Bad Science, Good Book

In case you care to know, I'm reading a book by award winning leading expert (and nutritionist) Dr. Ben Goldacre (sorry Ben, they're going to have to read your book to learn why I typed it out like that) entitled Bad Science. The name is taken from his blog site www.badscience.net and is really a compilation of what he tries to address on his site (not the individual items that he deals with but the overall problem of bad science, false beliefs, etc.).

I should state that Ben's website (www.badscience.net) is not a good indicator of the contents of his book (some people will have a hard time getting "in to" reading his website on a regular basis but his book is hard to put down).

For those hoping to read a book that systematically deals with Homeopathy, the MMR hoax and CAM - this is the book you're looking for (you may be surprised in what it says, though). If you are looking for a book that addresses "Big Pharma", the media and misinformation, this book fits that description too.

The book is well written and accessible (heck, I'm able to read it and understand it) and possibly one of the most important books a person could ever read. It will, I warn you, have you question some of your cherished beliefs (it is not an attack on religion, it is a primer on how to work through the media sensationalism and the bad science). The book is funny, the topics are serious and the end result is completely worthwhile.

(On a sad note, it might be hard to find Ben's book - my wife had to order my copy from the UK. It is well worth the search!)