Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms the Planet, and Threatens Our Lives Book

I really wanted to like this book, especially since I agree with the author's premise that some segments of our society have developed a knee-jerk distrust of all things scientific which is endangering lives, wasting money and distracting us from making scientific progress. In Mr. Specter's words, "Denialism is denial writ large - when an entire segment of society, often struggling with the trauma of change, turns away from reality in favor of a more comfortable lie."

Mr. Specter opens Denialism by describing in thorough detail the Vioxx case (an arthritis wonder-drug that was pulled from the market in 2004 after an increased risk of heart attack and stroke was found to be linked to its usage). He uses Merck's shortsighted and selfish mishandling of the drug's shortcomings as a powerful example of why so many people are distrustful of scientists and large corporations. The next chapter outlines the anti-vaccine movement - his disdain for Jenny McCarthy, in particular, is palpable. Fear of genetically engineered foods is next along with society's "organic fetish" that is not supported by scientific data and is, in some cases, preventing starving people from receiving food. Then vitamin and herbal supplements are up - again, Mr. Specter's disgust with Dr. Andrew Weil was dripping off the page. Genetic variations between races follows, with Mr. Specter lamenting the "political correctness" that refuses to acknowledge any difference based on race and leads to inappropriate or ineffective medical treatments. The final chapter talks about synthetic biology and some not-so-distant possibilities for sticky ethical applications.

While Mr. Specter has obviously done his homework, each of these topics has been covered individually and more thoroughly in full-length books of their own. It's interesting to have them assembled in one place, the better to make his argument that society is trending toward distrust of science. But it was also incredibly frustrating that he didn't offer much in the way of solutions, particularly since he starts out with such a clear example (Vioxx) of why people don't trust science, the government or Big Pharma anymore. He also mentions the Tuskegee experiments, Ford's Pinto, SARS and Chernobyl, to name a few. Information is withheld, bureaucracies move far too slowly or have too little actual authority, self-interested companies stonewall and spin their PR machines. So what is the wo/man in the street supposed to do about it? What sources should we trust for scientific information? How do you see through the spin?

I admit to having little patience with those who ignore all scientific evidence in favor of the anecdotes and non-peer-reviewed information available at the "University of Google", especially when their ignorance puts others at risk. Mr. Specter seems both angry and defensive throughout this book - which he certainly has a right to be. I just wish more of that energy was directed towards helping the average person figure out how to know what to trust rather than railing against the ignorant and the charlatans.

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