point of the book" or "it would make the book too long" and "make it less readable". Which I would agree with but still I felt he glossed over them too much for my liking.
His lists of how to improve thinking (pages 311-12 and 341-43 in my edition) were great but I wish he could have given concrete (or even made up) examples of using them in practice. I know no list is perfect but I did feel the second one could have been better constructed. As an example, Human factors and Sources seemed repetitive to me, they were making basically the same point. Sure, it's a nitpick but I feel these lists are the take-home message so make sure it is a well thought out one.
But my nitpicks aside I loved this book and my complaints are "give me more!" so that is a good sign :).
February 22, 2021
I received a digital galley of “ Good Thinking,” from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. In general, this book serves as a nice overview of how to think critically when confronted with information. At certain times it takes a logical/philosophical approach to evaluate the strength or weakness of an argument, at other times it references cognitive psychology, and still other times uses a scientific approach to evaluate the numerous medical and scientific topics it addresses.
Some of the stories Grimes uses to depict flawed thinking are well-known, so if you have read broadly about decision-making you will be familiar with several of these anecdotes; although, for me, continued exposure keeps me from falling into cognitive traps which can lead to error. A good part of the book tackles scientific topics involving homeopathy, cancer, vaccines and climate science so the ideal reader should be prepared to learn about concepts such as natural frequencies, the concept of sensitivity and specificity and statistical significance. The author does a nice job explaining these concepts for a lay audience.
He also spends some time on ideological thinking that impairs our ability to accept divergent information that challenges our beliefs and tackles conspiracy theories head-on. This also leads him into the concept of “filter bubbles” which is aided by technology where our reading choices encounters online algorithms which further promotes content that supports our viewpoints. If this seems like a lot of topics— it is. One of the ways in which the book could be better is a tighter argued thesis rather than a very broad view that tries to address science, math, logic, philosophy, religion, politics, etc. Also, some of the introductions to the main themes in chapters takes too long— the chapter on Donald Trump’s 2016 election seems more of a political diatribe rather than a tightly argued point about false equivalency— that Clinton’s exaggerations or misstatements were of a lesser degree than Trump’s.
I appreciated Grimes’ vantage point of wanting to address so many topics where shoddy thinking resides but a more critical editor could have cut some of this material while still leaving readers enlightened and entertained on how to evaluate the evidence of data and the strength of arguments that we are confronted with on a daily basis to make informed decisions. 5 stars for the passion and zeal. Two and a half stars for the execution.
Some of the stories Grimes uses to depict flawed thinking are well-known, so if you have read broadly about decision-making you will be familiar with several of these anecdotes; although, for me, continued exposure keeps me from falling into cognitive traps which can lead to error. A good part of the book tackles scientific topics involving homeopathy, cancer, vaccines and climate science so the ideal reader should be prepared to learn about concepts such as natural frequencies, the concept of sensitivity and specificity and statistical significance. The author does a nice job explaining these concepts for a lay audience.
He also spends some time on ideological thinking that impairs our ability to accept divergent information that challenges our beliefs and tackles conspiracy theories head-on. This also leads him into the concept of “filter bubbles” which is aided by technology where our reading choices encounters online algorithms which further promotes content that supports our viewpoints. If this seems like a lot of topics— it is. One of the ways in which the book could be better is a tighter argued thesis rather than a very broad view that tries to address science, math, logic, philosophy, religion, politics, etc. Also, some of the introductions to the main themes in chapters takes too long— the chapter on Donald Trump’s 2016 election seems more of a political diatribe rather than a tightly argued point about false equivalency— that Clinton’s exaggerations or misstatements were of a lesser degree than Trump’s.
I appreciated Grimes’ vantage point of wanting to address so many topics where shoddy thinking resides but a more critical editor could have cut some of this material while still leaving readers enlightened and entertained on how to evaluate the evidence of data and the strength of arguments that we are confronted with on a daily basis to make informed decisions. 5 stars for the passion and zeal. Two and a half stars for the execution.
July 30, 2022
Ще бъда кратък, защото книгата е просто толкова добра, че ако тръгна да пиша за нещата, които ми харесаха в нея, ще е грях да спомена само някои. Книгата покрива множество теми.
Логически грешки, които ежедневно допускаме. Ясно и подробно се обяснява вс��ка една от тях и съответно се дават примери как, поради неразбирането им често правим погрешни изводи, които пък водят до погрешни избори и действия,а след това, респективно и до последствия. Типичен пример е сформирането на антиваксърското общество. То допуска логическата грешка post hoc ergo propter hoc (или след ваксината, следователно заради ваксината), поради което погрешно приписва вината за развиването на аутизъм при децата на ваксините.
