Most of these books deal with weird, psychic and paranormal stuff. All provide countless good examples of what 'thinking straight' is really all about. For the open-minded only. Sorry, but I can't actually help you find any of these books.

Flim-Flam! by James Randi / Prometheus Books, New York, 1982 I cannot praise this book too highly. It is wonderfully well-written, well-organised and comprehensive - not to mention great fun! Easily the best book on investigating extraordinary claims, and what happens when you put such claims under well-informed scrutiny. I doubt any finer book on the subject could be written.

Irrationality by Stuart Sutherland / Penguin Books, 1994 An experienced tour guide takes you through the dozens of different ways in which thinking often goes off the rails. Like 'Flim-Flam' above, a book demanding the highest possible praise. Hugely enjoyable and absorbing to read, packed with the best set of thought-provoking puzzles to be found between one set of covers.

Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer A truly impressive and enjoyable book which explores a rich array of contemporary myths in admirable detail. Quiter simply, one of the most absorbing and thought-provoking books you can read.

200% of Nothing by A.K. Dewdney / John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 1993 The best book ever written on the ways people use numbers, statistics and clever wording to try and mislead you. Packed to overflowing with good examples, and easy to follow.

Fallacies and Pitfalls of Language by S. Morris Engel / Dover Publications, Inc. 1994 An excellent survey of how people use language to try and mislead or influence you, covering everything from advertising to political campaigns. Not as well-known as it should be.

Straight and Crooked Thinking by Robert H. Thouless / Hodder and Stoughton 1930; Pan Books, 1983 A classic book which lists many unfair or misleading argumentative tricks and ruses. A bit dated in style, but still worth reading.

The Faith Healers by James Randi / Prometheus Books 1989 Another of Randi's works which deserves to be recognised as the definitive word on its subject. A detailed survey of the claim that faith can heal, including the complete story of Randi's now-famous exposure of Peter Popoff and his incredibly elaborate fakery.

Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science by Martin Gardner / Dover Publications, 1952, 1957 A startling survey of numerous strange cults and absurd claims which have from time to time been put forward as serious scientific theories. Very well researched.

Missing Pieces by Robert A. Baker & Joe Nickell / Prometheus Books, New York, 1992 Baker and Nickell are real-life "detectives" who investigate psychic claims and paranormal mysteries instead of crimes. A very good book which also provides a wealth of pointers to other sources of information.

Pseudo-science and the Paranormal by Terence Hines / Prometheus Books, New York, 1988 Considered by many to be the finest, and most comprehensive, survey of modern trends in pseudo-science. Easy to read, exceptionally well-written and presented.

How To Think about Weird Things by Theodore Schick, Jr and Lewis Vaughn / Mayfield Publishing Company, California 1995 Deals mainly with paranormal matters, but covers many other areas too as it addresses successful and unsuccessful ways of trying to assess new or challenging ideas.

The Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy edited by C. Dennis McKinsey / Prometheus Books, New York 1995 The last word in analysis of the errors, inconsistencies, self-contradictions, mis-quotes, fallacies and similar nonsense found in the Bible. An exhaustive and delightfully thorough trawl through both testaments, neatly categorised and listed as never before. Rewards both serious study and just-for-fun browsing.

Miracles and the Pulp Press During the English Revolution by Jerome Friedman / UCl Press Limited, London 1993 This was published in the USA under the far more inspiring title of 'The Battle of the Frogs and Fairford's Flies', which in the London edition has been relegated to a mere sub-title. This is a hugely enjoyable read, and an authoritative correction to those who think 'tabloid journalism' and hysterical mis-reportage are anything new.

Why Things Bite Back by Edward Tenner / Fourth Estate Ltd, London 1996 A modern classic, I feel. A riotously enjoyable analysis of what Tenner calls 'The Revenge Effect' - the tendency for the devising of any new technology or system to unwittingly sow the seeds of its own futility. The opening chapter, 'Ever since Frankenstein', is well-worth the price of the book on its own.

Readings in the Philosophical Problems of Parapsychology Edited by Anthony Flew / Prometheus Books, New York 1987 It may sound rather heavy and dry, and I concede that parts of it are. However, this is a rich compendium of good, insightful thinking into why the 'psychic' view of assorted phenomena simply doesn't add up. Send a copy to a Psychic News reader for Christmas and watch them make faces like a fish.

The Roswell UFO Crash by Kal. K. Korff / Prometheus Books, New York 1997 An excellent exorcism of the Roswell mania, offering patient and skilled analysis of the yawning gaps between the factual evidence and the conclusions drawn by books perpetuating the Roswell fairy tale.

Copyright © Ian Rowland 2003, but may be reproduced provided this attribution is preserved. From www.ianrowland.com, the website of Ian Rowland, The Mind Reader, The Mind Motivator.