Like pesky wasps buzzing circles around us, people who act as if they're the sole expert on a subject put us on edge. We bristle at their arrogant, rigid certainty and refusal to change their minds in the face of abundant evidence that should give reason to pause.

Thief of Reason opens with a gripping scene of rising tension during a family dinner conversation. Polarized viewpoints spark a heated argument between an intolerant, dogmatic father and his son, Rick, a bright, twenty-eight-year-old university student who's determined to understand his fractured relationship with his father and capture the heart of his new love-a political neophyte who, unlike himself, is devoutly religious.

With a lively injection of humour, Johnson skillfully contrasts closed-minded characters with those who are more open-minded, respectful, and inclusive-those who get second dinner invitations. Readers will think of people they've met or are related to, partners they've loved and left, bosses and coworkers they've endured, or candidates they've unwittingly voted for.

Compelling, insightful, and unforgettable, Thief of Reason peers through a powerful psychological lens that's delightfully original and life-changing.

Judy J. Johnson, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita in the Psychology Department of Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta. She is the author of What's So Wrong with Being Absolutely Right: The dangerous nature of dogmatic belief. (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2009.) A practiced clinician, Johnson has also taught university courses to students in Calgary and Israel.

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