Reviews

 

Prof. Elisabeth F. Loftus, one of the  30 most influential psychologists working today, wrote about the book:

„Psychology Gone Wrong” is a powerful and forceful effort to expose dangerous ideas in psychology that mascaraed  as science. Readers who care about the problem of pseudoscience  in psychology will love this book. And those who don’t care really need to read it.

 

 

One of the most outstanding skeptics of the 20th Century – prof. James E. Alcock, Department of Psychology, Glendon College, York University:

I highly recommend this thoughtful and stimulating book to all. Not only should it be required reading for every psychologist and psychology student, but readers in general will benefit immensely as well, especially those who may be contemplating psychotherapeutic treatment. Its purview is broad, ranging from a penetrating examination of fundamental problems that plague academic psychological research to a critical analysis of the psychotherapy jungle, where pseudoscience thrives amongst the plethora of theories and practices offered to the public.  Psychology and people at large  can only benefit from this excellent analysis.

 

One of the  30 most influential psychologists working today – prof. Susane Blackmore:

Are you convinced by the latest claims for brain power, hypnosis, memory decline or the dangerous effects of video games? Are you tempted to waste money on a fancy new therapy and convinced that at least it can do no harm? Then read this book first and you may change your mind.

Do you need a therapist? Are you convinced there’s something wrong with you and a wonderful new kind of psychotherapy will help – or that an ancient technique revealed for the first time will transform your life? If so, buy this informative and alarming book instead. ‘Psychology Gone wrong’ reveals the muddles, motivations and even the outright frauds that mean much of the popular psychology we consume is meaningless – and may even be harmful.

 

Well known debunker of pseudoscience in psychology – prof. Scott O. Lilienfeld:

Psychology, the study of the human mind, continues to struggle to shake off its nonscientific attributes.  In this engaging and informative book, Tomasz Witkowski and Maciej Zatonski courageously takes on the “dark side” of psychology, both within the hallowed halls of the academic world and the private walls of the psychotherapy room.  In doing so, they exposes the often neglected features of contemporary psychology that themselves require treatment.  In this respect, Witkowski’s and Zatonski’s book is a helpful and much needed roadmap for forging a scientific psychology in the 21st century.

 

Reviews of the Polish version entitled “Forbidden Psychology”

This book – that author describes as a popular science – is in fact a guide on how to protect against charlatans.

Every doctor – especially those working close with psychotherapists – should carefully read the contents of these volumes.

prof.   Jerzy Aleksandrowicz, psychiatrist

 

You might choose to agree of disagree with Tomasz Witkowski, but you cannot choose to ignore him. This book is definitely worth reading carefully! Enfant terrible of polish social sciences devoted this entire volume to contemplate the miserable condition of psychology.

prof. Dariusz Doliński, social psychologist

 

Forbidden psychology sketches a dark picture of intellectual abuse, scientific misconduct that harms – sometimes irreversibly – those who are seeking help. Civilizational changes in recent years brought an increase of scientific swindles not only in social sciences. We celebrate the anniversary of the cold fusion scandal, while renowned journals (like Science and Nature) recently were force to retract several publications on miraculous microelectronic findings. All those scientific sins, hidden in the shadows, must be brought to daylight.

prof. Łukasz Turski, physicist

 

This book is well worth reading by all those who appreciate the skeptical attitude and want to develop critical thinking skills – such important in today’s world flooded with informational noise and bombarding our brains from all sides. The book describes detailed analysis of abuses, dishonesties and frauds in some areas of psychology and related areas. This is not a book for psychologists only, it is a book for everybody who wants to progress their scientific thinking. There can never be enough
skepticism and criticism.

prof. Czesław S. Nosal, psychologist

Cleaning the Augean Stables

The fact of naming and pointing out the pseudoscientific nonsense, exposing the sterility of many theories and psychological practices, weighing the rationale for existence of conceptions that led to creation of cultural and academic demons, showing the mechanisms of psychobusiness and its impact on gullible people desperately seeking help – all those things must expose Witkowski to joint contempt of the powerful caste of priests of pseudoscientific religion that emerged among more than a few areas of psychology.

Auhtor’s undertaking and his passionate work reaches far above the simple classification and description of the current state of affairs. He does not only look at the current psychological resources but also throws away everything that strongly smells of scientific nonsense or intellectual baloney.

Dr Roman Zawadzki, psychologist

 

The author had a simple goal that required enormous knowledge and determination: to reveal the areas of psychology and psychotherapy that promise results that can never be delivered. Witkowski wants to dismantle false claims and show that despite the abundance of pseudoscientific theories, increasing numbers of tinhorns and constant challenges to science – psychology remains a sound knowledge on human’s behavior.

(…) Such books are rare – publications that help to distinguish fraudsters from genuine therapists. It’s reassuring that Tomasz Witkowski does not stop in his crusade against superstitions and stands for those who consider psychotherapy and for the good name of psychology as a science.

Jakub Winiarski, Wiedza i życie