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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
funny
informative
Ive been wanting to read this one for a while as I’ve heard it was a great book, it didn’t disappoint! Knowing there’s so much ‘bad science’ and misinformation around, it went a long way to dispel myths and point out bad science and breakdowns in the scientific process.
It certainly does help you to spot and understand any less than optimal ‘science’ around! With reportings and science in the media, business and consumer backed ‘science’ (with the all too common bad statistics to go with it)
And covering topics from ‘detoxing’ (and why it’s all bogus), cosmetics and the ‘miracle creams’, the effect of placebo in trials and how it may affect the outcome of analyses and results, so called ‘experts’ in scientific fields and the problems in mainstream medicine to name a few.
It also went into many examples of bad science including named studies and why their techniques or methods were flawed or less than optimal.
It’s written extremely well and incredibly funny, striking the balance between being both light and understandable and laced with plenty of good info. I can understand why it’s has such a good reputation!
It certainly does help you to spot and understand any less than optimal ‘science’ around! With reportings and science in the media, business and consumer backed ‘science’ (with the all too common bad statistics to go with it)
And covering topics from ‘detoxing’ (and why it’s all bogus), cosmetics and the ‘miracle creams’, the effect of placebo in trials and how it may affect the outcome of analyses and results, so called ‘experts’ in scientific fields and the problems in mainstream medicine to name a few.
It also went into many examples of bad science including named studies and why their techniques or methods were flawed or less than optimal.
It’s written extremely well and incredibly funny, striking the balance between being both light and understandable and laced with plenty of good info. I can understand why it’s has such a good reputation!
I'd wanted to read this one for a while, and I honestly just felt disappointed while I read it. I think Goldacre went for funny and instead came off as paternalistic and condescending. There definitely are better pop science books out there.
Everyone reading this sentence should stop and go read this book. Then they should make everyone they know go read it too.
Now on the more critical side... Frankly, this isn't the best written book. It stumbles in places (I'm left wondering where the SSRI debate stands--the evidence that they're just placebos is mounting even further, but he doesn't explain it very well), it's use of British English may annoy some American readers (who think of people as being 'named' something rather than 'called' something, for example), and some of it just feels hastily written. (Given that the author is a practicing MD, he can be cut some slack for that; but his editors should do better.)
I give it 5 stars despite these issues because this book serves a much needed purpose--explaining scientific methods to a lay person (without condescension) and explaining why it's so important to our daily lives to have an understanding of the differences between science and pseudoscience. And it does all that in a pretty readable, non-text-booky kind of way. It addresses homeopathic remedies (more of an issue in the UK it seems), nutritionist claims (think of the Atkinson diet and the new paleo diet fads), as well as vitamin "cures" for AIDS, the vaccination debacle, and as noted above, ways in which big pharma may misrepresent findings on drugs in order to sell them (e.g., SSRIs). So although it has flaws, this book does a really nice job of explaining scientific method in general using relevant and timely examples. With any luck, if enough people read this book, they will starting noticing the horrible job the media does of covering scientific findings and start holding them accountable for it! And hopefully vaccinate their kids too.
Now on the more critical side... Frankly, this isn't the best written book. It stumbles in places (I'm left wondering where the SSRI debate stands--the evidence that they're just placebos is mounting even further, but he doesn't explain it very well), it's use of British English may annoy some American readers (who think of people as being 'named' something rather than 'called' something, for example), and some of it just feels hastily written. (Given that the author is a practicing MD, he can be cut some slack for that; but his editors should do better.)
I give it 5 stars despite these issues because this book serves a much needed purpose--explaining scientific methods to a lay person (without condescension) and explaining why it's so important to our daily lives to have an understanding of the differences between science and pseudoscience. And it does all that in a pretty readable, non-text-booky kind of way. It addresses homeopathic remedies (more of an issue in the UK it seems), nutritionist claims (think of the Atkinson diet and the new paleo diet fads), as well as vitamin "cures" for AIDS, the vaccination debacle, and as noted above, ways in which big pharma may misrepresent findings on drugs in order to sell them (e.g., SSRIs). So although it has flaws, this book does a really nice job of explaining scientific method in general using relevant and timely examples. With any luck, if enough people read this book, they will starting noticing the horrible job the media does of covering scientific findings and start holding them accountable for it! And hopefully vaccinate their kids too.