Обсъждат се множество конспиративни теории като 9/11, плоската земя, биолаборатории пускащи вируси, отричане на коронавируса, лабораторно тунингован ХИВ вирус причиняващ СПИН, глобалното затопляне и много други като КОЙ И ЗАЩО КРИЕ ЛЕКАРСТВОТО ЗА РАКА ОТ НАС ?
Говори се за това какво е наука, псевдонаука(хомеопатията, моята любима тема, хахааха), астрология и др. Покриват се базови познания по статистика, какво е P-value и статистическа значимост, бръснач на Окам и др. Как някои ''учени'' използват относителният риск, за да внушат, че са открили голяма разлика в изследването си, вместо да кажат какъв е абсолютният. Прави се разлика между корелация и каузалгия. Какво е плацебо и ноцебо. Дънинг-Крюгер ефект, духове, пареидолия, апофения и се обяснява как сетивата ни често ни объркват и защо не може винаги да им се доверяваме.
Авторът пише и за фалшивиат баланс в медиите, дезинформация и руската пропаганда, която се засилила значително след анексирането на Крим през 2014г.
Какво е наука и какво не е наука ? Проблем за демаркацията.
Хора, тази книга трябва да се прочете от абсолютно всеки. Това е задължителна книга. Учи ви как да мислите критично,скептично, аналитично, логично и да търсите доказателства. Тази книга ще ви предпази от това да станете жертва на дезинформация, лъжи и пропаганда, които както знаем и в днешно време виждаме, могат да имат пагубен ефект и да водят до смърт. 5/5! Задължителна книга!
Логически грешки, които ежедневно допускаме. Ясно и подробно се обяснява вс��ка една от тях и съответно се дават примери как, поради неразбирането им често правим погрешни изводи, които пък водят до погрешни избори и действия,а след това, респективно и до последствия. Типичен пример е сформирането на антиваксърското общество. То допуска логическата грешка post hoc ergo propter hoc (или след ваксината, следователно заради ваксината), поради което погрешно приписва вината за развиването на аутизъм при децата на ваксините.
Обсъждат се множество конспиративни теории като 9/11, плоската земя, биолаборатории пускащи вируси, отричане на коронавируса, лабораторно тунингован ХИВ вирус причиняващ СПИН, глобалното затопляне и много други като КОЙ И ЗАЩО КРИЕ ЛЕКАРСТВОТО ЗА РАКА ОТ НАС ?
Говори се за това какво е наука, псевдонаука(хомеопатията, моята любима тема, хахааха), астрология и др. Покриват се базови познания по статистика, какво е P-value и статистическа значимост, бръснач на Окам и др. Как някои ''учени'' използват относителният риск, за да внушат, че са открили голяма разлика в изследването си, вместо да кажат какъв е абсолютният. Прави се разлика между корелация и каузалгия. Какво е плацебо и ноцебо. Дънинг-Крюгер ефект, духове, пареидолия, апофения и се обяснява как сетивата ни често ни объркват и защо не може винаги да им се доверяваме.
Авторът пише и за фалшивиат баланс в медиите, дезинформация и руската пропаганда, която се засилила значително след анексирането на Крим през 2014г.
Какво е наука и какво не е наука ? Проблем за демаркацията.
Хора, тази книга трябва да се прочете от абсолютно всеки. Това е задължителна книга. Учи ви как да мислите критично,скептично, аналитично, логично и да търсите доказателства. Тази книга ще ви предпази от това да станете жертва на дезинформация, лъжи и пропаганда, които както знаем и в днешно време виждаме, могат да имат пагубен ефект и да водят до смърт. 5/5! Задължителна книга!
December 4, 2023
3.5 stars
This book has some interesting examples of conspiracy theories, misinformation, and questionable decisions. A few of my favourites:
- There's a tribe in Vanuatu that hails Prince Phillip as a deity. He's considered the "son of the mountain spirit" and prophecy says that one day he will return to them.
- "Schrödinger's Bin Laden" A study found that people who are likely to believe in conspiracy theories will believe in multiple ones - even if they contradict each other. "Another study found that the stronger their belief that Osama Bin Laden was already dead when the US Special Forces arrived, the deeper their belief that he was still alive." (p. 136)
One thing that stuck with me was the concept of "false balance". That when science and pseudoscience are presented equally, it gives the (false) impression that they hold the same credentials.
For ex: youtube videos of "scientists VS flat earthers". If both parties are considered equal then the watcher gets the idea that either side could be correct.
In reality, pseudoscience has no evidence to back it up.
I liked the chapters that focused on WHY we believe what we believe - all the cognitive stuff that goes on for us to believe in pseudoscience instead of recognizing it as bs
This book has some interesting examples of conspiracy theories, misinformation, and questionable decisions. A few of my favourites:
- There's a tribe in Vanuatu that hails Prince Phillip as a deity. He's considered the "son of the mountain spirit" and prophecy says that one day he will return to them.
