Quack Quack: The Threat of Pseudoscience

Description

Let the one and only Dr. Joe battle pseudoscience and cast a life preserver out to all those drowning in a sea of misinformation A fun, fast-paced, and evidence-informed exploration of outrageous claims, 'alternative' therapies, and 'miracle cures' such as juice cleanses, detoxes, ear candling, raw water, and more. In a world filled with misinformation and twisted science, this is a must-read. We are in a crisis. A tsunami of misinformation and disinformation is threatening to engulf evidence-based science. While quackery - loosely defined as the spread of false 'knowledge', often accompanied by various versions of 'snake oil' - is not a novel phenomenon, it has never posed as great a threat to public health as today. COVID-19 has unleashed an unprecedented flurry of destructive information that has fuelled vaccine hesitancy and has steered people toward unproven therapies. Conspiracy theorists have served up a distasteful menu of twisted facts that create distrust in science. In Quack Quack, Dr. Joe Schwarcz, who has been battling flimflam for decades, focuses on the deluge of anecdotes, cherry-picked data, pseudoscientific nonsense, and seductive baseless health claims that undermine efforts to educate the public about evidence-based science. The wide scope of the topics drawn from past and present aims to cast a life preserver to people drowning in a sea of misinformation. 'Ultimately, the author successfully demonstrates how claims should be queried and analysed before they are accepted.' - Library Journal 'In his latest book, Quack Quack, Joe Schwarcz provides what can best be described as an encyclopedia of pathological science, past and present. He counterpoints his background as a clever amateur magician with his duty as a science commentator. When conventional medicine offers no hope for a terrible illness, we all will look anywhere for anything. Joe's own experience makes him no exception. But in the end, we must remain rational, something that online echo chambers have made more difficult. Joe's twenty-five rules for dealing with information and misinformation could well be printed on a wide bookmark for this book (and others) as a continuing reminder for us all to remain alert.' - Ben Selinger, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, Australian National University 'In his usual inimitable fashion, Joe Schwarz weaves tales of pseudoscience and quackery, showing how modern quackery is very similar in many ways to quackery from decades and even hundreds of years ago. The details change, but the core concepts behind quackery tend to remain disturbingly the same, as do the sales techniques. It's an informative and entertaining read for anyone interested in recognizing quackery when they see it.' - David H. Gorski, Professor of Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine

Dr. Joe Schwarcz is the director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society, which has the mission of separating sense from nonsense. He hosts a radio show, appears on television, writes a regular newspaper column, and has authored 18 bestsellers. Dr. Joe is also an amateur magician and lives in Montreal, QC.

"In his usual inimitable fashion, Joe Schwarz weaves tales of pseudoscience and quackery, showing how modern quackery is very similar in many ways to quackery from decades and even hundreds of years ago. The details change, but the core concepts behind quackery tend to remain disturbingly the same, as do the sales techniques. It's an informative and entertaining read for anyone interested in recognizing quackery when they see it." -- David H. Gorski, Professor of Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine "In his latest book, Quack Quack, Joe Schwarcz provides what can best be described as an encyclopedia of pathological science, past and present. He counterpoints his background as a clever amateur magician with his duty as a science commentator. When conventional medicine offers no hope for a terrible illness, we all will look anywhere for anything. Joe's own experience makes him no exception. But in the end, we must remain rational, something that online echo chambers have made more difficult. Joe's twenty-five rules for dealing with information and misinformation could well be printed on a wide bookmark for this book (and others) as a continuing reminder for us all to remain alert." -- Ben Selinger, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, Australian National University