Is That a Fact?: Frauds, Quacks, and the Real Science of Everyday Life

The book explores what is bogus, what has some basis, and what has been shown to be a fact. These are labeled black, gray, and white.The first part of the book discusses what makes for good information. Although, no gaurantee, peer-reviewed research is consider the best. And the best of these are controlled experiments, such as double-blinded drug studies with a treatment group and a nontreatment group, which neither the experimenters or the subjects no which group the subjects are in. Some other things that go into how reliable the research is is study size and independent measurements. Studies which rely on questionaires are less reliable in general.Part two covers the black areas. These are things that are bogus with no real evidence in which to judge the reality of what is being claimed. One example is homeopathy. First through the dilution process nothing of the actual substance remains. Also, the theory behind it has no support. On top of this there has never been a contorlled study to show that homeopathic remedies fair any better than a placebo.In part three the gray zone is examined. Here there might be a bit of evidence to go on, but under well controlled situations the claims do not stand up. Or the claims are based on extrapolations from either animal studies or small human studies. One issue discussed was antioxidants. Evidence shows that some antioxidents reduced free radicals in the lab, but failed to show any benefit during a clinical trial. Actually free radicals are use by are bodies to attack bacteria and viruses. The giving of large amount of antioxidant supplements may work to counteract this benefit that our own bodies provide.Part four, the white zone, moves in to territory that science actually supports. Despite this there is often misinformation given about the science and what it means. In this section can be found a good explanation of dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) and some of its uses.In discussing the hype surrounding blueberries and their ability to reduce breast cancer growth, Dr. Schwarcz says, “But for the scientifically minded, the tasty headline may trigger a bout of mental indigestion.” I definitely concur.This happened to me. While reading this book, I saw a news story on the benefits of alternative fasting diets. The woman in the story certainly lost a significant amount of weight, but any calorie restriction diet would do the same. There was no mention in the report of the other benefits or any mention of research studies supporting any of the claims. So I took a spin on google and indulged in some actual science. Needless to say, I found very little if any benefit of this mode of diet. I even went through the abstracts that this one website provided, at least through benefit four out of ten, after which I thought there was little point in continuing, since the research referenced didn't come close to supporting the supposed health benefits. This definitely gave me a serious case of “mental indigestion.”I enjoy this book immensely. As far as pure enjoyment is concerned, this is the best book I have read since early last year (2015). I had actually taken a free online class, Food for Thought, in which Dr Schwarcz was one of the professors. In that class I enjoyed his sense of humor, often wry and pointed. This quality was also exhibited in the book. He is also the director of the Office for Science & Society at McGill University were the class originated from. I was impressed when I posted a question on the Office's website, and Dr. Schwarcz responded that same day.I would definitely recommend this book as a starting point in examing health claims. While Dr. Schwarcz could not cover everything (who can?), he does explain what and where to look to find information in evaluating health and other claims. I would also definitely recommend this book for its pure reading pleasure.

This book is nice and falls into the genre of "debunking" books, to which I am particularly attracted. It does deconstruct standard myth/misinformation about homeopathy, herbal "therapies," the GMO "controversy" (that doesn't exist in rational science), molecular water, and other pseudoscientific topics. He uses a lot of quotes which, while good ones, are kind of noticeable in their number. The writing style can be a bit flip at times, which is a little concerning to me, as these misconceptions are important ones that need to be seriously debunked, and his language might be off-putting enough to those who disagree so as to fuel their determined disagreement. Still, I notice that this is an author who writes material clearly targeted to a lay audience, so perhaps that's why it reads the way it does (eg, it doesn't read like, say, Paul Offit's books on the same topic). As a scientist, I also feel that some sections are incomplete or surprisingly outdated for a recent publication. I suspect that my "issues" with this book probably stem from the fact that I'm not exactly the right target audience, but his content is good, and the message is important.

It's not a textbook. That's the most important thing for you to know.Most of the issues listed in other reviews seem to view the book as something it's not. No, there aren't citations. Some of the studies might have enough information to look up on your own, but you'll have to trust Dr. Schwarcz for much of the book. I think that's okay - Dr. Joe has a very good reputation across the scientific community and has been doing this for a very long time. Look up his podcast if you want more frequent and recent updates.These essays, or commentaries, or chapters, or whatever you want to call them, are pretty short. Most are only about 2-4 pages. But this is not the kind of book you purchase if you are looking for in-depth technical expertise. These are fun books that give you a little background on a wide range of topics that you've likely come across in your life. As a chemistry student, this is the kind of thing I read for fun, because as the title states this book covers "the real science of everyday life."If you enjoy this book, Dr. Schwarcz has many others like it (I suggest "That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles").

This book starts out strong, attacking some of the most powerful myths of the present day. The author's grounding in scientific research makes him a good person to explain why some ideas are just plain wrong. But towards the end, he veers off into a "fun facts" kind of reporting. He's all over the place, talking about lots and lots and LOTS of little stories you may or may not have heard, and may or may not care much about. But if you're a lover of obscure information, you'll love the whole thing.

Dr. Schwarcz does a great job of exposing several areas of pseudoscience. From homeopathy to media created hysteria, Dr. Schwarcz gives the facts behind it all. He also stresses that when it comes to "toxins" dosage matters which means those "toxins" in your food and water are likely no problem at all. This is a great book for refuting a lot of the nonsense that is out there today and for recognizing when someone attempts to fill your head with more pseudoscience and nonsense.

I found the chapters a bit short, and found myself wishing they were at least twice as long. The science bits are not too technical.

This is a tremendous read. For those who enjoy having information presented in appealing interest-keeping manners this is the perfect choice.

Joe Schwarcz is smart, funny, and engaging. He will make logic and reason the easy default position to adopt and rid you of your silliest notions.

I enjoyed reading this book, as Dr. Joe debunks many of the current 'Urban Myths' ranging from some of the popular 'alternative medicines' to the unfounded condemnation of the chemical BPA, and the overuse of antibiotics. Generally well researched and straightforward.

It's hard to serve up science without bogging down in terminology but Dr. Schwartz's teaching career has helped him develop an accessible style while citing research to back up claims.

Purchased for someone else. Informative

In one word "BORING".

Buy this book and every book written by Joe Swartz