- "Schrödinger's Bin Laden" A study found that people who are likely to believe in conspiracy theories will believe in multiple ones - even if they contradict each other. "Another study found that the stronger their belief that Osama Bin Laden was already dead when the US Special Forces arrived, the deeper their belief that he was still alive." (p. 136)
One thing that stuck with me was the concept of "false balance". That when science and pseudoscience are presented equally, it gives the (false) impression that they hold the same credentials.
For ex: youtube videos of "scientists VS flat earthers". If both parties are considered equal then the watcher gets the idea that either side could be correct.
In reality, pseudoscience has no evidence to back it up.
I liked the chapters that focused on WHY we believe what we believe - all the cognitive stuff that goes on for us to believe in pseudoscience instead of recognizing it as bs
February 14, 2023
David Robert Grimes has put together a well-thought out book describing some of the logical fallacies that so often trip people up, both in modern discourse, as well in evaluating new information that we are often bombarded with. The concept of building a world view based on reason and objective evaluation is essential and he does a great introduction to how to critically review this information. His vignettes are all built around historic moments where some of the bad faith arguments are used to highlight the logical fallacies that have led to bad policy and outright scandal.
However, as a father of a young baby, I have very limited time, with maybe an hour to myself to really dig through a book. This one took me a long while to work through, and there were moments when you get lost in the language of the topic. It's an excellent read, but don't expect a thrilling page turner, but a book to educate you about your own biases.
However, as a father of a young baby, I have very limited time, with maybe an hour to myself to really dig through a book. This one took me a long while to work through, and there were moments when you get lost in the language of the topic. It's an excellent read, but don't expect a thrilling page turner, but a book to educate you about your own biases.
Read
March 23, 2022If you’re going to write a book about “good thinking” and by that Grimes means using logic, avoiding fallacies, and following the scientific method (all good things), then maybe don’t dedicate an entire chapter to an outdated piece of pop-science i.e. the Dunning-Kruger effect. Grimes warns against believing things simply because they sound true (smart advice), but that is precisely why the Dunning-Kruger effect is so popular. It feels true. In a world full of conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers, and climate change deniers, the effect offers a simple answer to why people hold unsubstantiated beliefs with such confidence, but, unfortunately, the true answer is much more complicated.
If you want to read more about the faults of the Dunning-Kruger effect, I found this article helpful
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/cri...
If you want to read more about the faults of the Dunning-Kruger effect, I found this article helpful
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/cri...
June 20, 2021
What a great book! I've read a couple of critical thinking books in the last couple of years and this was by far the best. The use of stories and real examples makes understanding the fallacies and hazards to critical thinking much easier to understand and watch for.
I suspect everybody reading this book will come across or at least recognize an example of where the thinking may have led them astray. Reading this book will help inoculate yourself from the reams of bad informations pushed by accident and on purpose.
I think everybody would benefit and enjoy this is book. Even better, read it with a friend or in a group to stimulate discussion.
I suspect everybody reading this book will come across or at least recognize an example of where the thinking may have led them astray. Reading this book will help inoculate yourself from the reams of bad informations pushed by accident and on purpose.
I think everybody would benefit and enjoy this is book. Even better, read it with a friend or in a group to stimulate discussion.
September 22, 2022
Another great book that the people who need to read most probably never will. Great examples to support the premise. I always enjoy when you're reading a book and you can tell someone's biases but you can also tell they've done their best to present examples that can be taken without the side of politics that most books drop a little too hard into. I didn't know much about the author, so was also a bit surprised at how many medical examples were used, which I guess helped keep it from going too political. I'm sure if I scan the reviews, there'll be people shouting about how political it is though, such is our world right now.
5 out of 5, would recommend to anyone and everyone
5 out of 5, would recommend to anyone and everyone
November 30, 2023
I was very excited reading this the first few chapters. I enjoyed the deep-dive into the issues that cloud our thinking and influence people.
However, the book began to drag by around page 100 as he kept citing example after example of how thinking is bad, but not diving deep enough into the why it is happening. Almost like he was trying to "give me my money's worth" in number of pages and citations, as apposed to just providing/stting the problem, why it exists, and then provide possible solutions.
And the solutions are another thing. Do you think we could have more than just the Conclusion/Epilogue for that. Not much to work with after citing the problems.
However, the book began to drag by around page 100 as he kept citing example after example of how thinking is bad, but not diving deep enough into the why it is happening. Almost like he was trying to "give me my money's worth" in number of pages and citations, as apposed to just providing/stting the problem, why it exists, and then provide possible solutions.
And the solutions are another thing. Do you think we could have more than just the Conclusion/Epilogue for that. Not much to work with after citing the problems.
