COMMENT:A collection of Gardner's <a href="/bib/89"><cite>Skeptical Inquirer</cite></a> columns, reviews and essays. The usual battle with parapsychology takes place, but more interesting is the detailed material on the Smith-Blackburn hoax and Mrs. Piper (W. James's "white crow") in the early days of psychical research. Plus: Reich and orgonomy, Benveniste and homeopathy, Gaia, polonium halos, the <a href="/bib/206">Urantia</a> book, glossolalia. Gardner also discusses philosophy in an overconfident manner, and sometimes does not pay enough attention to historical context. But most irritating is his habit of quasi-religious sermonizing, and his focus on personalities to the degree of regularly resorting to personal attacks. These are distractions rather than fatal flaws, but bothersome nonetheless.
