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Free chapter of a great book.

Bad Science missing chapter: The Doctor Will Sue You Now.

OK, not the most lucrative freebie ever posted but please give this 5 minutes...

This is basically the astonishing, but sadly true, story of how a snake oil salesman collided with AIDS denialism in South Africa and how this has subsequently cost the lives of 330,000 people - so far. It is a very serious story about the dangers of pseudoscience and serves as a great example of what the rest of the book is like. "Detox", alternative therapies, nutritionists and "Dr." Gillian McKeith, amongst others, all get a good and deserved kicking in the book.

The chapter is available for free here, or alternatively as a pdf or word document.

The rest of the book, written by Ben Goldacre (a doctor working within the NHS and Guardian columnist), is just as good as the freebie, and is just a fiver from waterstones or amazon. This chapter couldn't be included in the original edition of the book (you'll find out why when you read the chapter) so has now been made freely available by the author.

I would say that if you liked the Bill Bryson: "A Short History...", you will LOVE this, but rather than me give you an amateur review, read this: Daily Telegraph Review.

Please give it 5 minutes...

Comments

  • cootambear
    cootambear Posts: 1,474 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Ah, many thanks. It seems that no food product can be launched these days without dubious health claims, we have been conditioned by these cranks to see food as drugs.
    Freedom is the freedom to say that 2+2 = 4 (George Orwell, 1984).

    (I desire) ‘a great production that will supply all, and more than all the people can consume’,

    (Sylvia Pankhurst).
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