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A review by laread
Do You Believe in Magic?: The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine by Paul A. Offit
3.0
Science rules. This is a fascinating account of quackery through the past few centuries. From Linus Pauling's megavitamins to Susanne Somers's empire, there is much that gets hawked around of which to be wary.
On the other hand, the title is misleading, suggesting a balanced rather than biased critique. The attack on Traditional Chinese Medicine in particular is out of hand, because (a) one cannot isolate acupuncture apart from the full TCM prescriptions, which include herbs, nutrition, and lifestyle adjustments; (b) TCM prescriptions are based on an individual's unique biology and not a matter of matching a distinct diagnosis to a standardized treatment; and (c) the absence of a large-scale epidemiological study funded by the NIH that concludes efficacy does not disprove it. (The are ample case studies and other research for those interested.)
And when it comes to herbology, the fact that 25% of medicine prescribed by the UK's National Health System is herbal is testament to its medical acceptance. After all, oral medicine is about chemistry; there is a great body of solid research on herbal medicine.
Overall, I have to say the tone of the book is exciting, and I like the author's enthusiasm for Western medicine, but the book is slanted by a crusade against further research and development of additional therapies that are not "alternative" but developing and available for the ever-expanding body of medical knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment.
On the other hand, the title is misleading, suggesting a balanced rather than biased critique. The attack on Traditional Chinese Medicine in particular is out of hand, because (a) one cannot isolate acupuncture apart from the full TCM prescriptions, which include herbs, nutrition, and lifestyle adjustments; (b) TCM prescriptions are based on an individual's unique biology and not a matter of matching a distinct diagnosis to a standardized treatment; and (c) the absence of a large-scale epidemiological study funded by the NIH that concludes efficacy does not disprove it. (The are ample case studies and other research for those interested.)
And when it comes to herbology, the fact that 25% of medicine prescribed by the UK's National Health System is herbal is testament to its medical acceptance. After all, oral medicine is about chemistry; there is a great body of solid research on herbal medicine.
Overall, I have to say the tone of the book is exciting, and I like the author's enthusiasm for Western medicine, but the book is slanted by a crusade against further research and development of additional therapies that are not "alternative" but developing and available for the ever-expanding body of medical knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment.