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| Author: Michael Specter
Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The
List Price: $27.95
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Seller: businessandpolitics
Rating:  54 reviews
Sales Rank: 12929
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 304
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 1594202303
Dewey Decimal Number: 306.45
EAN: 9781594202308
ASIN: 1594202303
Publication Date: October 29, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: This item is new. Just like the one on the shelf at the bookstore only cheaper!
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 11-15 of 54
 A major disappointment; not what the title implies, and not much good anyway January 26, 2010
P. S. Braterman (Glasgow, Scotland)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Although this book is called "Denialism", you will find nothing but passing references to Holocaust denial or evolution denial, and nothing at all about the rampant climate change denial industry. Instead, there is a ragbag of mainly medical and biological topics, ranging from the Vioxx scandal through irrational fear of GM foods to the pernicious anti-vaccination movement to the moral challenge of designer babies. The only unifying thread is a shotgun attack on unreasonable and unscientific thinking, but the analysis of this, like the level of analysis and scholarship throughout the book, is shallow. There are notes on each of the chapters, and a bibliography, but these are not keyed to the text and it is at times impossible to check specific claims.
Most of the material discussed has been treated far better elsewhere, for example in Ben Goldacre's Bad Science, in Michael Shermer's Why People Believe Weird Things, or more recently (for those willing to see religious beliefs gently but firmly treated the same way as any others) in Hank Davis's excellent Caveman Logic
An interesting book, but a bit uneven in delivering on its main premise January 25, 2010
K. Harriger
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I should first note that the book I reviewed was an advance uncorrected copy, and significant changes may have been made prior to publication. While I enjoyed this book, I also found it uneven in the manner in which it addressed the issues stated in the subtitle. The goal of the book, claims the author, is to show examples of how we ignore sound data and instead cling to unsupported beliefs about science and hard data, and the impact these beliefs have upon our lives.
But in the very first chapter, which deals with the Vioxx drug scandal, we get a glimpse into a situation that wasn't so much about a drug company's mental block about the dangers of the drug as much as a willful and illegal disregard for the health of consumers in the pursuit of dollars. Based upon the author's claim made in the introduction, the very first chapter appears to take the argument into a different arena. While it provided an eye-opening glimpse into the Vioxx scandal, it didn't really make a strong argument for the incident being a case of scientific denialsim, but instead showed the depths of corporate greed over the interest of Americans.
But the book does deliver the goods quite well on other occasions, such as the chapters about organic foods and health supplements. While he stresses that it is commendable that people should want to reduce their carbon footprints, they choose to ignore the fact that some organic foods are anything but wholly organic, and many companies are simply jumping on the bandwagon with dishonest marketing ploys. Additionally, he points out, the greater carbon footprint of a particular organic product, if made visible, might shock the health-minded consumer, the majority of whom believe that anything organic is automatically superior to non-organic.
One of the biggest areas of denialism, reports Specter, is the belief that organic farming methods somehow hold the key to feeding the world's booming population. He notes that the only way mankind has been able to keep up with the exponential growth of the world's population is through bio-engineering and technology, which have allowed farming methods to improve, while lowering costs and maximizing land use. To suggest that organic farming methods, which nearly double the cost to produce food, might hold the answer to feeding the future population, is denialism at it's most damaging, as it hinders the type of scientific progress that can actually address and deal with this growing issue.
The book also tackles or comments upon many other issues, such as AIDS/HIV, genetics, young earth creationism, and vaccines. Overall, this was a very informative and interesting book, but seemed a bit loose in its approach to discussing the issues it wants to address. As noted, this was an uncorrected advance copy, so these issues may have been corrected before its release.
 Author's radio interview exposed his own denialism January 22, 2010
J. Douglas Benson (Maryland)
6 out of 24 found this review helpful
Specter was interviewed on NPR this afternoon, and was a very rude, abrasive, know-it-all guest. Some of his rants included:
*99% of non-prescription supplements should be thrown in the trash. People who can't see this are in denial.
*The deadly drug Vioxx was only unsafe for the people who were killed by it. By banning it, the FDA was kowtowing to denialists.
*Homeopathic medicine is (his exact words:) an idiotic, ridiculous field. Anyone who practices it (as opposed to mainstream, corporate medicine) is in denial.
*Anyone who questions the effectiveness or necessity of a new vaccine is in denial.
The author's already-shaky credibility evaporated altogether when one listener called in to mention specific scientific studies regarding the abortion procedure. She wondered if Specter's abiding support for scientific research (even with unpopular results) might cause him to give a nod to further investigation in that area of medicine. Rather than even addressing her point, Specter said "I did not write about that in my book; that's a moral issue." Excuse me??? What a hypocrite!
A big part of this guy's agenda seems to be defending pharmaceutical companies and mainstream Western medicine from the 'attacks' of people who choose to be 'in denial'.
A very strange piece of work. The book, I mean... well, maybe the author too.
 Denialism by Michael Specter January 17, 2010
Linda Jenkins (Franklin, VA, US)
0 out of 8 found this review helpful
I purchased this book as a Christmas gift for a friend and have not personally read it. It was on my friend's Christmas list and she was most pleased to receive it. She reads a lot and is interested in many subjects. I understand she is enjoying the book very much and would recommend it highly to others.
deny this book entry into your collection January 15, 2010
jrc (bangkok)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
to quote what someone else has already written, which expresses my sentiments exactly:
"What I had hoped for, when I picked up this book, was an investigation into WHY otherwise well-meaning, often educated, responsible people take rigid stances on issues that are starkly at odds with the facts. Further, I hoped that solutions would be offered to help break through these barriers between well documented information and subsequent ability to act accordingly. Denialism left both hopes unfilled. The book thus becomes more of a wringing of the hands rather than a rolling up of the sleeves."
Showing reviews 11-15 of 54
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