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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
Fun book, but very selective at times. I sensed that the author has good methodology and knowledge to back up his claims, but throughout a lot of the book I felt like he had an axe to grind with certain parties.
There is nothing wrong with that, but it came across as pretty focused rather than being an exposition of ways for the general public to avoid common pitfalls and mistakes.
There is nothing wrong with that, but it came across as pretty focused rather than being an exposition of ways for the general public to avoid common pitfalls and mistakes.
Very accurate and a must read for non scientists! It really opens your eyes and mind, making you question the media! However, as a medic I found it a little patronising and repetitive.
This was a very hard book to review. Bad Science is an extension of the web site by the same name who's author has carved out a mission to inform people on the spin and manipulation that the pharmaceutical industry uses to promote their products and the disconnect with how we need the media to inform us and how it actually functions.
On the positive side it is very well written, literally packed with information and had a lot of excellent examples of his points. It would probably be a good idea to reread this book since there was so much information you can't absorb it all the first time through.
On the negative side the author seems very angry. While I can understand why he is upset I wish he had toned it back a little. I actually had to stop reading the book for a while and then come back because it was emotionally exhausting. Such a tone may discourage the casual reader from reading it through to completion.
So 3 stars because everyone should read this but just so you know its a bit of a rollercoaster ride.
On the positive side it is very well written, literally packed with information and had a lot of excellent examples of his points. It would probably be a good idea to reread this book since there was so much information you can't absorb it all the first time through.
On the negative side the author seems very angry. While I can understand why he is upset I wish he had toned it back a little. I actually had to stop reading the book for a while and then come back because it was emotionally exhausting. Such a tone may discourage the casual reader from reading it through to completion.
So 3 stars because everyone should read this but just so you know its a bit of a rollercoaster ride.
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
It took me six years to get around to reading this book, but it was very worth the wait. Bad Science is a fantastic book that really clearly and concisely explains the issues with modern day science and its relationship with the wider public. While long, it covers with clear examples some of the sketchier things in medicine.
Even for someone with a degree in one of the sciences, it was at a level which kept me engaged and I never felt bored by the level at which it was written.
While things have moved on a little since 2008, the book is still relevant to the wider world today. I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who wants to be able to assess information, mostly medical information on trials and "miracle cures", more thoroughly.
Even for someone with a degree in one of the sciences, it was at a level which kept me engaged and I never felt bored by the level at which it was written.
While things have moved on a little since 2008, the book is still relevant to the wider world today. I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who wants to be able to assess information, mostly medical information on trials and "miracle cures", more thoroughly.
This is a must-read book for every journalist who has even a remote chance of getting to write science news - especially if it's a light entertaining piece, or about health and medical science. I've rarely read a book that's this entertaining and informative at the same time. Goldacre has a delicious amount of light snark for alternative medicine, pharmaceutical companies, media's science reporting and scientist who really haven't done their job properly. Under the snark the book is quite informative and a handy introduction to the underhanded techniques shared by both alternative medicine AND the big pharma they so vocally oppose, the techniques used in tricking media to publish crap science that wouldn't hold water in proper journals, and - perhaps the most surprising of all - how PR companies literally buy entertaining science news: the formula for the worst day in a year, or the sexiest walk, anyone?
If you've ever read science or health coverage in the media and thought you could detect the unmistakable scent of bullcrap, here is some reassurance that it's not just your imagination.
Bad Science is a book that is fascinating and depressing in equal measure. It is fascinating to see how effective the placebo effect is. The minds ability to affect the body is miraculous. It also goes a long way to explain how some of this hokum has lived so long. I mean, take homoeopathy. We all know it is absolute nonsense, but when it is explained how little of the 'active ingredient' is in it, wow, it's a game-changer!
The depressing part comes from how certain (read most) media institutions distort the truth with devastating effect. Whether they do this for the sake of balance, sheer laziness or more often out of desperation to make something into a story, the impact is the same. Some scumbag makes a fortune while other people suffer. See pro-plague MMR people selling magic fairy dust while these terrible diseases, which were practically extinct, make a comeback. Grr, it makes my blood boil.
The author does a decent job of keeping the dry statistics and scientific method to a minimum and making them as interesting as possible. That said, the meaning comes through loud and clear. Engage your brain before believing anything you read, and if in doubt, do some digging before clicking share, and the world will be a better place.
The depressing part comes from how certain (read most) media institutions distort the truth with devastating effect. Whether they do this for the sake of balance, sheer laziness or more often out of desperation to make something into a story, the impact is the same. Some scumbag makes a fortune while other people suffer. See pro-plague MMR people selling magic fairy dust while these terrible diseases, which were practically extinct, make a comeback. Grr, it makes my blood boil.
The author does a decent job of keeping the dry statistics and scientific method to a minimum and making them as interesting as possible. That said, the meaning comes through loud and clear. Engage your brain before believing anything you read, and if in doubt, do some digging before clicking share, and the world will be a better place.
Not the type of book I usually read, but a very good book. It was an easy read as far as flow of the information.
Witty, smart, funny, and much more serious than it seems. An unfortunate, real-world conclusion that despite his and many other scientific arguments, bad science wins out.