The Hundredth Monkey and Other Paradigms of the Paranormal: A Skeptical Inquirer Collection

by Kendrick Frazier (Editor)

"The Hundredth Monkey" takes its title from philosopher Ron Amundson's expose of the "Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon", a claim about collective consciousness. Forty-three essays by thirty-nine authors, including Isaac Asmov, Martin Gardner, Carl Sagan, Ray Hyman, Paul Kurtz, and James Randi, examine aspects of paranormal and fringe-science beliefs from an authoritative, scientific point of view.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Psychology

414 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1991

Reviews

[Anthony O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. Detailed critiques of many paranormal claims - from the pages of the Skeptical Enquirer.
This includes the infamous 100th monkey nonsense. As well as astrology, homeopathy et al.
It lifts the lid on outright fraud in Rhine's team ( though possibly not Rhine himself ).
Where there is money or notoriety to be made by milking the gullible there will be fraud.
Hence the importance of careful skepticism when it comes to extraordinary claims.
There is a strong emphasis on objectivity and reason. Though methinks in some cases they doth
protest too much. There is much emphasis on repeatable evidence but it seems to me that
the minds of many of the writers are closed off. No 'evidence' would ever be acceptable. They have made up their minds already, permanently.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this ages ago and don't remember much. It cites a study about monkeys on an island who learn how to get food a unique way. Once one monkey figured it out others copied him and the effect spread from there out. After the hundredth monkey masted this technique, the knowledge and behavior cropped up in monkey troops on other nearby islands. The author theorizes that if we as individuals or collectively change our behavior for the better, others will "ape" us for . He extends this to anti-nuclear weaponry and disarmamant. It's a weak premiss, and the study cited was called into question years ago. Interesting and even plausible, but true? Not sure.

[Nick Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read all of the essays in this collection of articles about re-examination of paranormal and pseudo-scientific research, but what I did read was generally very interesting and eye-opening. As someone of a scientific bent myself, I was delighted to see the tone of examination - some would call it skeptical, some would call it 'based on examination of sound scientific method' - applied to research carried out into a number of famous phenomena. Some essays seemed a little personal in their attempts to debunk, but most of what I read I was heartily in agreement with.

[Gregg Bromgard · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book. this is required reading in my skeptism and the paranormal class