I write about many things but my primary focus is on science and skepticism. I believe that our world could be a little better - and a lot less crazy - if more people simply understood how science works and appreciated the protective value of skeptical thinking in everyday life. I've held numerous positions in the news industry, including editorial writer, world news editor, sports editor, photographer, page designer, and columnist. I'm a veteran travel writer, having visited and written about more than 25 countries on five continents. I have also had some very rewarding jobs teaching history and science to bright kids. My degree is in history and anthropology (University of South Florida). I've won some big awards for my writing, including the WHO (World Health Organization) Award for Health Reporting and the Commonwealth Media Award for Excellence in Journalism, but doubt anyone really cares about that stuff other than my sweet mother. What I am most proud of in relation to my work is that my writing has touched many people. I receive messages from around the world and it's always rewarding to learn that my words have inspired one more person to think in new ways and become a good skeptic. This is what all my books to date are about: encouraging readers to turn away from the madness in order to live more sensible and honest lives, both for themselves and for the world. When I'm not staring at a blank computer screen hoping that words will appear, I'm likely to be running, hiking, reading a science or history book, working out at a gym, or teaching critical life lessons to my children via repeated viewings of Star Trek. When normal people are consumed with thoughts about politics, economics, and the Kardashian family, I'm likely to be daydreaming about time travel, the singularity (nerd rapture) ancient Greece, extremophiles, the possibility of extraterrestrial life, and robots. -------------A FEW WORDS ABOUT THINKINGOne of the biggest mistakes we can make in life is to ignore or reject the possibility that we might be dead wrong about something that is very important to us. Don't do this! Question everything. Embrace doubt. Second guess conclusions. Be humble; after all you could be wrong. You might be the first perfect person in all of history and prehistory who is incapable of being fooled by the mistakes, lies and delusions of others. But I doubt it. You might be the first ever to rise above and see through all the deceptive quirks, traps and biases that come standard with a human brain. But I doubt it. What good is it to hold tight to a position against every challenge if that position is in error? The goal is not to avoid ever changing your mind. The goal is to be right, or as close to it as you can be. If you value wisdom and honesty then you ought to value skepticism. Wisdom is recognizing that you don't know everything and can be fooled just like every other human who has ever lived. Wise people change their minds when evidence demands it. Honest people don't pretend to know things that they don't know. This fundamental error in thinking crops up most often in politics and religion, of course. These two fertile fields of human thought, passion and silliness encourage if not demand that participants sacrifice their ability to think independently. This treasure is given away freely as rigid lines are drawn and feet set in cement. How can something of such value--the ability and the courage to think freely--be sacrificed by so many people with so little reluctance? Why the haste to become one more zombie in the mob? Why no remorse for the loss of so much humanity? Please do not undervalue your ability to think independently, to grow intellectually over a lifetime, and to always do your best to move closer to truth and reality. The warmth of mindless membership may be appealing at a glance but it's fool's gold. Change. Grow. Improve. Think and be fully human. --Guy P. Harrison ----------------------------------------Think: Why You Should Question Everything (2013), is a fresh and exciting approach to science, skepticism, and critical thinking. My aim is to enlighten and inspire readers of all ages. This book challenges everyone to think like a scientist and embrace the skeptical life. If you want to improve your critical thinking skills, see through most scams at first glance, and learn how your own brain can trip you up, this is the book for you. Think shows you how to better navigate through the maze of biases and traps that are standard features of every human brain. These innate pitfalls threaten to trick us into seeing, hearing, thinking, remembering, and believing things that are not real or true. It will help you trim away the nonsense, deflect bad ideas, and keep both feet firmly planted in reality. It really is in everyone's best interest to question everything. My brand of skepticism is constructive and optimistic. It's a way of life that anyone can embrace. An antidote to nonsense, quackery, and delusion, this accessible guide to critical thinking is the perfect book for anyone seeking a jolt of inspiration. It also includes great illustration by worldclass artist Kevin Hand. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------My book, 50 Popular Beliefs that People Think are True (2013), is a skeptical grand tour of extraordinary claims such as ESP, ghosts, gods, psychics, astrology, UFOs, doomsday prophecies, Roswell, faith healing, Bigfoot, homeopathic medicine, and many more. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson says of the book: "What would it take to create a world in which fantasy is not confused for fact and public policy is based on objective reality? I don't know for sure. But a good place to start would be for everyone on Earth to read this book." I'm not preachy or condescending and strive to show how we are all vulnerable to falling for unproven and unlikely claims simply because of the way our brains work. We all believe silly things. What matters is how many and how silly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian (2013) is written in a respectful and conversational style. It's designed to promote constructive dialogue and foster mutual understanding between Christians and non-Christians. I ask basic questions about Christian belief, not to argue but to stimulate deeper thinking about this religion. What is the born-again experience? Why would God want or need to sacrifice his only son for us? Does this sacrifice makes sense in light of the Holy Trinity doctrine? Do miracles really happen? How reliable is the Bible? What is the rapture? Why isn't everyone a Christian? Each question is followed by commentary and analysis that is skeptical and tough but never condescending. Christians will find the book useful as a basis for developing their apologetics, while skeptics should appreciate my rational analysis of religious claims. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------My book Race and Reality: What Everyone Should Know about Our Biological Diversity (2010) is a wide-ranging exploration of the idea of biological races, written for the layperson. I show that these categories are inconsistent and illogical. Groups such as "blacks" and "whites" do exist, but they are cultural groups, rather than something that nature imposed on us. Races change according to time period and culture, for example, and do not represent a sensible and accurate picture of humankind's real biological diversity. Professor of sociology at Stanford University, Dr. David B. Grusky, says the book is, "a tour de force that conveys the current science on racial classification in a rigorous yet readable way. Even those who think they know it all about race and racial classification will come away changed." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God (2008) is my skeptical analysis of various religious claims that I have encountered at home and abroad. Each chapter presents a common reason for belief espoused by followers of various religions and then explains why there is reason for doubt. Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine, calls the book "engaging and enlightening." I wrote this book in a way that respects believers, if not always their beliefs. I have no interest in winning arguments. I only want to inspire people to think more deeply about what they believe and why.