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Suckers: How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of Us All
Alternative medicine is an increasingly mainstream industry with a predicted worth of five trillion dollars by the year 2050. Its treatments range from reputable methods like homeopathy and acupuncture to such bizarre therapies as nutraceuticals, ear candling, and ergogenics. Alternative approaches are endorsed by celebrities, embraced by the middle class, and have become a lifestyle choice for many based on their spurious claims of rediscovery of ancient wisdom and the supposedly benign quality of nature. As this hard-hitting survey reveals, despite their growing popularity and expanding market share, there is no hard evidence that any of these so-called natural treatments actually work. It reveals how alternative medicine jeopardizes the health of those it claims to treat, leaches resources from treatments of proven efficacy, and is largely unaccountable and unregulated. Bracing and funny, this is a calling to account of a social and intellectual fraud that has produced a global delusion.
304 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2008
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September 25, 2010
I live in a community where complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is so mainstream that many of my friends use acupuncturists or naturopaths for primary care, and hardly any of the parents I know have vaccinated their children. Given this environment, reading Rose Shapiro's in-depth examination of the history of CAM and the flawed philosophies behind it made me feel like a creationist who has finally understood evolution for the first time.
Indeed, early on in this book, Shapiro puts forth the theory that CAM has become something of a religion to its adherents, with the practitioner providing the many of the benefits of the sympathetic pastor from times past. In addition, Shapiro makes it clear that adherence to CAM practices requires a level of faith equal to that of religion, particularly when one considers that even the CAM-friendly NCCAM has yet to prove efficacy of a single CAM treatment, despite a research budget of close to a billion dollars.
Shapiro's book begins with a historical look at the ancient Greek idea of the "four humours," a concept that underlies not just ancient systems of Chinese and Ayervedic medicine, but also the current craze for "balancing" the body, hormones, energy fields, or whatever else strikes the modern CAM practitioner's fancy as needing to be balanced.
From there, she crisscrosses the globe with in-depth discussions of past and current CAM practices. It was particularly interesting to me to learn that the "5,000 year-old wisdom" of Traditional Chinese Medicine used to rely heavily on bloodletting, and the fine-needle acupuncture practiced today didn't appear until the 17th century. In addition, 95% of the TCM known in the West comes from beliefs and practices that were carefully selected by the Communist Party as a way to deal with the shortage of genuine medical doctors after the war while simultaneously promoting Party ideals. Shapiro also reveals that the much-ballyhooed cases of "acupuncture anesthesia" referenced by true believers usually fail to mention such patients almost always receive pharmaceutical sedatives in addition to their acupuncture.
Next, Shapiro takes a close look at the deeply flawed reasoning behind various forms of homeopathy, the historical arc behind the quack "electro-diagnostic" machines such as the Vegatest, and the numerous problems with potency and contamination in herbal supplements. Having taken a number of Chinese herbal formulas in the past, I was particularly shocked to discover that a 1998 study revealed that 32% of Asian patent medicines were either adulterated with undeclared pharmaceuticals or contained toxic heavy metals hundreds or thousands of times above accepted safety levels.
Shapiro does a good job of explaining why CAM can seem effective even if it isn't really doing anything beyond making the patient feel cared about, which is certainly an area in which conventional medicine often falls short. Though many would argue that the comfort and illusion of relief CAM provides to its many adherents far outweigh the risks of what are usually harmless practices, her chapter on CAM cancer treatments reveals the very real dangers that the magical thinking behind CAM can pose to those desperate for any glimmer of hope.
This was a particularly painful chapter for me to read as a friend recently opted to eschew chemo in favor of the Gerson diet, a treatment Shapiro examines which claims to "naturally reactivate the body's magnificent ability to heal itself." This program succeeded only in costing my friend precious treatment time—while he was busy juicing 14 times a day, his one small tumor grew into two large ones.
When he chose to go on the Gerson diet, my friend was unaware that people who promote these kinds of programs very often record only the positive case studies in their results. In addition, he was under the influence of the widespread CAM belief that conventional medicine is a corrupt industry that cares only about profit, and therefore regularly suppresses or refuses to research promising new alternatives. Like many conspiracy beliefs, there are enough real world examples of genuine corporate malfeasance give this theory credibility. But Shapiro picks away at this common belief by pointing out that the highly effective polio vaccine was adopted despite putting the iron lung industry out of business, the fact that herbs themselves are not patentable has not stopped many very effective drugs from being developed from them, and the reality that the well-funded NCCAM has failed to prove efficacy of any CAM treatment is definitely not for lack of trying. In addition, it becomes very obvious over the course of the book that CAM practitioners who earn very good livings promoting expensive, unproven treatments to desperate patients are far more guilty of being driven by greed than conventional medicine has ever been.
Because I spent much of my adult life as a die-hard subscriber to CAM beliefs like the one above, one of the most valuable parts of the book for me was the chapter entitled "How to Spot a Quack." Her clear listing of the fundamental belief set underlying most CAM practices, including "feeling worse is a sign of getting better" and that all illness can be attributed to one "universal diagnosis," helped root out the remaining irrationality I was holding onto from having spent so long in a community where many consider these kinds of ideas to be fundamental truths.
Though this book helped me finally put to rest that lingering tug I experienced whenever some friend told me how much better they felt after their latest colon cleanse or candida detox, it also left me feeling more than a little depressed about how badly I'd been deceived by the 20+ CAM practitioners I've seen over the years. I'm pretty certain that most of them were well-meaning people who genuinely believed in the efficacy of their treatments, but I can't help noticing that not a single one offered to give me my money back when they failed to cure the problems they repeatedly assured me would be gone within just a few months.
Though Shapiro covers some of the same ground as Barker Bausell in Snake Oil Science, Suckers is far more of a page-turner. There is more storytelling and less detailed science (though lots of footnoted references if you want to look it up yourself), and Shapiro seasons her engaging form of medical journalism with some very funny quotes and details that make the book particularly hard to put down.
This book is a UK publication, and the copy I ordered on Amazon came directly from England. If you are interested knowing the full story behind what the back cover refers to as the "dangerous global delusion" of CAM, however, this book is well worth seeking out.
Indeed, early on in this book, Shapiro puts forth the theory that CAM has become something of a religion to its adherents, with the practitioner providing the many of the benefits of the sympathetic pastor from times past. In addition, Shapiro makes it clear that adherence to CAM practices requires a level of faith equal to that of religion, particularly when one considers that even the CAM-friendly NCCAM has yet to prove efficacy of a single CAM treatment, despite a research budget of close to a billion dollars.
