Sexual Astrology - Books : Bad Medicine: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Distance Healing to Vitamin O (Wiley bad science series)

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Rating: - Better than I expected - and funny.
I didn't have any particular expectations about "Bad Medicine" when I purchased it, except what the title (and the subtitle) told me. In fact, the subtitle was somewhat misleading - it had led me to expect that this book was an encycopdeia of bad ideas in medicine or healthcare (a bit like "the Skeptic's Dictionary"), but it isn't.

"Bad Medicine" is a series of short chapters covering such topics as common myths about physiology and diet, and ineffective alternative medicine. The very first chapter is an introduction that provides a history of medicine from the dawn of recorded history to the modern day. This introduction, in itself, is facinating and worth the price of the book.

The information presented in this book is drawn from reputable scientific sources - a bibliography for each chapter is provided at the end. In addition, internet sources are also listed for interested readers to pursue the topics in the book further.

Although drawn from science, the material in the book is presented in a truely understandable format. For example, when talking about theraputic magnets (and how they don't attract the iron in blood) the author used a good analogy to Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI). He points out that the if the theory behind theraputic magnets were correct the very strong magnets used in MRI should rip the blood from your body - but they don't.

After about 10 pages of "Bad Medicine" it dawned on me that not only was the content interesting and well written, the author was also very funny, so I wanted to know more about him. Turning to the back cover, I discovered that not only had Christopher Wanjek written for major newspapers and university publications, he's also written jokes for tv comedy shows. As such, if you read "Bad Medicine" I expect you'll find yourself amused, as well as well informed.

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Rating: - interesting, readable, funny
Some reviewers were a little skeptical about the author, but a quick search on google will show that he is indeed qualified to write about medicine.

But about the book: I found this book to be written in a very readable and easy to understand way. Many times I chuckled outloud at the authors sarcasm.

While most people know why homeopathic medicine is bunk, he goes onto explain why it is bunk. He also has an interesting chapter on diets and on milk.

This book is full of interesting information, and i highly reccomend it to everyone who is interested in real medicine.

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Rating: - Bad Medicine - Good Book
A spirited defence of evidence-based medicine with a wry sense of humour, this is an entertaining and informative read. The chapters break it up into easily digestible chunks for dipping into, although it is just as suited for reading straight through.

The core message is eat well and exercise: you'll save a fortune.

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Rating: - A Good but Incomplete Book
+++++

This book, by joke writer and science writer Christopher Wanjek, explains "Bad Medicine." He does not define this term but upon reading his book, it seems that it is medicine that does not have a rational cure for disease. By implication then, "Good Medicine" is medicine that does have a rational cure for disease. Wanjek implies that traditional medicine as it is practiced today with surgery, radiation, and drugs is good medicine.

This book has seven parts that encompass more than forty easy to read very brief chapters. Below I will give the title of each part and chapter (that are not the same as in the book):

(I) *Dispelling certain myths (9 chapters)

(1) How the brain works (2) Brain size and intelligence (3) How the eyes work (4) How the tongue works (5) Detoxification myths (6) The Appendix: useful or not? (7) Why hair turns gray (8) Baldness cures (9) Human race defined

(II) *Aging (5 chapters)

(1) Memory (2) Vitality (3) Disease (4) Life Span (5) Longevity and Genetics

(III) *Cause and cure of certain diseases (6 chapters)

(1) The Black Plague in the modern age (2) The common cold (3) Are all bacteria bad? (4) Radiation (5) Cancer and Sharks (6) What your genes say about your future health

(IV) *Nutrition myths (5 chapters)

(1) Antioxidants (2) Obesity (3) Cow's Milk (4) Organic Food (5) Water: Bottled versus Tap

(V) *Alternative Medicine (8 chapters)

(1) Homeopathy (2) Magnetism (3) Ayurveda (4) Aromatherapy (5) Oxygen (6) Touch Therapy (7) Herbs (8) The true dangers of vaccines

(VI) *Risk (4 chapters)

(1) Science of toxicity (2) How health studies work (3) Important health study findings (4) Rating America's health

(VII) *Bad medicine in the news and at the movies (4 chapters)

(1) Accuracy of TV medical news (2) Guns and their aftereffects (3) Getting knocked out in Hollywood and in reality (4) A Hollywood heart attack versus a real heart attack

There is also an appendix that gives almost fifteen more examples of bad medicine. These were not entered into the main narrative because (I guess) they were not bad enough. There are also a dozen illustrations in this book.

