Martin Gardner-"one of the most brilliant men and gracious writers I have ever known," wrote Stephen Jay Gould-is the wittiest, most devastating debunker of scientific fraud and chicanery of our time. In this new book Gardner explores startling scientific concepts, such as the possibility of multiple universes and the theory that time can go backwards. Armed with his expert, skeptical eye, he examines the bizarre tangents produced by Freudians and deconstructionists in their critiques of "Little Red Riding Hood," and reveals the fallacies of pseudoscientific cures, from Dr. Bruno Bettelheim's erroneous theory of autism to the cruel farces of Facilitated Communication and Primal Scream Therapy. Ever prolific, and still engaging at the spry age of eighty-eight, Gardner has become an American institution unto himself, a writer to be celebrated.

About the Author
Martin Gardner (1914-2010) is regarded as one of the world's leading experts on Lewis Carroll and his work. The author of more than a hundred books, he wrote the "Mathematical Games" column for Scientific American for twenty-five years and has been hailed by Douglas Hofstadter as "one of the great intellects produced in this country in this century."

Reviews
"Martin Gardner's contribution to contemporary intellectual culture is unique - in its range, its insight, and understanding of hard questions that matter." Noam Chomsky "...deftly debunk[s] everything from bogus medicinal remedies to psychic charlatans." Hazel Muir, New Scientist "He covers an astonishing range of topics..." Manjit Kumar, The Times Literary Supplement "Read it, as Gardner says, and weep." Victoria Neumark, The Times Educational Supplement



Book Information
ISBN 9780393325720
Author Martin Gardner
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint WW Norton & Co
Publisher WW Norton & Co
Weight(grams) 252g
Dimensions(mm) 211mm * 140mm * 20mm