Shapiro's book begins with a historical look at the ancient Greek idea of the "four humours," a concept that underlies not just ancient systems of Chinese and Ayervedic medicine, but also the current craze for "balancing" the body, hormones, energy fields, or whatever else strikes the modern CAM practitioner's fancy as needing to be balanced.
From there, she crisscrosses the globe with in-depth discussions of past and current CAM practices. It was particularly interesting to me to learn that the "5,000 year-old wisdom" of Traditional Chinese Medicine used to rely heavily on bloodletting, and the fine-needle acupuncture practiced today didn't appear until the 17th century. In addition, 95% of the TCM known in the West comes from beliefs and practices that were carefully selected by the Communist Party as a way to deal with the shortage of genuine medical doctors after the war while simultaneously promoting Party ideals. Shapiro also reveals that the much-ballyhooed cases of "acupuncture anesthesia" referenced by true believers usually fail to mention such patients almost always receive pharmaceutical sedatives in addition to their acupuncture.
Next, Shapiro takes a close look at the deeply flawed reasoning behind various forms of homeopathy, the historical arc behind the quack "electro-diagnostic" machines such as the Vegatest, and the numerous problems with potency and contamination in herbal supplements. Having taken a number of Chinese herbal formulas in the past, I was particularly shocked to discover that a 1998 study revealed that 32% of Asian patent medicines were either adulterated with undeclared pharmaceuticals or contained toxic heavy metals hundreds or thousands of times above accepted safety levels.
Shapiro does a good job of explaining why CAM can seem effective even if it isn't really doing anything beyond making the patient feel cared about, which is certainly an area in which conventional medicine often falls short. Though many would argue that the comfort and illusion of relief CAM provides to its many adherents far outweigh the risks of what are usually harmless practices, her chapter on CAM cancer treatments reveals the very real dangers that the magical thinking behind CAM can pose to those desperate for any glimmer of hope.
This was a particularly painful chapter for me to read as a friend recently opted to eschew chemo in favor of the Gerson diet, a treatment Shapiro examines which claims to "naturally reactivate the body's magnificent ability to heal itself." This program succeeded only in costing my friend precious treatment time—while he was busy juicing 14 times a day, his one small tumor grew into two large ones.
When he chose to go on the Gerson diet, my friend was unaware that people who promote these kinds of programs very often record only the positive case studies in their results. In addition, he was under the influence of the widespread CAM belief that conventional medicine is a corrupt industry that cares only about profit, and therefore regularly suppresses or refuses to research promising new alternatives. Like many conspiracy beliefs, there are enough real world examples of genuine corporate malfeasance give this theory credibility. But Shapiro picks away at this common belief by pointing out that the highly effective polio vaccine was adopted despite putting the iron lung industry out of business, the fact that herbs themselves are not patentable has not stopped many very effective drugs from being developed from them, and the reality that the well-funded NCCAM has failed to prove efficacy of any CAM treatment is definitely not for lack of trying. In addition, it becomes very obvious over the course of the book that CAM practitioners who earn very good livings promoting expensive, unproven treatments to desperate patients are far more guilty of being driven by greed than conventional medicine has ever been.
Because I spent much of my adult life as a die-hard subscriber to CAM beliefs like the one above, one of the most valuable parts of the book for me was the chapter entitled "How to Spot a Quack." Her clear listing of the fundamental belief set underlying most CAM practices, including "feeling worse is a sign of getting better" and that all illness can be attributed to one "universal diagnosis," helped root out the remaining irrationality I was holding onto from having spent so long in a community where many consider these kinds of ideas to be fundamental truths.
Though this book helped me finally put to rest that lingering tug I experienced whenever some friend told me how much better they felt after their latest colon cleanse or candida detox, it also left me feeling more than a little depressed about how badly I'd been deceived by the 20+ CAM practitioners I've seen over the years. I'm pretty certain that most of them were well-meaning people who genuinely believed in the efficacy of their treatments, but I can't help noticing that not a single one offered to give me my money back when they failed to cure the problems they repeatedly assured me would be gone within just a few months.
Though Shapiro covers some of the same ground as Barker Bausell in Snake Oil Science, Suckers is far more of a page-turner. There is more storytelling and less detailed science (though lots of footnoted references if you want to look it up yourself), and Shapiro seasons her engaging form of medical journalism with some very funny quotes and details that make the book particularly hard to put down.
This book is a UK publication, and the copy I ordered on Amazon came directly from England. If you are interested knowing the full story behind what the back cover refers to as the "dangerous global delusion" of CAM, however, this book is well worth seeking out.
June 1, 2008
Hegel says somewhere – yes, I’ve looked and no, I can’t find it – that the problem with being a philosopher is that it is the only occupation where you can study for years and years and people who haven’t thought twice in the last decade can come along and think they are equally qualified as you to make ‘philosophical statements’, and all because they have the ‘necessary equipment’ to do philosophy in that they have a brain. He says something like, “as if they didn’t have the necessary equipment to be a cobbler by the fact they have a foot”.
I’ve always liked that quote, but this isn’t just a problem for philosophy, as Suckers proves it is at least as true for the medical profession and its opposite, the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) industry. I’d never really thought much about CAM, well, other than with derision, but I wouldn’t think about it, would I? I mean, the whole industry is set up to appeal to middle-aged, middle-class women. A point that is repeatedly made in this book. And I don’t fit the demographic.
A year ago I watched a Dawkins documentary called The Enemies of Reason which I didn’t particularly like. Now, the reason why I didn’t particularly like it was because it was having a go at CAM and it all seemed far too easy. What I assumed he had done was find some nutters at the extreme end of CAM, the sorts of people who talk about crystals and yoga postures for channelling energy and who have machines to measure your aura that have variously coloured flashing lights – you know the sort of thing – and then to laugh at them derisively and, well, that was about it. Like fishing in a bucket, it all seemed a bit easy. I was left thinking I don’t know very much about CAM, but surely these people are the fringe dwellers and Dawkins is just having a cheap shot.
HOW WRONG COULD I BE? Shapiro’s book would have still made a much better documentary, but the people Dawkins was talking to were anything but fringe dwellers.
Look, I really love middle aged women, I think women are at their sexiest when in middle age, they are clever and funny and (if they haven’t spent the last couple of decades ingesting too much lipstick) the nicest possible people to be around. But, they do tend to believe some incredible crap. Fortunately, this book is the perfect curative. I recommend reading a chapter at night followed by a good lie down and a nice cup of tea (strictly non-herbal).
