Ben Goldacre

Every day, it seems, arrives with a flurry of articles about the latest scientific studies. How accurate are these reports, and how sound are the studies themselves? Doctor and science writer Ben Goldacre uses this book to demonstrate how to pick apart the stories and discover the truth (or the places where the truth is missing). It's all delivered with plenty of asides and fiery enthusiasm, as well as some laugh-out-loud moments (e.g. demonstrating how useless a certain diploma is by show more obtaining one for his dead cat). Worth reading, and then rereading. show less

I adore books about modern myths and this is among the best. Though the title is fairly generic, the science in question here is largely related to health: medicine, disease, and diet, and the media's role in the spread of misinformation. I was surprised both by the debunking of myths I'd long thought to be true, as well as those myths and charlatans I'd never even heard of. As an American, reading about the British perspective was extra fascinating. Goldacre also has quite an amusing way show more with words, which helped dilute some of the anger a bit. Exasperation can be exhausting, but when tempered with humor it's much more enjoyable. Sure, there are some tales, like the AIDS denial in South Africa, that are simply horrifying, but by and large it's more eye-opening than depressing. Definitely recommended to anyone who's ever had any interest in those big "such-and-such causes/cures cancer" tales constantly blasted over the airwaves. show less

This selection of Goldacre's journalism touches on many alarming things, but possibly the most alarming is to realise how long it is since he stopped writing his "Bad Science" column in the Guardian — 2011! Where does the time go?

It is a testament to his skill as a writer that I remembered a very large proportion of these pieces from when I first read them in the Guardian or on his blog. But it was nice to come back to them, and to discover a few other pieces that were new to me, including show more things he published in the BMJ, the introduction to a government report on using evidence-based research in teaching, a prize-winning essay about treatment of heroin addiction from his college days and — rather unexpectedly — the foreword to the official guidebook of the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway.

The general themes are what you would expect: tireless evangelising for scientific method, criticism of incompetent or sensationalist science journalism, and a certain amount of amused baiting of homeopaths, nutritionists, magnetism purveyors, and other kinds of quacks. But the main point is always to help us to get a critical understanding of how (medical) scientists go about doing research, and why it matters that they do it correctly and openly. Anyone who reads Goldacre's columns (or his previous books) is in a better position to ask the right questions of a newspaper piece that starts "Scientists have..." — I suspect there are quite a few working scientists who've brushed up their knowledge of experiment design after seeing him point out other people's mistakes, as well! show less

Bad Science is an exposé of the ways in which science is misused, misrepresented, and misunderstood in modern society. As a physician and science writer, his primary goal is to help readers distinguish between legitimate science and the pseudoscientific or slanted claims that often grab the headlines. He advocates evidence-based decision-making. The author systematically dismantles various forms of bad science, beginning with relatively harmless but scientifically baseless health fads like show more detox footbaths and homeopathy, before escalating to more dangerous instances where misunderstood statistics and cherry-picked data have led to genuine public health crises.

Goldacre's analysis of the MMR vaccine controversy is particularly compelling, and he explains how it led to the reoccurrence of these diseases in Great Britain. He takes on several individuals that have blatantly tried to profit from sales of their own products while producing great harm in the process (such as the withholding of AIDS medications in South Africa, where HIV was rampant). What makes this book particularly effective is Goldacre's ability to equip readers with the critical thinking tools needed to evaluate scientific claims on their own. He explains concepts like the placebo effect, randomized controlled trials, meaningful statistics, peer reviews of publicized articles, and publication bias. His writing style sprinkles in humor to go along with the more scientific explanations. His passion for scientific integrity is evident.

Published in 2008, it remains relevant, especially with the recent rise in science denial. He examines problems that are still with us (perhaps even more so than before), such as media sensationalism, scientific illiteracy, outrageous claims by people in positions of power, and the exploitation of people's health anxieties. These factors continue to shape public discourse. Recommended to anyone who wants to become more informed about the scientific process, and better able to make informed decisions. This book provides a wealth of valuable information. It is too bad that “You cannot reason people out of positions they did not reason themselves into.” show less