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A review by msgtdameron
Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms the Planet, and Threatens Our Lives by Michael Specter
2.0
The two is a tad low, really a 2.5, reason: POORLY written. There are no transition paragraphs with make this work real real hard to read. There is a LOT of real good info in this work, but the lousy writing makes this so hard to read that the information is tough to discover.
Specter does have a lot a good information about how this country allows stupidity to lead to the denial of science. He interviewed Dr Faucci back in 2007. Well before the good doctor became famous as the voice of reason in the Trump Administration. Dr Faucci's message 14 years ago, Science will solve our problems of living with bacteria, viruses, and a plethora of other health problems as we go forward.
Their is one other problem with this work. Specter has a lot of anger towards the Anti- Vaxx movement and particular to Jenny McCarthy. This leads to the introduction and the first three chapters being a rant rather than usable information. Rants are fine but page after page does not make for a good read.
Fin ally Specter does glance over solutions to the problem by citing the down ward spiral of U.S. Education. Now I will digress a moment. When I retired from the Air Force I went to college and got a degree in Life Sciences Education. I taught HS Biology for several years before my PTS got the better of me. Many oldest Daughter taught first grade for eight years before she decided to become full time Mom. Her husband is a Associate Principal at a Middle School, 6-8. His parents were also both teachers and later in life administrators. My wife was a aid for elementary for ten years. My youngest taught every year she was working on her first Masters. Family dinners tend to discuss the latest in Education and ways to fix/repair the system to better serve our students. Our conclusion over the past ten years or so of weekly dinners, lunches, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter etc: Test the students in the first week of school. Design the test with written questions on it. For example a biology test would have 50 multiple guess, then ten or so short answer questions, and then five or six essay questions, students have to answer two with a third for extra credit. Then in the last week of the school year the same test is given again. Each students grade will be by the difference between the first test and the end of year test. Who grades these tests you ask? Every school that I am aware of belongs to some type of league or district for sports, band, theater, debate, etc. each school in each district will have there tests graded by one of there other schools they are districted with. The beginning test have eight weeks to get graded. The end of year tests four. Seniors will be tested in Feb and then the rest of the year get ten free days where no explanation needed you don't have to show. Unexcussed absences after that and you don't walk, you don't get prom, Senior picnic and any other activities that go on in any particular school. Every one gets done and we have actually education going on instead of teaching to the test. Also we will have students who will be able to synthesis information, create new information from what they already know, and extrapolate answers. This type of testing would create more discerning adults. Adults who would believe what the science says, who would not believe the unsupported lies of politicians, and an acceptance of science.
Specter had a chance to write a better book but he did not. I'm glad this is on my shelf as the information is useful, but again the writing makes it a trudge.
Specter does have a lot a good information about how this country allows stupidity to lead to the denial of science. He interviewed Dr Faucci back in 2007. Well before the good doctor became famous as the voice of reason in the Trump Administration. Dr Faucci's message 14 years ago, Science will solve our problems of living with bacteria, viruses, and a plethora of other health problems as we go forward.
Their is one other problem with this work. Specter has a lot of anger towards the Anti- Vaxx movement and particular to Jenny McCarthy. This leads to the introduction and the first three chapters being a rant rather than usable information. Rants are fine but page after page does not make for a good read.
Fin ally Specter does glance over solutions to the problem by citing the down ward spiral of U.S. Education. Now I will digress a moment. When I retired from the Air Force I went to college and got a degree in Life Sciences Education. I taught HS Biology for several years before my PTS got the better of me. Many oldest Daughter taught first grade for eight years before she decided to become full time Mom. Her husband is a Associate Principal at a Middle School, 6-8. His parents were also both teachers and later in life administrators. My wife was a aid for elementary for ten years. My youngest taught every year she was working on her first Masters. Family dinners tend to discuss the latest in Education and ways to fix/repair the system to better serve our students. Our conclusion over the past ten years or so of weekly dinners, lunches, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter etc: Test the students in the first week of school. Design the test with written questions on it. For example a biology test would have 50 multiple guess, then ten or so short answer questions, and then five or six essay questions, students have to answer two with a third for extra credit. Then in the last week of the school year the same test is given again. Each students grade will be by the difference between the first test and the end of year test. Who grades these tests you ask? Every school that I am aware of belongs to some type of league or district for sports, band, theater, debate, etc. each school in each district will have there tests graded by one of there other schools they are districted with. The beginning test have eight weeks to get graded. The end of year tests four. Seniors will be tested in Feb and then the rest of the year get ten free days where no explanation needed you don't have to show. Unexcussed absences after that and you don't walk, you don't get prom, Senior picnic and any other activities that go on in any particular school. Every one gets done and we have actually education going on instead of teaching to the test. Also we will have students who will be able to synthesis information, create new information from what they already know, and extrapolate answers. This type of testing would create more discerning adults. Adults who would believe what the science says, who would not believe the unsupported lies of politicians, and an acceptance of science.
Specter had a chance to write a better book but he did not. I'm glad this is on my shelf as the information is useful, but again the writing makes it a trudge.