For instance, I would never have guessed that Traditional Chinese Medicine was invented by the Chinese Communist Party as a way of showing they were making their five year plan targets in supplying doctors to the local population. That this is a ‘tradition’ that goes all the way back to 1949, that acupuncture is not only rubbish because there is no such thing as Qi, but sticking pins in people was invented post 1949 and has been decreasing in popularity in China ever since. That is, ever since they have had access to real medicine – you know, Western medicine, the stuff that works, the medicine that has increased life expectancy from 40 to 80 in about a century. If you want to talk about magic then Western medicine is it.
This book is a must read. You will learn that Chiropractic is the major cause of stroke in people aged under 45. This should be a national scandal and these people should be gaoled and outlawed – but rather they even get money from our national health services. Yet another example of some fraudster coming up with a ‘plausible’ idea (that illness is somehow related to bones pressing on nerves and impeding the flow of life force – okay, perhaps calling it ‘plausible’ is going too far) and then making millions out of damaging people, sometimes damaging them all the way to the grave.
Some of the ‘treatments’ detailed in this book are frightening. Not just those at the nutty end of the spectrum, but old standards like homeopathy, Bach Flower Treatments, Ayurveda and Deepak Chopra and his quantum healing – god save us. That this nonsense can be allowed to be foisted on an unsuspecting and poorly informed public is a complete disgrace. These people are dangerous. Not so much when there is nothing wrong from you and they are only removing excess money from your wallet – but some of them actually believe their own lies. The cases described in the chapter on cancer would make anyone weep – these poor, frightened people are encouraged to forego efficacious treatments so they can spray rose water over themselves, or some such foolishness, and then get to die a horrible death without palliative care and without any money. It is criminal and ought to be treated as such.
To quote: “The growth of CAM matters – it trades in false hope, it is bad for our health, it threatens our intellectual culture, it wastes public money and it undermines some of our most important and valued institutions.”
I went looking for this book yesterday – I’m reading a copy a friend lent me – and after going into two bookshops I was finally able to get hold of a copy in the third. Needless to say, it was in the alternative health section – where there were plenty of books available to tell you how to heal yourself through aromatherapy or any of a range of other such pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo.
Part of Rose Shapiro’s thesis is that in the 1950 and 60s the message coming out of the medical profession was that we are mostly responsible for our own health outcomes. Smoking and drinking and other life choices we make have major impacts on our health. But this has become part of an obsession with wellness. We now seek treatments even when we are, to all intents and purposes, fully well. And what about this for a statistic: “A poll of American Households in the 1920s reported 82 episodes of illness from all causes per 100 of the population. A similar survey conducted in the 1980s reported 212 illnesses per 100. This 158 per cent rise in illness perception not only defies the advances in health care during the twentieth century but shows how what could be described as the sickness threshold has plummeted.”
If we are to believe we are ill when we are perfectly well, then we will have no trouble in finding quacks who will be more than happy to invent labels to describe these supposed illnesses and perform cash-endectomies on our purses.
This stuff is the new religion, but while religion (in its ugly creationist/intelligent design incarnation) is yet to succeed in getting into our schools under the guise of science – CAM has been much more successful. You can get a BSc in this nonsense!
I’m sorry, but a Science Degree needs to be limited to subjects that practice the scientific method – not just those that want to bask in the reflected glory of science. These people are actively opposed to double-blind testing being used on their foolishness. They are the opposite of science and they promote practices that are not just unproven, but that have been disproven and that have been shown to cause harm. The stuff in this book about Western prescription medicines being found in Tradition Chinese Medications is shocking. These people are a danger to society and need to be treated as such.
Read this book.
I’ve always liked that quote, but this isn’t just a problem for philosophy, as Suckers proves it is at least as true for the medical profession and its opposite, the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) industry. I’d never really thought much about CAM, well, other than with derision, but I wouldn’t think about it, would I? I mean, the whole industry is set up to appeal to middle-aged, middle-class women. A point that is repeatedly made in this book. And I don’t fit the demographic.
A year ago I watched a Dawkins documentary called The Enemies of Reason which I didn’t particularly like. Now, the reason why I didn’t particularly like it was because it was having a go at CAM and it all seemed far too easy. What I assumed he had done was find some nutters at the extreme end of CAM, the sorts of people who talk about crystals and yoga postures for channelling energy and who have machines to measure your aura that have variously coloured flashing lights – you know the sort of thing – and then to laugh at them derisively and, well, that was about it. Like fishing in a bucket, it all seemed a bit easy. I was left thinking I don’t know very much about CAM, but surely these people are the fringe dwellers and Dawkins is just having a cheap shot.
HOW WRONG COULD I BE? Shapiro’s book would have still made a much better documentary, but the people Dawkins was talking to were anything but fringe dwellers.
Look, I really love middle aged women, I think women are at their sexiest when in middle age, they are clever and funny and (if they haven’t spent the last couple of decades ingesting too much lipstick) the nicest possible people to be around. But, they do tend to believe some incredible crap. Fortunately, this book is the perfect curative. I recommend reading a chapter at night followed by a good lie down and a nice cup of tea (strictly non-herbal).
For instance, I would never have guessed that Traditional Chinese Medicine was invented by the Chinese Communist Party as a way of showing they were making their five year plan targets in supplying doctors to the local population. That this is a ‘tradition’ that goes all the way back to 1949, that acupuncture is not only rubbish because there is no such thing as Qi, but sticking pins in people was invented post 1949 and has been decreasing in popularity in China ever since. That is, ever since they have had access to real medicine – you know, Western medicine, the stuff that works, the medicine that has increased life expectancy from 40 to 80 in about a century. If you want to talk about magic then Western medicine is it.
This book is a must read. You will learn that Chiropractic is the major cause of stroke in people aged under 45. This should be a national scandal and these people should be gaoled and outlawed – but rather they even get money from our national health services. Yet another example of some fraudster coming up with a ‘plausible’ idea (that illness is somehow related to bones pressing on nerves and impeding the flow of life force – okay, perhaps calling it ‘plausible’ is going too far) and then making millions out of damaging people, sometimes damaging them all the way to the grave.
Some of the ‘treatments’ detailed in this book are frightening. Not just those at the nutty end of the spectrum, but old standards like homeopathy, Bach Flower Treatments, Ayurveda and Deepak Chopra and his quantum healing – god save us. That this nonsense can be allowed to be foisted on an unsuspecting and poorly informed public is a complete disgrace. These people are dangerous. Not so much when there is nothing wrong from you and they are only removing excess money from your wallet – but some of them actually believe their own lies. The cases described in the chapter on cancer would make anyone weep – these poor, frightened people are encouraged to forego efficacious treatments so they can spray rose water over themselves, or some such foolishness, and then get to die a horrible death without palliative care and without any money. It is criminal and ought to be treated as such.
