Do you have a blind spot?  You're probably sure that other people have.  When Carmen started looking into the subject she found that sometimes, just when it's important, our capacity for critical thinking goes out of the window and we make poor decisions.  In this talk Carmen will help us to recognise our blind spots and be more aware of those times when those who want to influence us use flawed, but apparently plausible, arguments.

Carmen is one of the co-convenors of London Skeptics in the Pub so we're really pleased that she's coming to visit us in Gravesend.

Admission only to those registered with the organisers.  Registrations are now closed.

What's the talk about?  Well, we''ll let you know nearer the date but it's sure to be, to quote a phrase from Charles Darwin which is used by Robin, a "chaos of delight".

We’ve all watched films and television programmes featuring therapists, such as The Sopranos – but what’s the best way to access therapy in real life if you’re not a mafia boss? What’s the difference between therapy and counselling, or CBT and psychoanalysis? And why pay a stranger to listen to you in the first place? Can’t a good friend provide a shoulder to cry on?

In this talk, based on her new book Talk Yourself Better, Atheist Bus Campaign creator Ariane Sherine will answer all these questions and more, demystifying once and for all the secret world of therapy - with plenty of laughs along the way.

Ariane will also be signing copies of Talk Yourself Better after the talk.

What people have said about Talk Yourself Better:

“Brilliant – makes the baffling comprehensible.” JEREMY VINE

"What an excellent, long-overdue idea! A super-accessible guide, through the bewildering marketplace of modern therapy, to ease our noble search for help." DERREN BROWN

“How do we cope with this brutal world? In this witty, revealing book Ariane Sherine runs through the ways. An excellent, funny and thought-provoking read for all who seek answers.” ARTHUR SMITH

“What makes Ariane Sherine’s Talk Yourself Better stand out from the crowd is its accessibility and humour; to be able to discuss difficult things with a lightness of touch and a comedy that does not trivialise is a rare skill indeed. This, combined with the honest – and often deeply moving – stories of clients and practitioners alike, makes this the ideal introduction to for anyone considering therapy for the first time.” BRIAN BILSTON

Ariane Sherine is the comedy writer and journalist who created the Atheist Bus Campaign, as well as the bestselling celebrity book The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas. She has written for BBC1’s My Family, Channel 4’s Countdown and BBC2’s Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, as well as for The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Independent, The Observer, New Statesman and The Spectator. She lives in London with her seven-year-old daughter, Lily.

Anthony Warner is a professional chef and writer.  A regular contributor to New Scientist and The Pool, his articles have also been featured in the Guardian, Mail on Sunday,The Sun and many more.  He writes the regular Angry Chef column for The Sunday Times, exposing food myths and misunderstandings.  In 2017, he was named on the Telegraph's Food Power List of tastemakers changing the way we eat and drink. His first book, The Angry Chef - Bad Science and the Truth About Healthy Eating, won the Hearst Big Book Awards Health and Lifestyle Category in 2018, and was double nominated by the Guild of Food Writers in the same year.  His second book, The Truth About Fat, is published by Oneworld in January 2019, and will definitely upset a lot of people.  He lives in Nottinghamshire, blogs at angry-chef.com and you can follow him @One_Angry_Chef.