April 5, 2021
A well-written book about critical thinking and the biases of thinking. Although quite long and repetitive in some chapters, I was able to stay engaged and found the writing easy to read. The book really delves into critical thinking, biases, and the biases of thinking. There are multiple examples and historical scenarios throughout, which really how highlight emotional responses and bias can fuel misinformation and conspiracies.
Thanks to NetGalley, David Robert Grimes, and The Experiment for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley, David Robert Grimes, and The Experiment for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.
June 3, 2021
I think this would be a good book for all high school or entry level college students to read to understand more about how arguments are constructed, how they can become corrupted, and how to use logic and skepticism to see the difference.
This book challenged my own notions on things such as alternative medicine and conspiratorial thought. It truly reveals how religious we all are, meaning that we are all caught up in belief structures despite good evidence or in spite of no evidence.
This book should be a stocking stuffer!
This book challenged my own notions on things such as alternative medicine and conspiratorial thought. It truly reveals how religious we all are, meaning that we are all caught up in belief structures despite good evidence or in spite of no evidence.
This book should be a stocking stuffer!
December 30, 2021
In this re-issued and updated US version of his UK book, "The Irrational Ape: Why Flawed Logic Puts us all at Risk and How Critical Thinking Can Save the World," Grimes lays out the many reasons why humans are subject to flawed thinking. Through logical examples from the Greek Philosophers all the way through the modern-day hoax believers, Grimes illustrates how the modern media's tendency to air both sides of an argument can backfire when some of the evidence is scientifically disproved. While this is not an easy read, it is certainly thought-provoking work.
April 14, 2022
An interesting enough survey of logical fallacies and the way that human beings think, the tone is perhaps a bit too smarmy and the book struggles to find greater meaning. One begins to wonder how somebody in need of these skills might approach this book - is a book extolling the virtues of critical thinking going to resonate with those in need of the skill? Grimes has no answers, and he doesn't even try to think of them.
In light of that, it's hard not to feel as though he's preaching to the choir.
In light of that, it's hard not to feel as though he's preaching to the choir.
January 18, 2023
I’d give this book 25 stars, if I could. Very well written, with an easy style, clear examples, and loaded with excellent analogies.
I’m considering buying copies for people I care about, but have different ideas about whatever volatile topics are out there. They are myriad!
One thing I’ve been saddened by, is the extreme polarization of people over politics, religion, health, and so much more. This book really gives you some good ideas in how to discuss (rather than debate) others in a caring & productive way.
Two thumbs up!
I’m considering buying copies for people I care about, but have different ideas about whatever volatile topics are out there. They are myriad!
One thing I’ve been saddened by, is the extreme polarization of people over politics, religion, health, and so much more. This book really gives you some good ideas in how to discuss (rather than debate) others in a caring & productive way.
Two thumbs up!
May 18, 2021
The disparate examples provided come off as simplistic, but the author's emphasis on current well-known events and conspiracy theories make the book relatable. Instead of merely rote-listing and providing examples of the more well-known logical fallacies, he demonstrates how they are often hidden inside layers of deception. My opinion of the book changed after a more careful re-read; I found it dull the first time, but on review I found it more nuanced and helpful.
December 31, 2021
Must read. David explains certain behavioral biases humans are falling into in simple language and how those errors can result in negative consequences for many. David also does a good job IMO how you can be manipulated by fake media and there might be lessons for you to learn how to stay open-minded. If you want to know how you might be potentially influenced in different aspects, this is the book for you.
November 12, 2021
Splendid book that tries to un-confound the world of "The Big Lie" and other conspiracy theory related beliefs, empowered by the internet and people who are susceptible to nonsense. The author takes on Climate Change denial, Young Earthers, Homeopathy, Flat-Earthers and other assorted bull$hit. Really well argued and scientifically sound.
April 11, 2021
An excellent overview of the ways in which people deceive themselves. Some of the territory is well worn, but I particularly enjoyed the chapter on false balance. As is usually the case, the people who need this book won't read it.
April 27, 2022
I really think this is an important book and critical thinking is so important & needed to be taught. I can’t lie though I was becoming very bored. The anecdotes were becoming longer and longer every chapter and becoming repetitive.
April 10, 2023
Just so.
Mostly a cobbling together of items already too well travelled, long past their sell by date and somewhat shop worn for anyone who has kept an eye one the ball in the past twenty years. Maybe nice for someone who hasn’t.
Mostly a cobbling together of items already too well travelled, long past their sell by date and somewhat shop worn for anyone who has kept an eye one the ball in the past twenty years. Maybe nice for someone who hasn’t.
May 2, 2023
Actually couldn't finish it. Read about 1/2 or a little more. He discusses not jumping to conclusions but does that from his left leaning politics quite frequently. I think he had some good points and I would have liked to finish, but kept getting annoyed.
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