This is a wonderful, angry, ranty book that educates and entertains, and ultimately leaves you sad that the world is the way it is, and wanting to change it.
I have read some good works on critical thinking and on science, and this book is right up there with the best of them. Ben Goldacre works in the NHS and the science he is talking about is unashamedly the science of healthcare - but the points he makes about understanding scientific reporting and spotting quackery applies in other fields too.
Indeed it was very refreshing to read a book attacking bad science, and defending reason that focussed on such real world and downright useful subjects as how to answer someone who thinks MMR jabs cause autism, or who thinks eating spinach will oxygenate your blood.
I thought I was usually reasonably good at spotting bad science, but putting the book down and picking up today's paper I was immediately struck by two stories I would normally have quicky forgotten, and was left suspecting that both are very inaccurately reported.
Bad science is all around us, and in this book you can sharpen your skills at spotting and refuting bad arguments. The only people who will hate this book are people who think that "there are more things in heaven and earth..." and thus we should never discount homeopathy (or crystals, or tarot or whatever) just in case they work by some mechanism we do not know.
(And the message of the book to those people is - fair enough. But there is simply no evidence that the *do* work at all).
The only down sides of this book are the writing style. It is open and amusing, but sometimes some people might feel it grating a little. I didn't - I liked it, but I would understand if others felt differently.
Moreover, there writing was sometimes a tad opaque. I found myself re-reading some paragraphs because the book was so chatty that sometimes the author repeated himself and at other times he seemd to assume his point was clear before he had quite finished writing it. It is a minor criticism, because for the most part the author has done an admirable job of making science and the scientific method clear and understandable.
One last criticism - had I been explaining the material in this book, I would have covered much sooner the issues of prabability and chance, and the point that even where there is no effect to be discovered, 1 in 20 experiments attempting to show the effect (or rather, to disprove there is no effect) will come up with positive results merely by chance.
He does mention this in a very good chapter on statistics. It is just that it was relevant earlier, and even when mentioned it is not a point he labours.
Again a very minor criticism for a very good, readable and enjoyable work that is thoroughly recommended.
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Enjoyable and informative.
A riotous romp through terrible statistics, bad science and how the media can twist data to get clicks. Ben Goldacre has a really readable style, and his rants are thoroughly enjoyable. The chapters on placebos and homeopathy are especially enlightening and entertaining. Those on Brain Gym and Gillian McKeith are a little out of date, but still fun to read.
Top reviews from other countries
Lavender Honey
I Laughed, I Learned, and Now I’m Suspicious of Every Vitamin Commercial
Lavender Honey
Reviewed in Canada on 25 November 2024
What I Loved:
The writing style is hilarious, but it never sacrifices clarity. Complex topics like placebo effects or dodgy data are explained very well that even someone like me who once googled “Is kale a carb?” can follow along. The author doesn’t just rant about quacks -- there are real-world examples, backed by science, of how some health fads are, frankly, absurd.
One of my favorite sections is about detox products. Spoiler alert: your liver is already a detox machine. That green juice you paid $12 for? It’s a glorified salad smoothie.
The takedowns of bad reporting in the media were also gold. I may or may not have yelled, "Yes! Thank you!" at certain points, startling my dog.
What Could Be Better:
If you’re sensitive about pseudoscience being called out, you might not enjoy this as much. It does go hard on certain topics -- but personally, I found that refreshing. Being Canadian, some parts of this book are pretty UK-centric, so the references to local regulations or media might not land as well if you're outside the UK.
Unexpected Perks:
I went in thinking this was just about debunking, but I came out better equipped to spot misleading claims. It's like a crash course in scientific literacy wrapped in humor. I also laughed so much that I’d call this a great stress reliever. It’s almost therapeutic.
Bottom Line:
If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a celebrity-endorsed "miracle cure" or questioned why some research sounds too good to be true, this is for you. It’s sharp, funny, and surprisingly empowering. I now side-eye every wellness ad I see -- and my wallet thanks me for it.
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Amazon Customer
great book. A must for all health professionals
Ilaria Del Vescovo
