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Do you believe in the vast left-wing conspiracy? or that you saw the Virgin Mary in your waffle? or that people can talk to the dead?  Then I’ve got a book for you.

Nothing I love more than a good conspiracy.  From mystery shooters on the grassy knoll killing President Kennedy to pyrotechnics taking down the World Trade Center, it’s always interesting to hear what farfetched ideas that people dream up.  In his new book, Debunked: Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends, and Evil Plots of the 21st Century, Richard Roeper (best known as the second half of “At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper”) debunks some of the more popular modern conspiracy theories and urbanlegends.

The book is divided into nine sections that cover everything from The Media to Sports and Gaming and to Entertainment and Politics.  While it’s fun to read Roeper’s thoughts and logic tackling the subject of “The ‘War’ on Christmas”, most of his arguments use the same three points.

1. Who benefits?
2. How would the conspiracy work?
3. Where is the proof?

Roeper doesn’t have to work hard to debunk the conspiracies.  In the case of the World Trade Center demolition conspiracy, simply uses the simple logic of “you would have to include hundreds of people for this conspiracy to work and someone would have talked”.  Then you have the people that say that online gambling is rigged.  That one’s easy, the companies are already making a ton of money legally, why would they risk it all by trying to rig it?  Or in the case of American Idol being rigged, again, FOX is making a huge profit off of phone calls, why rig something that could potentially kill a cash cow? 

Debunked won’t blow you mind with impossible feats of logic.  Most of Roeper’s arguments are simple and straightforward.  It’s a fun read that you can read a section while popping off to the toilet for a quick break.  Roeper injects lost of humor and fun into his dissections and isn’t afraid to get on his soapbox like when he takes on the Oprah endorsed The Secret.

Debunked: Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends, and Evil Plots of the 21st Century isn’t a great read but it is lots of fun.  Some of these were news to me and others I’m well familiar with.  This is a great book to read if you’re stuck somewhere looking for some time kill. 

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