To quote: “The growth of CAM matters – it trades in false hope, it is bad for our health, it threatens our intellectual culture, it wastes public money and it undermines some of our most important and valued institutions.”
I went looking for this book yesterday – I’m reading a copy a friend lent me – and after going into two bookshops I was finally able to get hold of a copy in the third. Needless to say, it was in the alternative health section – where there were plenty of books available to tell you how to heal yourself through aromatherapy or any of a range of other such pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo.
Part of Rose Shapiro’s thesis is that in the 1950 and 60s the message coming out of the medical profession was that we are mostly responsible for our own health outcomes. Smoking and drinking and other life choices we make have major impacts on our health. But this has become part of an obsession with wellness. We now seek treatments even when we are, to all intents and purposes, fully well. And what about this for a statistic: “A poll of American Households in the 1920s reported 82 episodes of illness from all causes per 100 of the population. A similar survey conducted in the 1980s reported 212 illnesses per 100. This 158 per cent rise in illness perception not only defies the advances in health care during the twentieth century but shows how what could be described as the sickness threshold has plummeted.”
If we are to believe we are ill when we are perfectly well, then we will have no trouble in finding quacks who will be more than happy to invent labels to describe these supposed illnesses and perform cash-endectomies on our purses.
This stuff is the new religion, but while religion (in its ugly creationist/intelligent design incarnation) is yet to succeed in getting into our schools under the guise of science – CAM has been much more successful. You can get a BSc in this nonsense!
I’m sorry, but a Science Degree needs to be limited to subjects that practice the scientific method – not just those that want to bask in the reflected glory of science. These people are actively opposed to double-blind testing being used on their foolishness. They are the opposite of science and they promote practices that are not just unproven, but that have been disproven and that have been shown to cause harm. The stuff in this book about Western prescription medicines being found in Tradition Chinese Medications is shocking. These people are a danger to society and need to be treated as such.
Read this book.
December 19, 2009
Rose Shapiro looks at Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (known as CAM throughout the book) and shines a light in some of the corners. I largely agree with her and also largely despair of people who reject science and regular medicine to delay treatment for serious issues.
Her chapter on how to spot a quack is also quite interesting and informative.
My only quibble with it is that she fails to see some of the reasons why people turn to alternative healers. She glances off it when she admits the short interval of time conventional Doctors have to deal with each patient versus the interval of time (often for the same money in Ireland) set aside by an alternative therapist to listen and possibly come to the root cause of an issue rather than the surface effects.
It was the combined nagging from a Physio, a Osteopath and myself that finally got a second opinion for my husband that lead to his medical diagnosis for something that his doctor had dismissed for FOUR YEARS and that the osteopath and physio kept him mobile during most of that.
What she also missed is the plain pleasure of having someone massage you or your feet, not having to do anything for a fixed period of time other than give yourself some time and some pleasure, something a lot of people don't allow themselves.
She also is quite dismissive of Holistic ideas, but it is the whole person who is often involved with the illness, not just a part of the person. Sometimes by concentrating on the back ache you can miss some other symptoms that could be something more serious.
All in all, interesting but I have a sneaking suspicion that she's largely speaking to the choir.
Her chapter on how to spot a quack is also quite interesting and informative.
My only quibble with it is that she fails to see some of the reasons why people turn to alternative healers. She glances off it when she admits the short interval of time conventional Doctors have to deal with each patient versus the interval of time (often for the same money in Ireland) set aside by an alternative therapist to listen and possibly come to the root cause of an issue rather than the surface effects.
It was the combined nagging from a Physio, a Osteopath and myself that finally got a second opinion for my husband that lead to his medical diagnosis for something that his doctor had dismissed for FOUR YEARS and that the osteopath and physio kept him mobile during most of that.
What she also missed is the plain pleasure of having someone massage you or your feet, not having to do anything for a fixed period of time other than give yourself some time and some pleasure, something a lot of people don't allow themselves.
She also is quite dismissive of Holistic ideas, but it is the whole person who is often involved with the illness, not just a part of the person. Sometimes by concentrating on the back ache you can miss some other symptoms that could be something more serious.
All in all, interesting but I have a sneaking suspicion that she's largely speaking to the choir.
January 13, 2014
I have been studying herbal remedies and essential oils, trying to find the science behind it. It hit home when the author said the target audience for CAM is the middle class, educated, woman or mother. Guilty on all accounts,and yes I have gravitated towards small home remedies because they work, are inexpensive, I can do them myself, and I know exactly what is in them. I like visiting my naturopath because she is more likely to talk to me than push me put the door with another prescription to treat a symptom.
I am alarmed by word of mouth stories of miraculous home cure-alls, unsubstantiated dosing, and ancient wisdom herbs. It makes no sense, and I am working on finding sense.
I appreciated the author's no-nonsense view, as well as a more comprehensive view of therapies than I have been able to find.
I am alarmed by word of mouth stories of miraculous home cure-alls, unsubstantiated dosing, and ancient wisdom herbs. It makes no sense, and I am working on finding sense.
I appreciated the author's no-nonsense view, as well as a more comprehensive view of therapies than I have been able to find.
Read
May 27, 2015Been slightly ill for Reading Project 2015 so I bring you some further insights from H's side of the unmanageable book collection.
He says:
"I only really read half of this. It takes some disappointingly cheap shots at alternative medicine. And while it's been some time since I looked at it, I seem to recall it makes some slightly wobbly arguments that undermine its credibility. Like one of its criticisms of homeopathy is that some homeopathic remedies are recommended for contradictory symptoms but this actually entirely reasonable. Plenty of 'real'l medicines have contradictory effects at different doses. A surprising number have both diarrhoea and constipation as side-effects, for example."
He says:
"I only really read half of this. It takes some disappointingly cheap shots at alternative medicine. And while it's been some time since I looked at it, I seem to recall it makes some slightly wobbly arguments that undermine its credibility. Like one of its criticisms of homeopathy is that some homeopathic remedies are recommended for contradictory symptoms but this actually entirely reasonable. Plenty of 'real'l medicines have contradictory effects at different doses. A surprising number have both diarrhoea and constipation as side-effects, for example."
June 2, 2019
Светът би станал едно много по-хубаво място, ако всички онези фенове на грешните сайтове в нета престанат да им вярват сляпо, както и на всяка реклама за чудо/панацея, на всичко, споделено на тема здраве от приятелки и агенция ЕЖК и вместо това прочетат тази книга и Псевдонауката. И след това да си ги поставят на видно и удобно място и да ги отварят при всеки порив към мишката или дистанционното на телевизора.
