Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
An important and timely read. The author’s anecdotes and metaphors were easy to understand; this book made me miss my graduate level statistics course.
I loved this book and everybody should read it - brilliant insight into medical articles and research!
Well written accessible book which makes one question want is published as science in the media.
One of the best books I've read in a while. Filled with snarky commentary yet backed up by a colossal amount of information. I think this book is written for everyone, not just the scientifically inclined. If nothing, it will make you look at the world with a more critical eye.
In Bad Science, Ben Glodacre diligently debunks pseudo-science, fake doctors and fraudulent medical claims, fires at headline-chasing tabloid medias and journalists who lack the basic understanding of statistics and scientific trainings or who intentionally mislead their readers. The chapter, "Why Clever People Believe in Stupid Things", explains the side affect of human mind's powerful pattern recognition, the mind's tendency towards various forms of bias and how these neurological traits can make us vulnerable.
The edition I read was published in 2008. The world has not changed much - there are people still believing in MMR vaccination causing autism and the fraudulent "experts" exposed in the book still fooling around in our world.
I do find the book needs better editing. Nevertheless, it is an important book, very informative. Everyone should read it.
Highly recommended.
The edition I read was published in 2008. The world has not changed much - there are people still believing in MMR vaccination causing autism and the fraudulent "experts" exposed in the book still fooling around in our world.
I do find the book needs better editing. Nevertheless, it is an important book, very informative. Everyone should read it.
Highly recommended.
I'm not going to finish this book. Had to return it to the library and have no motivation to check it out again.
Interesting topics but I found this a really boring read. You can probably skip a good portion of this book if you're familiar with the scientific method and critical thinking.
funny
informative
medium-paced
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".