The environmental crisis is a hard fact that we all must acknowledge, however disdainful we may be
of ecological doom - sayers or countercultural
faddists, however politically radical we may consider ourselves.
But disturbingly, a good two thirds
of the book's contents are relevant today, including Gardner's discussions
of homeopathy, naturopathy, osteopathy, iridiagnosis (reading the iris
of the eye to deter - mine bodily malfunctions), food
faddists, cancer cures and other forms
of medical quackery, Edgar Cayce, the Great Pyramid's alleged mystical powers, handwriting analysis, ESP and PK (psychokinesis), reincarnation, dowsing rods, eccentric sexual theories, and theories
of group racial differences.