May 14, 2014
Как алтернативната медицина ни баламосва: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/k...
Отново навлизаме в тази толкова щекотлива тема – алтернативната медицина, която обещава непреходно блаженство на приемлива цена чрез методи, идещи уж от дебрите на хилядолетията и обичайно абсолютно недоказуеми. За мнозина това е свещена тема като религията – и се сърдят, когато някой им закачи нещото, в което вярват, без значение дали е хомеопатия, цветотерапия, акупунктура и прочие. И приемам, че за тях тя може би “работи”, макар че в тази книга е доволно изследвано колко е лесно да се предизвика субективно усещане, че нещо се случва или има резултат, а реалността да е съвсем различна.
Проблемът според мен е, че дори да вярват в едно нещо, хората разпростират автоматично доверието си – “може и да работи” – върху всичко с етикет “алтернативно”, без да си дават сметка, че в сянката на някои безобидни в общи линии неща (като хомеопатията, детоксикацията, магнитните гривни) виреят безброй шарлатанщини, които откровено са опасни за здравето, но успешно избягват както регулиране, така и нуждата да доказват ползата от съществуването си. В “Псевдонауката” на Бен Голдейкър се описва примерно шарлатанинът Матиас Рат, който “лекува” СПИН с витамини и с мощна реклама в Южна Африка си осигурява баснословни печалби – това не е безобидно. Затова и вярвам, че още такива книги са нужни да излизат в България – моя селекция е и настоящата – “Как алтернативната медицина ни баламосва” на Роуз Шапиро. И се надявам, дори да видите неща, в които вярвате, да не се отказвате да погледнете голямата картинка – защото това е многомилиарден бизнес, който паразитира върху уязвими хора. И ако считате фармацевтичните компании за зло (за което има някакви основания, вижте “Капаните на фармацевтиката”), то тези не са добрите хора, които ще ви спасят от тях – напротив, ще ви вземат парите и няма да получите нищичко насреща, а често може и да ви възпрат да потърсите адекватна помощ.
Издателство "Изток-Запад"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/k...
Отново навлизаме в тази толкова щекотлива тема – алтернативната медицина, която обещава непреходно блаженство на приемлива цена чрез методи, идещи уж от дебрите на хилядолетията и обичайно абсолютно недоказуеми. За мнозина това е свещена тема като религията – и се сърдят, когато някой им закачи нещото, в което вярват, без значение дали е хомеопатия, цветотерапия, акупунктура и прочие. И приемам, че за тях тя може би “работи”, макар че в тази книга е доволно изследвано колко е лесно да се предизвика субективно усещане, че нещо се случва или има резултат, а реалността да е съвсем различна.
Проблемът според мен е, че дори да вярват в едно нещо, хората разпростират автоматично доверието си – “може и да работи” – върху всичко с етикет “алтернативно”, без да си дават сметка, че в сянката на някои безобидни в общи линии неща (като хомеопатията, детоксикацията, магнитните гривни) виреят безброй шарлатанщини, които откровено са опасни за здравето, но успешно избягват както регулиране, така и нуждата да доказват ползата от съществуването си. В “Псевдонауката” на Бен Голдейкър се описва примерно шарлатанинът Матиас Рат, който “лекува” СПИН с витамини и с мощна реклама в Южна Африка си осигурява баснословни печалби – това не е безобидно. Затова и вярвам, че още такива книги са нужни да излизат в България – моя селекция е и настоящата – “Как алтернативната медицина ни баламосва” на Роуз Шапиро. И се надявам, дори да видите неща, в които вярвате, да не се отказвате да погледнете голямата картинка – защото това е многомилиарден бизнес, който паразитира върху уязвими хора. И ако считате фармацевтичните компании за зло (за което има някакви основания, вижте “Капаните на фармацевтиката”), то тези не са добрите хора, които ще ви спасят от тях – напротив, ще ви вземат парите и няма да получите нищичко насреща, а често може и да ви възпрат да потърсите адекватна помощ.
Издателство "Изток-Запад"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/k...
June 4, 2015
While I agreed with some of ideas contained within this book, I felt like it was a bit sloppy and biased at times. The chapter on herbal medicine basically dismissed the whole ENTIRE field as nonsense when it is common knowledge that some remedies of this sort are very effective. And just because a remedy lacks the proper research to back up its claims does not automatically render those claims false - It just means we don't have the information as of yet. The tone of this book almost implies otherwise as silly as that sounds.
There is still some useful information in this book nonetheless so don't let my negativity put you off entirely.
There is still some useful information in this book nonetheless so don't let my negativity put you off entirely.
February 14, 2011
Save yourself loads of money and buy this book. It's so sad that in this day and age of scientific progress people are still taken in by sham treatments which have no scientific basis whatsoever. Understandable when people are seriously ill but all the more deplorable that people make money out of this false hope. It's scary how mainstream complementary and alternative medicine has become. Well educated women beware (as you're the main consumers of this crap for some bizarre reason). Fascinating book.
January 30, 2022
Do you know that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) originated in the 1950s? That the oft-prescribed 6c dilution of homeopathic medicine is equivalent to one drop of the remedy in four Olympic-sized swimming pools? Do you know Ayurvedic medicines contain high concentrations of lead, mercury and arsenic? If you do know the answers to these questions, then, in all probability, you do not care for crystal balls and shamans. But if these disclosures are making you angry or uncomfortable, then journalist Rose Shapiro's book, Suckers will help you learn more.
The name game
Shapiro's rant against anything that seems 'complementary' or 'alternative' comes from deep-rooted bias towards science and orthodox medicine. "The same set of practices that was called quackery or fringe medicine in the mid-twentieth century was renamed 'alternative medicine' in the 1960s and 70s. The term 'complementary medicine' was coined in the 1990s and now, inspired by the idea that 'alternative' medicine 'can work alongside' and therefore 'complement' orthodox scientific medicine, all these therapies are bundled together as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).
Holistic blunder
Most people are taken in by the 'holistic treatment' that alternative practitioners offer. If you go to the doctor, he'll write down a prescription based on the symptoms of the disease. But if you go to a chiropractor, acupuncturist, naturopath, homeopath, etc, you'll be told that it's not just the symptom you should cure but also eliminate the possibility of such a symptom from arising again. That means that even if after your symptom is cured, you will have to keep coming back for further treatment. While orthodox medicine treats the condition of disease, alternative therapists believe that the absence of disease doesn't mean good health.
