Background
Radford, Benjamin T. was born on October 2, 1970 in New York City. Son of Jeff Radford and Martha Cushing.
(Thinking is an innate ability that most people take for g...)
Thinking is an innate ability that most people take for granted. But like writing well or speaking effectively before the public, thinking well is a skill that can be learned and improved with practice. In this unique introduction to critical thinking, Robert Bartholomew and Benjamin Radford first lay out the principles of critical thinking and then invite readers to put these principles to the test by examining a series of unusual and challenging case studies. Assembling a wide range of bizarre but actual incidents from many cultures and various time periods, they demonstrate how the tools of critical thinking can help to unravel alleged paranormal events and seemingly mysterious behavior. What factors led to the "Martian panic" of 1938? Why did many people conclude that an alien spaceship crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947? How do we explain the panic expressed by otherwise normal Southeast Asian men who came to believe that a contagious disease was causing their genitals to shrink, or the frenzied dance manias that captivated thousands of Europeans during the Middle Ages? Bartholomew and Radford show that reality is very much a social construction, that cultural assumptions play a large part in our judgments about what is normal and what is deviant, and that the use of critical reasoning is our best means of ensuring an objective perspective.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591020484/?tag=2022091-20
(For centuries, eyewitnesses around the world―from America...)
For centuries, eyewitnesses around the world―from America to Africa, Argentina to Scotland―have reported sightings of dark, mysterious creatures in area lakes that surface briefly, only to quickly disappear. While the most famous lake monsters of Loch Ness and Lake Champlain have gained international notoriety, hundreds of lakes around the world are said to shelter these shadowy creatures. Lake Monster Mysteries is the first book to examine these widespread mysteries from a scientific perspective. By using exhaustive research and results from firsthand investigations to help separate truth from myth, the authors foster our understanding of what really lurks in the cold, murky depths. Benjamin Radford and Joe Nickell are considered to be among the top lake monster authorities in the world. Here they share unique insights into many of the world's best-known lake monsters. They interview witnesses and local experts and discuss the different types of lake monster sightings, delve into possible explanations for those sightings, and examine hoaxes, evidence claims, and legends surrounding the monsters. The authors have also conducted groundbreaking fieldwork and experiments at the lakes and have examined recent photographic and sonar evidence. Incorporating newly-revealed information and up-to-date developments in the cases they present, professional monster hunters Radford and Nickell plunge into both the cultural histories of these creatures and the scientific inquiries that may hold the key to these mysteries.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0813123941/?tag=2022091-20
(This hard-hitting critique of our media culture examines ...)
This hard-hitting critique of our media culture examines not only the ways in which the public is often deceived, but the media's role in propagating those deceptions. But Media Mythmakers goes beyond criticism to give concrete examples of the damage that manipulation of the news causes. From missing children to the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, from the efforts to end slavery to AIDS education, myths and deception in the media threaten us all. While the public is being misled, real problems go unaddressed and resources are wasted on misguided ideas. In an increasingly complex world, where accurate and unbiased information is more important than ever, this book provides a timely and much-needed analysis.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591020727/?tag=2022091-20
Radford, Benjamin T. was born on October 2, 1970 in New York City. Son of Jeff Radford and Martha Cushing.
Bachelor in Psychology magna cum laude, University New Mexico, 1993.
Managing editor Corrales Comment Newspaper, New Mexico, 1992—1997, Skeptical Inquirer Magazine, Buffalo, since 1997. Editor Pensar Magazine, Buenos Aires, 2004. Paranormal investigator Center Inquiry, Buffalo, since 1997, educator media literature, since 2003.
Film critic www.radfordreviews.com, since 1994.
(For centuries, eyewitnesses around the world―from America...)
(This hard-hitting critique of our media culture examines ...)
(Thinking is an innate ability that most people take for g...)
With Literature Volumes American, Albuquerque, 1997. Member of American Civil Liberties Union, South American Explorers, Committee to Protect Journalists, Phi Beta Kappa.