[2] Among the forms of counterknowledge Thompson examines are alternative medicine, such as homeopathy and crystal therapy; pseudoscience, such as creationism; pseudohistory, such as Holocaust denial;[2] and conspiracy theories, such as those concerning the September 11 attacks[3] and the Moon landing.

[1] In The Independent, Peter Stanford described it as a "short and punchy book, written with passion and humour";[4] The Guardian's Jonathan Sale felt that there was not a single "dull sentence".

[2] The book was "highly recommended as an initial source for argumentation" and a potential "antidote to the kind of thinking which he [Thompson] critiques" by The Skeptic.

[5] In The Daily Telegraph, Tim Lott described the book as "highly enjoyable" and "well-written", but felt that Thompson did not address what he considered to be a critical issue: how to "...promote real knowledge in a world where reality is something that more and more people wish to avoid".

[2] In the Metro, Robert Murphy viewed some of Thompson's conclusions as debatable, but felt that his anger towards those who distribute patently false information was justified.