It is this underlying theory that makes CAM a billion-dollar industry, with gullible patients going for any kind of 'therapy' to cure themselves of ill-health even if there's nothing wrong with them.
Spot the quack
Shapiro writes, "The task of spotting quackery is made much easier once you know that there are large areas of medicine in which they are never found. …There's no homeopathic contraceptive, for example. Nor will reflexology be used following a stabbing, or Chinese herbs in the treatment of acute conditions like a broken leg, appendicitis or heart attack." Alternative practitioners treat chronic conditions such as back pain, arthritis, food intolerances and cancer.
Why you should be wary of alternative therapy?
1. Language: CAM practitioners use words such as natural, balance, energy, paradigm, quantum, vibrations, healing and wellness with flourish, which are both abstract and subjective.
2. Disclaimer: The only truthful statement on the medicine pack, will absolve its makers of all charges if the medicine is ineffective or harmful.
3. Universal diagnosis: From acne to varicose veins, you'll be provided a single therapy or remedy. It'll take care of your body and soul and even your wallet.
4. Ancient wisdom in 21st century: Ayurveda and ancient Chinese medicine are deemed to have been born in a world that was around 3,000 years old when people had a different lifestyle and environment. Their effectiveness in this day and age is yet to be proved.
5. The Emperor's New Clothes: Just as religions involve suffering in order to reach a higher spiritual state, alternative medicine often requires consumers to feel a good deal worse in the quest for Optimum Health.
6. The fight against traditional medicine: Many CAM practitioners advise their clients to stop taking prescription drugs altogether - even if they have cancer - claiming that the drug industry does not want people to get healthy. Instead, they offer ‘herbal’ remedies.
7. 80 per cent success: Most CAM therapists peg their success rates at or above 80 per cent, without any research to justify that. Patient testimonials are substituted for evidence instead of conclusions drawn from clinical trials.
8. Food factor: Several herbal remedies with high concentrations of prescription drugs are passed off as food supplements.
9. Too good to be true: Height-enhancing nutritional supplements, no-touch chiropractic, foot reflexology to improve digestion are promises that will remain just that. In most cases of CAM, you'll find a revolutionary scientific discovery made by a lone genius. Try it, at your own risk.
10. Placebo effect: Most CAM remedies have the same effect as placebos in clinical trials - if they do have an effect, it's nearly negligible.
The verdict
The book is entertaining, compelling and packed with research data that exposes the mad and bad world of alternative therapy. Shapiro scathingly attacks alternative practitioners such as life guru Deepak Chopra, Samuel Hahnemann (the founder of Homeopathy), B J Palmer (the founder of chiropractic). The book's conversational style makes it accessible to non-science readers; its rich bibliography is fodder for science enthusiasts.
Since Shapiro lives in UK, most of the therapies she discusses are those that are available there so Indian readers may not be aware of some of them. Nevertheless, it can help readers understand why belief in traditional medicine is as important as being aware of the hazards of alternative medicine. The choice is yours. If you get hit by a truck would you go to a doctor or a naturopath?
The name game
Shapiro's rant against anything that seems 'complementary' or 'alternative' comes from deep-rooted bias towards science and orthodox medicine. "The same set of practices that was called quackery or fringe medicine in the mid-twentieth century was renamed 'alternative medicine' in the 1960s and 70s. The term 'complementary medicine' was coined in the 1990s and now, inspired by the idea that 'alternative' medicine 'can work alongside' and therefore 'complement' orthodox scientific medicine, all these therapies are bundled together as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).
Holistic blunder
Most people are taken in by the 'holistic treatment' that alternative practitioners offer. If you go to the doctor, he'll write down a prescription based on the symptoms of the disease. But if you go to a chiropractor, acupuncturist, naturopath, homeopath, etc, you'll be told that it's not just the symptom you should cure but also eliminate the possibility of such a symptom from arising again. That means that even if after your symptom is cured, you will have to keep coming back for further treatment. While orthodox medicine treats the condition of disease, alternative therapists believe that the absence of disease doesn't mean good health.
It is this underlying theory that makes CAM a billion-dollar industry, with gullible patients going for any kind of 'therapy' to cure themselves of ill-health even if there's nothing wrong with them.
Spot the quack
Shapiro writes, "The task of spotting quackery is made much easier once you know that there are large areas of medicine in which they are never found. …There's no homeopathic contraceptive, for example. Nor will reflexology be used following a stabbing, or Chinese herbs in the treatment of acute conditions like a broken leg, appendicitis or heart attack." Alternative practitioners treat chronic conditions such as back pain, arthritis, food intolerances and cancer.
Why you should be wary of alternative therapy?
1. Language: CAM practitioners use words such as natural, balance, energy, paradigm, quantum, vibrations, healing and wellness with flourish, which are both abstract and subjective.
2. Disclaimer: The only truthful statement on the medicine pack, will absolve its makers of all charges if the medicine is ineffective or harmful.
3. Universal diagnosis: From acne to varicose veins, you'll be provided a single therapy or remedy. It'll take care of your body and soul and even your wallet.
4. Ancient wisdom in 21st century: Ayurveda and ancient Chinese medicine are deemed to have been born in a world that was around 3,000 years old when people had a different lifestyle and environment. Their effectiveness in this day and age is yet to be proved.
5. The Emperor's New Clothes: Just as religions involve suffering in order to reach a higher spiritual state, alternative medicine often requires consumers to feel a good deal worse in the quest for Optimum Health.
6. The fight against traditional medicine: Many CAM practitioners advise their clients to stop taking prescription drugs altogether - even if they have cancer - claiming that the drug industry does not want people to get healthy. Instead, they offer ‘herbal’ remedies.
7. 80 per cent success: Most CAM therapists peg their success rates at or above 80 per cent, without any research to justify that. Patient testimonials are substituted for evidence instead of conclusions drawn from clinical trials.
8. Food factor: Several herbal remedies with high concentrations of prescription drugs are passed off as food supplements.
9. Too good to be true: Height-enhancing nutritional supplements, no-touch chiropractic, foot reflexology to improve digestion are promises that will remain just that. In most cases of CAM, you'll find a revolutionary scientific discovery made by a lone genius. Try it, at your own risk.
10. Placebo effect: Most CAM remedies have the same effect as placebos in clinical trials - if they do have an effect, it's nearly negligible.
The verdict
The book is entertaining, compelling and packed with research data that exposes the mad and bad world of alternative therapy. Shapiro scathingly attacks alternative practitioners such as life guru Deepak Chopra, Samuel Hahnemann (the founder of Homeopathy), B J Palmer (the founder of chiropractic). The book's conversational style makes it accessible to non-science readers; its rich bibliography is fodder for science enthusiasts.
