Ophelia Benson

A look at all the ways in which truth is being strangled in the modern world (with a side trip to ancient periods where truth wasn't so popular, either). The book primarily looks at the anti-science new agers along with a handful of right wing obsessions, and skillfully skewers both ends of the anti-truth equation. In general, the main target is strong relativism, relativism directed at anything and everything, especially science, that claims all "knowledge" is equal and simultaneously, some knowledge (Eastern ways of "knowing") are actually superior. The authors also discuss why it matters, and why it isn't okay to just let everyone be happy in their alternative facts world. A well written treatise, perhaps a bit too philosophical and challenging for my freshmen students, but highly recommended.… (mer)