All-purpose | Everything Else

Scientists and Scoundrels: A Book of Hoaxes

by ROBERT SILVERBERG

2021-01-02 10:09:58

Compare Price
As if history and nature had not provided wonders enough, through the ages humans themselves have contrived more marvels to deceive one another. Sometimes they have concocted evidence when none was available to prove pet theories; sometimes their int... Read more
As if history and nature had not provided wonders enough, through the ages humans themselves have contrived more marvels to deceive one another. Sometimes they have concocted evidence when none was available to prove pet theories; sometimes their intention has been to impress or defraud; sometimes they have acted merely for sport.
 
Robert Silverberg tells the stories of a baker''s dozen of these scientific hoaxers in a lively, good-humored book that ranges through time and across continents. Here are perpetual-motion machines and space rockets, men on the moon and serpents in the sea. The rogues’ gallery is a varied one: Dr. Mesmer, who cast his hypnotic spell on eighteenth-century Paris; Charles Dawson, whose Piltdown Man challenged evolution; Dr. Cook, with his tale of “discovering” the North Pole; and many others.
 
These are fascinating stories and more than just entertainment. The author explains the scientific background against which the hoaxes appeared and the detective work that led to their exposure. The schemers teach us to be alert, to challenge the evidence, and to appreciate the healthy skepticism that characterizes the scientific method.
Less

Book Details

File size8.01 X 5.34 X 0.56 in
Print pages256
PublisherUNP - Bison Books
Publication date June 1, 2007
LanguageEnglish
ISBN9780690721690
autor-image
Robert Silverberg
Author
Robert Silverberg is the winner of five Hugo and five Nebula awards for his novels and short fiction. His work began appearing during the 1950s; he has received high acclaim for, among many others, s...

Compare Prices

Store Availability Book Format Condition Price
BetterWorld.com - New, Used, Rare Books & Textbooks In Stock Buy USD 4.49
Indigo Books & Music In Stock Paperback Paperback Buy CAD 25.95
BetterWorld.com - New, Used, Rare Books & TextbooksIn Stock
Format
Condition
Buy USD 4.49
Indigo Books & MusicIn Stock
Format
Paperback
Condition
Paperback
Buy CAD 25.95
Available Discount
No Discount available

Related Books

View All
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (Indestructibles Series)
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Feed Your Best Friend Better: Easy, Nutritious Meals and Treats for Dogs
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Book Club
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
You Be You: Detox Your Life, Crush Your Limitations, and Own Your Awesome
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Wonderful Things You Will Be
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Made for Me
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Good Night, Little Blue Truck
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
We Are Not Friends (You Are Not Small)
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Going to School
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Silent Woman (Cat Carlisle, Book 1)
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick!
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Life Will Be the Death of Me: ...And You Too!
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Secrets Between Us: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Can't Make This Stuff Up!: Finding the Upside to Life's Downs
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Secret Wife: A captivating story of romance, passion and mystery
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Hurricane Season
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Clean & Lean: 30 Days, 30 Foods, a New You!
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
House of Shadows: An Enthralling Historical Mystery
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Pout-Pout Fish
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Row, Row, Row Your Boat (Indestructibles Series)
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Join us and get access to all
your favourite books

Sign up for free and start exploring thousands of eBooks today.

Sign up for free

Stay in touch.

© 2026 AMPLE READS