"Smith's work is a valuable contribution to the field. It will certainly be of interest to psychologists interested in the consequences of cognitive errors, and it is no doubt the best textbook on the market for a course on the psychology of paranormal belief. Although Smith explains paranormal thinking in terms of cognitive errors, his presentation of psychological issues is not technical; thus, this text would be especially useful in a freshman seminar, so popular now on American campuses, whose purpose is to help entering college students develop critical thinking skills. Students will either love or hate this text, but they will not be left unchanged by it. And that, after all, is what college is all about.„ (PsycCRITIQUES, April 2010)“This book, particularly in regard to its discussion of memoryerrors and its insistence on the value of real science, takes aplace of prominence on my personal library shelf.„
-James Randi, Chairman of the James Randi EducationalFoundation
“I am astonished by the excellence of this book. Smith hasproduced a highly readable and very entertaining yet criticalexamination of virtually the entire gamut of paranormal claims, andhe demonstrates an encyclopedic knowledge of the field in doing so. While drawing extensively from psychology, physics, logicalanalysis and history, he always manages to keep things clear andstraightforward, so that one is never lost in complexity. Moreover, the tone is light-hearted throughout, and never becomes pedantic orcondescending. And the book offers much more than an evaluation ofextraordinary claims. It provides a refined set of criticalthinking tools that the reader will find invaluable in everydaylife. I strongly recommend this book to everyone who values thepursuit of truth in all things. And I can only wish that those whoknow that they already have the truth would read it as well, forthey need it the most.„
-James Alcock, PhD, Professor of Psychology, YorkUniversity
“Can you be both a critical thinker and a believer in theparanormal? The „reality checks“ in JonathanSmith's Critical Thinker's Toolkit will guide you toyour answer."
-Robert Todd Carroll, author of The Skeptic'sDictionary
„An excellent, engaging, and highly readable introduction to theparanormal and to the distinction between science andpseudoscience. A superb student-friendly guide to extraordinaryclaims. Chock full of interesting and fun examples, not to mentionhumor. Should become a favorite in undergraduate psychologycourses.“
-Scott O. Lilienfeld, Emory University