Quantity:

More Buying Choices

32 used & new from �2.77

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Share your own customer images

Search inside this book

Bad Medicine: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Distance Healing to Vitamin O (Wiley bad science series) (Paperback)

by Christopher Wanjek (Author) "Compared to the ancient cockroach, we truly are a baby species ..." (more)

4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

RRP:	�11.95
Price:	�8.35 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save:	�3.60 (30%)
	o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Saturday, November 14? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details

20 new from �6.38 12 used from �2.77

Other Editions:	RRP:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Unbound			Order it used

Special Offers and Product Promotions

If you're interested in similar titles, make sure to check out the Wiley-Blackwell Medicine & Health Store.

Frequently Bought Together

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing Hoax (Bad Science)

by Philip C. Plait

4.2 out of 5 stars (8) �6.69

Suckers: How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of Us All

by Rose Shapiro

3.8 out of 5 stars (22) �6.70

Trick or Treatment?: Alternative Medicine on Trial

by Simon Singh

3.9 out of 5 stars (34) �6.73

Bad Science

by Ben Goldacre

4.5 out of 5 stars (204) �3.58

Bad Medicine: Doctors Doing Harm Since Hippocrates

by David Wootton

4.5 out of 5 stars (2) �6.48

› Explore similar items

Product details

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (29 Oct 2002)
Language English
ISBN-10: 047143499X
ISBN-13: 978-0471434993
Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 37,737 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories:
#69 in Books > Science & Nature > Astronomy & Cosmology > Astronomy
#97 in Books > Science & Nature > Mathematics > Popular Maths

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

See Complete Table of Contents

Product Description

Review

For skeptics, always fans of science: The first two books in a series devoted to "bad science," Bad Astronomy by Philip Plait and Bad Medicine (Wiley, $15.95) by Christopher Wanjek, may warm even a Scrooge′s heart. In short chapters, Plait tackles misperceptions about why the moon looks larger on the horizon and why stars twinkle before moving on, dismantling conspiracy kooks who doubt the moon landing and offering a top 10 list of bad science moments in movie history. Wanjek, a science writer who has also written jokes for The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live, takes an edgy and funny tack in debunking myths such as humans using only 10% of their brains, the utility of "anti–bacterial" toys and the safety of "natural" herbal remedies, ones often loaded with powerful chemicals. (USA TODAY, December 3, 2002)

"...Bad Medicine is an enjoyable romp through a host of biomedical misconceptions..." (New Scientist, 21 December 2002)

"...Wanjek shoots and scores when he tackles the major myths of medicine..." (Focus, February 2003)

Review

"...Bad Medicine is an enjoyable romp through a host of biomedical misconceptions..." (New Scientist, 21 December 2002)

"...Wanjek shoots and scores when he tackles the major myths of medicine..." (Focus, February 2003)

See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
Compared to the ancient cockroach, we truly are a baby species. Read the first page

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

science(1)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	41% buy the item featured on this page: Bad Medicine: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Distance Healing to Vitamin O (Wiley bad science series) 4.0 out of 5 stars (6) �8.35
	38% buy Bad Science 4.5 out of 5 stars (204) �3.58
	9% buy Suckers: How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of Us All 3.8 out of 5 stars (22) �6.70
	6% buy Trick or Treatment?: Alternative Medicine on Trial 3.9 out of 5 stars (34) �6.73

Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

6 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.0 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pick up and wise up., 4 Mar 2003

By	Darren Halford - See all my reviews

We DON'T know everything! This book is so easy to read. The approach is logical and cuts to the bone. Our writer spends his time talking to the layman rather than showing off his expertise and blinding us with babble(as happens in so many 'science' texts). I enjoyed it thoroughly. It'll worry you at least once. If not, make you gasp out loud to the nearest ear. I've no doubt that many old wives will be shaken to hear her tales undone. Aside from pointing out some dangers we (who believe everything we read) can so easily put our health in, we are informed in very much the style of a concerned friend. The sharp wit is peppered about -brightening the pages just when it feels a little dark/serious. Health IS serious afterall and now I know SO much. I can't wait to get down the pub and put a few know-it alls right with a smug grin. Worth every penny. I could give it 5 stars but there's so much it didn't cover which, of course, means loads of room for sequels. I also read BAD ASTRONOMY, switching between the two. Please, PLEASE build this series.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent - I loved it., 1 April 2003

By A Customer

An excellent book, well written, well backed up with information sources and research and easy to read.
I am not a scientist, but the concepts and details were well explained and easy to understand.
A brilliant book to fight back at the misconceptions and misinformation of the current quacks and fraudsters of our world.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bad Medicine - a good read, 16 Oct 2003

By	John D Jackson (Swadlincote, Derbys United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This book did a good job at debunking or supporting some of the Old Wives Tales and New Age Tales that surround health and medicine, in a very readable way. No doubt it will not convince dyed in the wool new age fanatics, but for the open minded and generally interested I would highly recommend it.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 6 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Buy this for anyone who claims that "alternative" therapies do anything good
This is an interesting and easy to read book, which contains short chapters on a variety of topics, which makes it ideal for dipping in and out of. Read more

Published 13 months ago by T-bone

4.0 out of 5 stars Scotching myths
An essential read in our crazy times, this book will help you understand many of the myths surrounding medicine and science, enabling you to form a much more balanced view of some... Read more

Published on 7 Nov 2007 by Anapaest

2.0 out of 5 stars Too much debunking for the sake of it
There is a lot of good sense in Bad Medicine, such as the section on the difference between what happens in movies when people shoot guns or knock each other in the head, and what... Read more

Published on 4 Dec 2002 by Andrew Barr

› See all 6 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jqOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jqOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jqOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; }