 Cover of the 1957 revised edition | |
| Author | Martin Gardner |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subjects | Science, pseudoscience, skepticism, quackery |
| Publisher | Dover Publications |
Publication date | June 1, 1957, 2nd. ed. |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 373 |
| ISBN | 978-0-486-20394-2 |
| OCLC | 18598918 |
| Followed by | Science: Good, Bad and Bogus (1981) Order and Surprise (1983) |
Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science (1957)—originally published in 1952 as In the Name of Science: An Entertaining Survey of the High Priests and Cultists of Science, Past and Present[1]—was Martin Gardner's second book.[2][3] A survey of what it described as pseudosciences and cult beliefs, it became a founding document in the nascent scientific skepticism movement. Michael Shermer said of it: "Modern skepticism has developed into a science-based movement, beginning with Martin Gardner's 1952 classic".[4]
The book debunks what it characterises as pseudoscience and the pseudo-scientists who propagate it.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Shermerwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Gardner (1957)
- ^ Dover - the publisher of the book's second edition - had published a collection of mathematical puzzles the year before, and Gardner had already written many articles throughout the 1950s.
- ^ Shermer, Michael (2002). Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time. New York: Henry Holt. p. 16. ISBN 0-8050-7089-3.