Many chapters in this book are good especially those parts of chapters where Wanjek explains how things work. I should emphasize that such information can be found in a good medical text or even on a reliable internet site. It is nice, though, to have this information in one small volume. He also does a good job in explaining medical myths.

There are many chapters that, I feel, are too brief and somewhat simplistic. One obvious example is the chapter on vaccinations. This is a huge, controversial subject that Wanjek attempts to reduce to a mere six pages! He should read the classic book "The Medical Mafia" by Guylaine Lanctot, M.D. In her book, Dr. Lanctot clearly states that:

"The big lie [that vaccines protect us] has been perpetuated for 150 years despite the: (1) Ineffectiveness of vaccines in protecting against illness (2) Uselessness of certain vaccines (3) Innumerable complications of vaccines [that go] from minor problems...to death (4) Numerous...complaints [against vaccines] continually repeated by...conscientious [MDs] (5) Parent leagues and associations [that warn about the dangers of vaccinations] (6) Legal actions...that are so numerous that they have threatened the very livelihood of certain manufactures of vaccines (7) Catastrophic and staggering consequences of extensive neurological deficiency, which effects a great number of children, following [the administering of vaccinations] (8) Frightening and unforeseen effects [associated after administering vaccinations]."

It should be of no surprise that Wanjek puts down the alternative medicine he mentions. He should read the classic book "Confessions of a Medical Heretic" by Robert Mendelsohn, M.D. In his book, Dr. Mendelsohn clearly says,

"Get used to the idea right away that no single system can or should claim to have an exclusive fix on the dynamics of health."

Another interesting thing I found in this book occurs on the last page of the main narrative as well as on the last page of the "recommended reading." The last page of the book touts the fame of "[the late LINUS] PAULING, [James] Watson, and [the late Francis] Crick." These people were true scientists and made important discoveries. They truly deserve praise. Watson and Crick won a shared Nobel Prize but LINUS PAULING won two unshared Nobel Prizes, a remarkable achievement. On the last page of the Recommended Reading section, Wanjek mentions the value of an internet site called "Quackwatch."

Quackwatch is a good site that I've visited many times since it "combats health care fraud, myths, and fads." It also interestingly enough has a list of people, both living and dead, to AVOID getting health advice from (through their books).

There are two things that any person that reads this long list will find interesting. First, most of the names on this list are, believe it or not, medical doctors!! Second, guess whose name is in the deceased column of this list? You guessed it. LINUS PAULING!!!! I wonder what Wanjek would think of this?

I found other minor problems with this book.

Finally, this book, as I have said, is easy to read. However, Wanjek writes in a smart-alecky style. Perhaps this is his joke writing skills coming through. Personally, I was not offended by this but some readers may
be.

In conclusion, this is a highly readable book on an important subject. Unfortunately, it does not delve into some of its subjects thoroughly enough.

*** 1/2

(first published 2003; acknowledgements; introduction; 7 parts or 41 chapters; main narrative 250 pages; epilogue; appendix; recommended reading; bibliography; index)

+++++

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Rating: - bad BOOK about Medicine
There's nothing worse than revealing misconceptions and misuses of medicine by adding new ones. "non-scientific-narrow-minded-orthodox-concepts-against-popular-beliefs.pdf" is a better name for this work, or "Help your doctor achieve the 600 sick patients target per year so he can cope with his bills" e-book.
The 'conceptions' suggested by this e-book are for "plastic human beings" who are going to live in Mars and wait 300 years to celebrate the first alfafa sprouted in martian soil.
Spend your money on much better books like: "Living Water: Viktor Schauberger and the Secrets of Natural Energy"- by Olof Alexandersson.
Heal yourself, don't be bottled by misuses and misconceptions like this one...