Since Shapiro lives in UK, most of the therapies she discusses are those that are available there so Indian readers may not be aware of some of them. Nevertheless, it can help readers understand why belief in traditional medicine is as important as being aware of the hazards of alternative medicine. The choice is yours. If you get hit by a truck would you go to a doctor or a naturopath?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
March 12, 2009Coming from an holistic healing point of view it was interesting to read this book. I disagreed with a lot of the points made, but I believe it's a starting point for me to figure out in my own mind what I believe to be true or not.
I also believe the author is a journalist, which is hard to digest as I thought the style of writing was terrible.
I also believe the author is a journalist, which is hard to digest as I thought the style of writing was terrible.
March 26, 2023
I live in the UK, a part of the world where alternative medicine is not only a fad as potent and popular as everywhere else, but, also, actively funded by the NHS, with homeopathy having become available in some universities' curriculum and its remedies unquestionably sold over the counter even at your local chemists. Judging by statistics, in fact, it's estimated that 1 person out of 3 would have used such CAM therapies/ medicine at some point in their lives... Which begs the question: are most people really aware that it's nothing but quack?
I strongly agree with the author: the mere fact that these therapies are publicly funded and widely available lend them a credibility that they certainly don't deserve. Science matters indeed, and it matters a great deal. As she strongly reminds us, 'alternative' -despite all the spin being put on the term by the profit makers indulging in its spreading- doesn't mean a 'different' way to treat/ cure, but, on the contrary, reflects the blatant fact that, as opposed to medicine, theirs are not 'scientific' to start with. When it comes to reiki, homeopathy, acupuncture, Ayurveda, osteopathy, chiropractic and else (to name just the main ones being targeted here), the issue is not merely that there is no clinical trial having proven beyond a doubt that these work, but that the scientific consensus is precisely that they don't, are no better than placebo when they do, and, far more concerning, can even be dangerous in certain cases.
This book is interesting for many reasons. First, of course, because it debunks the claims made by such modern days 'snake oils' sellers and according to which theirs are as potent, if not more effective, curing methods than medicine. Then, because it ridicules the idea that most are rooted in centuries-old wisdom. If Reiki and acupuncture, for instance, surely benefit from an exotic image in the Western world, here's nothing but badly recycled vitalism which, also, has absolutely nothing 'traditional' to it even by Asian standards (e.g. most of what passes off as 'Chinese medicine' was developed under the Maoist regime...). Last but not least, because, again, it demonstrates how such pseudo-science ought to concern us all, for ethical reasons as much as practical ones. Here's a very provocative read, then, that strikes at the core of a more than needed polemic.
My only criticism is, while denouncing 'disease mongering' (or 'fad illness') I felt that the author, in the end, got carried away. For example: is fibromyalgia a thing? She doesn't seem to believe it, or, at least, shows herself very sceptical on that point. Personally, though, I wouldn't go that far - I am willing to accept it as a perfectly valid diagnosis. And indeed, for all my common grounds with the author one cannot deny that medicine (like science itself) can be very arrogant at times, and I am inclined here to believe that such denying of an otherwise very painful, crippling condition makes for a poor example of such arrogance coming from the medical establishment.
Regardless, for anyone concerned about scientific thinking being under attack by a triumphing ignorance (no matter how genuine in its will to help patients) then this book is a compelling argument. It's more than about quackery. It's about public trust being betrayed by quacks and their supporters, putting in jeopardy not only our health but, also, our already poorly funded and managed healthcare system itself. Be outraged!
I strongly agree with the author: the mere fact that these therapies are publicly funded and widely available lend them a credibility that they certainly don't deserve. Science matters indeed, and it matters a great deal. As she strongly reminds us, 'alternative' -despite all the spin being put on the term by the profit makers indulging in its spreading- doesn't mean a 'different' way to treat/ cure, but, on the contrary, reflects the blatant fact that, as opposed to medicine, theirs are not 'scientific' to start with. When it comes to reiki, homeopathy, acupuncture, Ayurveda, osteopathy, chiropractic and else (to name just the main ones being targeted here), the issue is not merely that there is no clinical trial having proven beyond a doubt that these work, but that the scientific consensus is precisely that they don't, are no better than placebo when they do, and, far more concerning, can even be dangerous in certain cases.
This book is interesting for many reasons. First, of course, because it debunks the claims made by such modern days 'snake oils' sellers and according to which theirs are as potent, if not more effective, curing methods than medicine. Then, because it ridicules the idea that most are rooted in centuries-old wisdom. If Reiki and acupuncture, for instance, surely benefit from an exotic image in the Western world, here's nothing but badly recycled vitalism which, also, has absolutely nothing 'traditional' to it even by Asian standards (e.g. most of what passes off as 'Chinese medicine' was developed under the Maoist regime...). Last but not least, because, again, it demonstrates how such pseudo-science ought to concern us all, for ethical reasons as much as practical ones. Here's a very provocative read, then, that strikes at the core of a more than needed polemic.
My only criticism is, while denouncing 'disease mongering' (or 'fad illness') I felt that the author, in the end, got carried away. For example: is fibromyalgia a thing? She doesn't seem to believe it, or, at least, shows herself very sceptical on that point. Personally, though, I wouldn't go that far - I am willing to accept it as a perfectly valid diagnosis. And indeed, for all my common grounds with the author one cannot deny that medicine (like science itself) can be very arrogant at times, and I am inclined here to believe that such denying of an otherwise very painful, crippling condition makes for a poor example of such arrogance coming from the medical establishment.
Regardless, for anyone concerned about scientific thinking being under attack by a triumphing ignorance (no matter how genuine in its will to help patients) then this book is a compelling argument. It's more than about quackery. It's about public trust being betrayed by quacks and their supporters, putting in jeopardy not only our health but, also, our already poorly funded and managed healthcare system itself. Be outraged!
December 28, 2019
Два цитата от книгата:
"Няма алтернативна медицина. Има само научно доказана, основана на доказателства медицина, подкрепяна от солидни данни, или недоказана медицина, за която липсват научни доказателства."
"Науката разчита на - и настоява за - съмнения в себе си, проверка и аналитично мислене, които избягват самозаблуждаването и избягването на фактите. Псевдонауката, от друга страна, съхранява древните, естествени, ирационални, необективни модели на мислене, които са стотици хиляди години по-стари от науката - мисловни процеси, които пораждат суеверия и други фантастични и погрешни идеи за човека и природата, - от вудуто до расизма; от плоската земя до вселената, наредена като къща, с Бог на тавана, Сатаната в мазето и човека на приземния етаж; от танците за дъжд до измъчването и малтретирането на психичноболните, за да бъдат прогонени от тях обзелите ги демони."
