Recipe for a 21st-Century Children's Crusade: Essays on Culture, Science, and Psychology

Guidance for the modern perplexed. In this selection of critical and provocative essays, the author examines many of our popular beliefs about culture, science, psychology and psychotherapy. It serves as an antidote to the mixture of misinformation, intellectual pabulum, and misguided “common sense” that so often masquerades for wisdom in these turbulent times.This highly accessible book is a compelling read for all who are fascinated by the intersection of culture. science, and rational thought – from laymen and students to scientists and intellectuals. In these essays, we learn about a plethora of topics. Is it really useful for children to be spending time in extracurricular activities? Are anxiety and depression on the rise? Why are suicide rates skyrocketing? What kind of support should we give to people who have been traumatized, or would they be better off without any? Was Darwin wrong after all?In contrast to the tedium of so many critical analyses of society, this author, in the course of sharing his thoughts pilots us in a captivating odyssey full of variety and with a touch of idiosyncrasy. In these pages, you will travel back in time to the Children's Crusades, attend scholars' funerals, witness knife fights for power in prisons, survey ships of fools, inspect therapeutic pit-stops and enjoy many other ports of call, with many citations and opportunities to explore any of these vital topics further.REVIEWS and WORDS OF PRAISEWith his characteristic blend of fascinating stories, dry wit, and penetrating insights, Witkowski skewers a remarkable range of currently influential beliefs, fantasies, and post-truths. Dogmatists may not like the book, but anyone with a lively curiosity and open mind will find him or herself smiling with fascination at these essays. Modern civilization has benefited from the science and thought of many bygone centuries — yet somehow we find ourselves lost amid a wide assortment of baffling and dubious assertions. This book is a welcome challenge to much prevailing nonsense.--Prof. Roy F. Baumeister, University of Queensland, Australia, author of The Science of Free WillI strongly recommend this impressive collection of essays focusing on the critical analysis of a wide range of contemporary issues, from masculinity and mindfulness to psychotherapy and deceptive social science research. It is an excellent antidote to the mixture of misinformation, intellectual pabulum, and misplaced “common sense” that so often masquerades for wisdom in these turbulent times.--Prof. James Alcock, York University, Canada, author of Parapsychology – Science Or Magic?Recipe for a 21st-Century Children’s Crusade is a delightful collection of essays on some of society's most challenging topics — the value of a life, the future of work, and progress in science. Witkowski describes the value of provocation to promote the consideration of all possibilities, and this book certainly meets that criterion.--Prof. Brian Nosek, University of Virginia, co-founder and director of the Center for Open Science Read more