What is your favourite fake/absurd/wrong books?

The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross by John Allegro. The author asserts that early people used psychedelic mushrooms for religious experiences and started a cult , and due to religious persecution they had to hide their cult rituals so they started Christianity as a front. But over time their front became the actual religion while the mushroom cult part was forgotten. While his assertions and connections are interesting and fun, his sources are basically “trust me bro”.

The Travels of Sir John Mandeville was written in the 14th century and is a supposedly true account of his travels in Asia. It includes such claims as him seeing a tree that has lambs growing on its branches (which bend down to allow the lambs to eat the surrounding grass), and a race of people who have a single leg with a giant foot on it that they use as an umbrella.

I also have a medical dictionary which says lesbians have a tendency to smoke pipes, which is not something I’ve particularly noticed.

I have a decent collection of Mormon literature, many of which include teachings that the leaders of the church today say were never taught or were never accepted as official doctrine. This includes teachings of the Blood Atonement, polygamy, racism, temple ordinance changes, and lies/theological changes told by the founder Joseph Smith. I think this falls into that category.

Disclaimer: I am an ex-Mormon, so I partially have some of these books because I used to believe it all. After I learned the truth and left, I started to collect the older volumes in my meager attempt to preserve the history that is constantly being white-washed by church leaders today. I’m determined to not let this history be erased.

I don’t know if The Dice Man counts

but The Dice Man