"Няма алтернативна медицина. Има само научно доказана, основана на доказателства медицина, подкрепяна от солидни данни, или недоказана медицина, за която липсват научни доказателства."
"Науката разчита на - и настоява за - съмнения в себе си, проверка и аналитично мислене, които избягват самозаблуждаването и избягването на фактите. Псевдонауката, от друга страна, съхранява древните, естествени, ирационални, необективни модели на мислене, които са стотици хиляди години по-стари от науката - мисловни процеси, които пораждат суеверия и други фантастични и погрешни идеи за човека и природата, - от вудуто до расизма; от плоската земя до вселената, наредена като къща, с Бог на тавана, Сатаната в мазето и човека на приземния етаж; от танците за дъжд до измъчването и малтретирането на психичноболните, за да бъдат прогонени от тях обзелите ги демони."
March 6, 2018
Useful & caused me to do add'l research. Now I know I don't need to consult a naturopath!
April 10, 2018
I’m all for the thesis, but this is so dryly written I couldn’t get through it.
December 29, 2020
This book is about debunking claims made by the alt-med industry, that makes billions in profits every single year. This book talks about the use of alternative medicine in infants and children, practices which I believe should be considered malpractice or even criminal.
February 11, 2021
A useful introduction to the subject. Good in later chapters on cost to NHS and what the money spent on unproven therapies could instead be spent on.
November 7, 2024
3* for how is written more than the topics themselves.
July 21, 2010
10/10. The majority of CAM treatments have one thing in common. They do not show efficacy in controlled scientific tests. There is a major comparison to be made with religion here. Blind faith is the order of the day. Some treatments e.g. homeopathy are said to work by means which are completely implausible by any known scientific rationale. This book is well set out and cogently argued. Criticisms I have heard from CAM proponents are no better than anecdotal. Scientific evidence of efficacy is seen as anathema by CAM in the majority of cases. If CAM treatments are shown to actually work then they latterly become conventional (i.e. real) medicine; if they cannot be shown to work in any controlled scientific test they remain alternative (i.e. pretend) medicine. Recommended reading for those who might otherwise waste their money on useless (and in some cases harmful) quackery.
October 13, 2015
Как се нарича алтернативната медицина, за която е доказано, че действа?
Медицина.
Така си е - методите от традиционната медицина, които хората са видели, че наистина работят, дават началото на това, което днес наричаме модерна медицина. С проби и грешки (о, колко грешки) медицината бавно изпълзява от средновековието и изоставя практиките на шамани и баячки, преминава през опитите на бръснари и ковачи във ваденето на зъби и ампутациите с трион и катран и днес продължава (пак бавно) да се отърсва от ненужното, невярното и лъжливото, опирайки се само на научни доказателства и конкретни резултати.
Всичко, от което медицината се отърсва и изоставя обаче, не умира. То продължава да живее като "алтернативна медицина" сред тези, които му вярват по различни причини - защото са глупави, защото са отчаяни, защото са прекалено богати и си нямат друга работа, комбинация от всичко...
Медицина.
Така си е - методите от традиционната медицина, които хората са видели, че наистина работят, дават началото на това, което днес наричаме модерна медицина. С проби и грешки (о, колко грешки) медицината бавно изпълзява от средновековието и изоставя практиките на шамани и баячки, преминава през опитите на бръснари и ковачи във ваденето на зъби и ампутациите с трион и катран и днес продължава (пак бавно) да се отърсва от ненужното, невярното и лъжливото, опирайки се само на научни доказателства и конкретни резултати.
Всичко, от което медицината се отърсва и изоставя обаче, не умира. То продължава да живее като "алтернативна медицина" сред тези, които му вярват по различни причини - защото са глупави, защото са отчаяни, защото са прекалено богати и си нямат друга работа, комбинация от всичко...
September 8, 2013
This book was a total eye-opener. It did made me feel like a sucker (the one being fooled of course) to be honest. An in-depth account on how convincing alternative medicine can be with its quackery methods, it also highlights origins of various forms of alt med including but not limited to chiropractic, osteopathy, etc, some of which have ulterior motives.
I believe the author's message in this book is to challenge all forms of medicine, may it be conventional or alt med. in terms of its effectiveness and logic instead of following it blindly without question. Highly recommend this book.
I believe the author's message in this book is to challenge all forms of medicine, may it be conventional or alt med. in terms of its effectiveness and logic instead of following it blindly without question. Highly recommend this book.
May 17, 2014
This book is much like "Trick or Treatment" and the author of that book is mentioned quite frequently. She is quite outspoken against "altmed" and has some very good arguments. If only the medical profession had more time to spend with each patient as opposed to production line appointments and if alternative medicine was subject to evidence based science then there might be a happy medium and fewer snake oil salesmen. Both books do agree about the power of the placebo effect and the quandary of whether treatment by this means is ethical or not. All very interesting!
October 4, 2011
Another book to add to the list of those which explain why homeopathy, acupuncture, herbalism and all the other alternative therapies we're so fond of at this point in history don't work, can't work and will never work. My only complaint is the title, which characterises those who are taken in as stupid, when in fact superstitious thinking is something we all do, however smart we like to think we are.
June 4, 2015
An excellent review of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Going through the history and current state of the most popular forms of CAM and leaving no doubt about how foolish and dangerous they are. It was written by a British citizen, so it provides a cautionary tail as to the cost to tax payers of these unfounded, unscientific practices and how they had become part of their national health system. I highly recommend this book to all who are considering using CAM.
August 9, 2016
A good book on the quackery that masquerades as non-traditional medicine. A bit too harsh in its judgement of all wellness programs based on the many bad apples that have borrowed that name without any grasp of what it really meant when introduced by Halbert Dunn, a genuine scientitst.
Want to read
June 9, 2008NOT AT LIB 6/08 - IU Library Blmgtn - Life Sciences Library (B-LIFESCI) R730 .S53 2008 - ON ORDER
Lena Phoenix gave 5 stars
Lena Phoenix gave 5 stars
Read
May 17, 2009Suckers: How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of Us All by Rose Shapiro (2008)
Want to read
October 20, 2009no time, to really delve into this now....more non-fiction-y than i thought
March 11, 2010
Good overview on the problems with alternative medicine, though seen through an UK perspective.
Want to read
September 28, 2010I will read this book. I know this book is crab before I even read it. Lets see if I am wrong.I am trained in mainstream medicine.
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