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Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke t...

Naomi Oreskes

Start date: July 1, 2011

Finish date: July 31, 2011

Discussion: Book Club 2011

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Book Club 2011

September, 2011: The Blind Watchmaker
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last updated Jun 21, 2018 05:08AM

April 2011 - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
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What Members Thought

Jul 25, 2011 Jimmy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: science

I would first like to comment on the idea that a "small group of people" caused all of this. I think that is misleading, and the subtitle of the book is misleading. Here is a list of just some people and groups that I think help all of these attacks on science and reason to happen:

1. Corporations like Phillip Morris, Exxon, Monsanto, Dow Chemical. The list can go on. I say those names and I am stunned by what appears to me the total greed and lack of morality they can exhibit. I belong to a Viet ...more

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Feb 12, 2016 Charlene rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ecology, general-science, biology, history, economics, technology, politics, innovation, climate

Exceptional. Put this book at the very top of your reading list. The authors provide a clear, stunning, and engaging history of how a handful of scientists were able to keep doubt alive during every occasion in which scientific evidence threatened to cut into a corporation's profit or a politician's proposed policy. These merchants of doubt were on the wrong side of history on every occasion. They didn't carry out their own scientific work. Rather they attacked the work of others as they attempt Exceptional. Put this book at the very top of your reading list. The authors provide a clear, stunning, and engaging history of how a handful of scientists were able to keep doubt alive during every occasion in which scientific evidence threatened to cut into a corporation's profit or a politician's proposed policy. These merchants of doubt were on the wrong side of history on every occasion. They didn't carry out their own scientific work. Rather they attacked the work of others as they attempted to convince the public that smoking does not kill, pollution does not cause acid rain, our seas are not rising, our glaciers are not melting because of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere caused by our fossil fuels, and DDT is good for the humans and the environment.

This book gives a detailed account of the evidence for each of the above claims (i.e.., smoking kills), and a detailed account of how "scientists," who were paid by the politicians and corporations in questions, twisted the data and even falsified documentation in order to stop the public from synthesizing the true scientific evidence into their knowledge base. Their tactic was always to confuse and keep the doubt alive. Some scientists for hire were extremely good at taking a Machiavellian approach to their jobs. This is why it appears as if there is a debate over global warming, when indeed there is not.

Drawing a line through the arguments of the past and the arguments now, and demonstrating a specific pattern used by a handful of scientists, provided a strong and clear understanding of how false information was able to remain a viable option for society for so long. The authors have put all the science in one place, as well as the way that science was twisted and misused, so that anyone reading this book will finally understand exactly what scientists have said about tobacco use, pollution, global warming, etc. This book, so thoroughly researched, is poised to become the definitive source on how to prepare for debates about climate change and other important issues. I can imagine people saying, "Have you read Merchants of Doubt? If not, you are not qualified to have this discussion. We can revisit after you are up to speed."

Absolutely a must read. ...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Kirsten rated it liked it

Shelves: science, current-events, non-fiction, 2011, book-club

The title of this book should actually be "How Three Guys Managed to Muddy the Waters on Global Warming and Tobacco Problems by Being Childish Douchebags and How America Totally Let Them". To give it a properly long scientific name. I think we'd be a lot less easily fooled if America had better math/science programs in schools, but that's a whole other issue.

The case studies were interesting, but the authors spend a lot of time talking about the personal attacks/Cold War politics of three scien ...more

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Jun 26, 2011 James rated it liked it

This book confirms that for greed and/or ideology at least a few individuals will lie or distort the facts. These distortions were done under our very noses.This book reminds us again that we should analyze the motives of our speakers and writers as well as what he or she is saying or writing.

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