Was Clarence Darrow a Creationist?

I thought this chapter was really interesting because it was step up like an advice giving guide. I was particularly fascinated by Rule #7, "Seeing shouldn't necessarily be believing." I always tend to follow the opposite. If I can see it, it is most likely true. I usually hear 5 to 10 different rumors a day from my mom, friends, boyfriend, basically anyone that I talk to. My go-to saying when hearing their stories is, "I won't believe it until I see it." But, this book has shown me that even seeing may not be believing. I find that so absurd. because as humans sight is something we have so much control over, and to be duped by our eyes seems so unnerving. I also really liked Rule #4, "Check Primary Sources." Being a college student, I am use to doing this type of thing on a daily basis, but most people don't bother to verify facts and check where they came from. When I was doing research on becoming a vegetarian, there were sights that told me how I couldn't live without dairy and meat, and living a healthy life on fruit, vegetables, soy, etc was impossible. When I dug further into these sites, I realized that most of them were sponsored by dairy farming associations and meat packing corporations. I wonder where they got their information? I totally agree with the rules of this book. It is always best to second guess, and even third guess if you have to.

Toxic Sludge

I don't know about all of you...but Toxic Sludge was a bore compared to UnSpun. While the chapter made some really interesting points and comments, I found the read to be very dry and hard to get through. Some of the history behind propaganda and PR firms was pretty cool to learn, because I never really considered how far back this type of scam can date. The idea that "damage control" was used during the PA Railroad era was very interesting to me because I love learning about PA history and I am a little bit of a celebrity buff. Knowing that celebrities and publicists have adopted a technique used decades ago is kind of cool. It basically shows that history repeats itself and scam isn't something known strictly to the 21st century. The part that talked about vegetarians and book banning was also informative and relateable to me because, being a vegetarian, I have done quite a bit of research on the meat packing industry. It amazing to see the amount of PR and money spent on Anti-vegetarian campaigns and pro-"big beef." Cattle farmers and meat packers seem to stop at nothing to promote business, which isn't a huge shock in our society. Freedom of speech is an idea that our country was founded upon, so allowing this industry to speak its beliefs should be tolerated, however, when their ideas can possibly interfere with the safety of the public, I think the government needs to step in. There were some rather boring sections of this reading, but overall, I felt as if there were some very effective questioning methods and ideas.

Facts can save your life

Surprisingly, this chapter was both interesting and entertaining, as well as shocking and disturbing! Does anyone else think it's funny that this book tells us to question everything and anything? So, does that mean we are supposed to question every fact and story they tell us? I guess I am too much of a skeptic to even listen to this book. I obvious don't believe everything I read or see, but I don't particularly believe everything in this book either. The section about cheap vs expensive products didn't do much for me. If you buy a $20 blender at a store vs a $60 blender from a well-known company, there is a good chance that the more expensive blender will last longer, blend quicker, have more settings, have a better warranty, etc. As a college student, I am totally for saving money and buying cheaper versions of many products, (Vald anyone?) but I would never assume that they are of the same quality as their picer twins. Why do you think the products are cheaper? Most likely because they are made with cheaper materials. This is an idea where checking facts definitely plays a major role. The section about war was astonishing to me! I cannot believe there is so much misinformation about wars and conflicts. The story about the Iraqi "baby killers" was absurd! Why would someone ever use a story like that to promote the killing of more people? That seriously baffles me. But like I said, is EVERYTHING in this book true? If we are supposed to question everything, where do we start and when do we stop? While this book is clearly filled with valuable information that is revelant today, should we question it as well?