The Paranoid's Handbook

Greg Turko is a policy analyst at the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and
Universities.

This book should not be read by those who always seem to take on the
symptoms described in the Saturday papers or in a certain monthly
magazine. On the other hand, it is well suited for serious, committed
pessimists (e.g., those who feel that Greenpeace should put out more
press releases) or for reckless, unreconstructed optimists (e.g.,
federal Tories).

Christopher Hyde examines 41 issues ranging from nuclear war to penis
size to caffeine. The truly paranoid will probably see a connection
between all 41 issues. Each item is accompanied by “Paranoid
Certainty,” “Facile Reassurance,” and “Objective Truth”
sections. The line between paranoid certainty and objective truth is not
always all that clear.

The proof, as they say, is in the sugar-laden, teeth-rotting pudding.
Just how good is the science and analysis supporting Hyde’s objective
truths? Generally, he plays fast and loose with statistics and
out-of-context “factoids.” Still, faulting Hyde for lack of
objectivity is like faulting Madonna for lyrics that don’t scan.
It’s probably true, but it rather misses the point.