This book is an important book to read when it comes to understanding how science is incorrectly represented by the media and how it harms our society. To think that one person has the power to convince thousands of people not to vaccinate their children and thereby make them vulnerable to deadly diseases is just plain frightening. It is hard to believe how people believe one quack over hundreds of educated scientists. What exactly is our world looking for?
Homeopaths are debunked in this book and do not even think of spending extra money on moisturizing cream...it is a waste of money. Science gone bad...i.e. science in the view of the media and in the view of let's make money, this is what "Bad Science" is about, science that is made up in an effort to get money or media attention. People are hurt and people rally around false ideas like they are a religion.
This is an important book to read to help get an understanding how a person needs to look deep into the presentations put out by media...we need real science not made up science.
I find Ben Goldacre gets carried away and rants on a bit too much and seems to repeat himself over the subjects he is obviously passionate about. Less ranting over the same material and a bit more variety would be appreciated.
Homeopaths are debunked in this book and do not even think of spending extra money on moisturizing cream...it is a waste of money. Science gone bad...i.e. science in the view of the media and in the view of let's make money, this is what "Bad Science" is about, science that is made up in an effort to get money or media attention. People are hurt and people rally around false ideas like they are a religion.
This is an important book to read to help get an understanding how a person needs to look deep into the presentations put out by media...we need real science not made up science.
I find Ben Goldacre gets carried away and rants on a bit too much and seems to repeat himself over the subjects he is obviously passionate about. Less ranting over the same material and a bit more variety would be appreciated.
Picked up this book after seeing this Ted talk
http://www.ted.com/talks/ben_goldacre_battling_bad_science.html
"Just one thing gives me hope, and that is the steady trickle of email I receive on the subject from children, ecstatic with delight at the stupidity of their teachers:
I'd like to submit to Bad Science my teacher who gave us a handout which says that 'Water is best absorbed by the body when provided in frequent small amounts.' What I want to know is this. If I drink too much in one go, will it leak out of my arsehole instead?
'Anton' 2006
Thank you Anton."
"I welcome other people challenging my ideas: it helps me to refine them"
"Without anybody noticing, bullshit has become an extremely important public health issue"
http://www.ted.com/talks/ben_goldacre_battling_bad_science.html
"Just one thing gives me hope, and that is the steady trickle of email I receive on the subject from children, ecstatic with delight at the stupidity of their teachers:
I'd like to submit to Bad Science my teacher who gave us a handout which says that 'Water is best absorbed by the body when provided in frequent small amounts.' What I want to know is this. If I drink too much in one go, will it leak out of my arsehole instead?
'Anton' 2006
Thank you Anton."
"I welcome other people challenging my ideas: it helps me to refine them"
"Without anybody noticing, bullshit has become an extremely important public health issue"
I enjoyed this book. It stretched my mind and made me think. I'm looking at my shampoo, face cream and vitamin supplements with new eyes. Some things made me angry and I ended feeling exhausted by just how difficult it is not to be misled by media and 'sciencey experts.' I hope I can remain vigilant and that the most I lose when vigilance slips is a few ££s at the chemist.
This book does a good job of giving principles to evaluate fraudulent alternative medicine, over hyped coverage of medical research in the media, as well as many other issues. It has a very conversational style, and has some crass language at some points, but it ably explains principles that most people don't understand.
Preaching to the choir, but with too much editorializing. Bludgeoned over the head by repetition, I have to vote it down.
This one is a keeper--a hilarious but frightening look at just how atrociously bad we, the public, are at understanding science, risk, medicine, and just about anything else. We think standing in a footbath will leach "impurities" out of our bodies by the soles of our feet; we believe guys with vitamin pills might be better than medical cancer treatments, and we convince ourselves (with no real medical evidence) that vaccines cause catastrophic health problems, then refuse to vaccinate our kids, causing . . . a rise in catastrophic health problems. We could all use this book as a good course in basic science, how to interpret a study, and when to tune out the voices around us. Too bad "bad science" isn't as good a story as the stories PRODUCED by "bad science".