As with most works, this book was not written in a vacuum. Rather, it's based upon the research and writing of many creative thinkers who have come before. I've tried to write the book in an easygoing, conversational style to make the topics readable and interesting to a wide audience. In fact, it's written to be a simple introduction to how we think and how our thinking can go wrong. If the topics discussed here pique your interest, I heartily recommend the following authors and researchers for a more in-depth discussion of specific issues.

The work of Carl Sagan and Michael Shermer provide the foundation for much of the discussion on science and pseudoscience, and the importance of skeptical and critical thinking. Carl Sagan's superb book The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark is must reading for anyone interested in critical thinking. Michael Shermer wrote the excellent book Why People Believe Weird Things and is the publisher of the magazine Skeptic. The world would be a better place if every household received a copy of Skeptic and Skeptical Inquirer, a similar publication produced by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. I've also drawn on the excellent work of Theodore Schick and Lewis Vaughn's How to Think about Weird Things, Keith Stanovich's How to Think Straight about Psychology, and Stuart Vyse's Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition.

In the area of decision making, I owe a debt to Scott Plous's superb book The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making, Tom Gilovich's How We Know What Isn't So, and Stuart Sutherland's Irrationality: Why We Don't Think Straight. Specifically relating to memory, Daniel Schacter's The Seven Sins of Memory and the work of Elizabeth Loftus (e.g., The Myth of Repressed Memory, with Katherine Ketcham) were essential. William Sherden's The Fortune Sellers, Barry Glassner's The Culture of Fear, and Burton Malkiel's A Random Walk Down Wall Street are also fascinating books that were used in various chapters. Much of the discussion of how we make decisions is based upon the research of psychologists such as Amos Tversky, Daniel Kahneman, as well as innumerable others. My debt to these researchers and others referenced throughout cannot be overestimated.

On a more personal note, I'm grateful to many people who have helped in the development of the book. Linda Regan, my editor, believed in the book from the first time she saw the idea, and was the kind of insightful editor I had hoped to work with. Jim Smith and Kathie Sullivan provided many valuable comments that improved the manuscript, and were always there to discuss the never-ending issues that came up. In addition, I would like to thank Chris and Alicia Agoglia, Erin Moore, Ken Ryack, Tracey Riley, Ben Luippold, Steve Gill, Bill Wooldridge, Ron Karren, Lou Wigdor, Dave and Joe Goulet, and Gene Myer for their comments and assistance. Thanks also to my friends who were the inspiration for many of the stories that have livened up the book, especially the Ingari clan and the Thursday afternoon “happy hour” crew. And, of course, thanks to Charlie—for being Charlie. I'd also like to thank my colleagues at the University of Massachusetts, especially Dennis Hanno, Ron Mannino, and Tom O'Brien, for providing an atmosphere that allowed me to pursue my interest in critical thinking and decision making.

Finally, I thank my family, to whom this book is dedicated—Kathie, Elaine, Gene, Doug, Roland, Jimmy, Dave, Joe, and, of course, Mom and Dad. Our Saturday night “bull” sessions, which provided many ideas for the book, have been a constant joy. I'm glad we're going through this life together. I'd especially like to thank Kathie—for everything.