Bad Science discussion

I loved this book and would like to find other similar ones. Does anyone know any that they could recommend. I believe he is working on his second follow up at the moment but I am impatient to read more.

I've recently finished a book called "Voodoo Science" by Robert Park, which is in a similar vein. I'd also recommend "How Mumbo Jumbo Conquered the World" by Francis Wheen.

Trick or Treatment by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst provide an overview of the efficacy of alternative therapies by reviewing all the evidence to date. Suckers, how alternative medicine fooled us all is also a pretty good romp over similar ground. Do check out the Bad Science website and forums - you get all of Ben's current articles - I don't know how he has time to be a doctor!

Lisa wrote: "Trick or Treatment by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst provide an overview of the efficacy of alternative therapies by reviewing all the evidence to date. Suckers, how alternative medicine fooled us al..."

I'd also recommend 'Trick or Treatment', and perhaps also 'Paranormality' by Richard Wiseman - similar theme, if not similar material.

'Paranormality' by Richard Wiseman -
Anything by Richard Wiseman is a pretty nicely laid out read - I'm reading 'Mistakes Were Made, but not by me' by Tavris and Aronson. It's mainly about cognitive dissonance and I'm finding it a mind blowing read - Irrationality by Stuart Sutherland also looked at how are preception and reasoning systems often lead us astray - but I took a while to get through that, it's more academic.

there are several titles that cover irrationality and etc. but the closest to "bad science" in coverage if not in popularity :-) is "Lies, Damned Lies, and Science: How to Sort through the Noise around Global Warming, the Latest Health Claims, and Other Scientific Controversies" by Sherry Seethaler. it is a very sharp, somewhat more methodical "how to evaluate claims" type book with tables, diagrams, myth highlights. highly recommended.

Yes! But better... The History Of Britain Revealed

Try Bad Astronomy by Philip Plait. There are also a few other books along this same line, Bad Medicine by Christopher Wanjak, Flim-Flam by James Randi and Issac Asimov, The fabric of The Cosmos by Brian Greene, anything written by Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. If you liked Bad Science then these books should be interesting to you as well. Hope you enjoy!

Goldacre has a new book out called Bad Pharma. Do check it out.

Try his blog. It's full of interesting stuff. Plus, he links to b3ta, which is always nice. http://www.badscience.net/

This one is also not bad.

http://www.amazon.de/Denialism-Irrati...

Try C: Because Cowards Get Cancer Too by John Diamond. Its part autobiography about his struggle with cancer and part blistering attack on alternative therapies and hoe practitioners prey on the vulnerable. It' also very funny and sad at the same time.

How not hoe obviously!

Try The Geek Manifesto: Why science matters. It's a little dry but a good read nonetheless.

Andrew wrote: "Try The Geek Manifesto: Why science matters. It's a little dry but a good read nonetheless."

Thanks, Andrew. I'll read it.

Coming at it from Goldacre's other angle: bad journalism, then Nick Davies's expose of scientifically illiterate, press release-fed reporting, Flat Earth News, is a must-read.