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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
The aim of this book is that you should be future-proofed against new variants of bullshit.
Highly entertaining, infuriating, and educational. Ben Goldacre uses several interesting stories to illustrate the basics of scientific thinking. Examples range from the apparently harmless field of "detox" to the obviously harmful fields of AIDS denialism and anti-vaccine hysteria. It would be a fun read if it were just debunking some well-publicized nonsense, but the purpose is to teach you the methods of spotting nonsense yourself. It's really not that hard!
Good and funny book, gives a nice summary of important sciency stuff and explains why there is so much bullshit around („a study found….“).
Very informative. The writing could be a little dry at times but that may be due to the data it contained.
Warnings: Minor cussing.
Warnings: Minor cussing.
Very informative. Writing style could be slightly dry but that was probably to do with the data it contained.
Warnings: Couple of cusswords, nothing major.
Warnings: Couple of cusswords, nothing major.
Dr. Ben talks us through some of the Bad Science techniques employed by the media at large. From slamming Dr. Gillian Mckeith to MMR/ autism "link" that was shared by the media, he tells us how the media has misinformed us.
An enjoyable read that isn't too heavy. It was released in 2008 so some of the references are a little dated now, but the principles still apply nonetheless.
An enjoyable read that isn't too heavy. It was released in 2008 so some of the references are a little dated now, but the principles still apply nonetheless.
Second read of this book, and it's still incredibly relevant (considering it was written in 2008) and as good as ever. A fantastic introduction into evaluating the value of scientific research, written in a witty style that is easy to digest for a layperson.
I can't remember where I heard about this book. Probably somebody on Goodreads or Peter.
[a:Ben Goldacre|1387272|Ben Goldacre|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1285983498p2/1387272.jpg] makes some very good statements about homeopathy, anti-vaccinators and nutritionists. What he spoke primarily about are things that I've always held to be true, anyway, particularly about the placebo effect, and how homeopathy can be seen as a placebo. His comments on the MMR vaccines and the HIV/AIDS remarks (vitamin C is better for HIV sufferers than AZT) and issues presented are new to me, and I'm surprised, particularly by the latter, that people could even believe them.
I'm admittedly amused by his campaign against Gillian MacKeith and Patrick Holsford. Living in Australia, I haven't heard about either of these public figures, and so learning about them and was new to me. I've done some browsing around about these two myself, and I have to say that while I'm disappointed they've become so influential, I'm not surprised. People can be quite easily bought.
A lot of people have said this book should be required reading, but I don't agree. People should be looking deeper into claims made by others about new scientific finds, and people should be demanding the full research. Nobody should go by one book alone. This is a good book, sure (although I do find Goldacre to be rather arrogant), but people should move beyond just going by this book. Look further. Look beyond.
[a:Ben Goldacre|1387272|Ben Goldacre|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1285983498p2/1387272.jpg] makes some very good statements about homeopathy, anti-vaccinators and nutritionists. What he spoke primarily about are things that I've always held to be true, anyway, particularly about the placebo effect, and how homeopathy can be seen as a placebo. His comments on the MMR vaccines and the HIV/AIDS remarks (vitamin C is better for HIV sufferers than AZT) and issues presented are new to me, and I'm surprised, particularly by the latter, that people could even believe them.
I'm admittedly amused by his campaign against Gillian MacKeith and Patrick Holsford. Living in Australia, I haven't heard about either of these public figures, and so learning about them and was new to me. I've done some browsing around about these two myself, and I have to say that while I'm disappointed they've become so influential, I'm not surprised. People can be quite easily bought.
A lot of people have said this book should be required reading, but I don't agree. People should be looking deeper into claims made by others about new scientific finds, and people should be demanding the full research. Nobody should go by one book alone. This is a good book, sure (although I do find Goldacre to be rather arrogant), but people should move beyond just going by this book. Look further. Look beyond.
Fun read! I hope I took some good lessons away about reading science journalism, but I may have forgotten most of it ... The details of the MMR/autism scare were really interesting, though.