News
Is That a Fact? -- Book Review
Published: 28 March 2014
Just received the first copies of my 14th book "Is That a Fact." Should be in the stores within a couple of weeks. Official launch is May 8 at 5 PM, Atwater Public Library in Montreal.
First advance review is in:
Is That a Fact?: Frauds, Quacks, and the Real Science of Everyday Life.
Schwarcz, Joe (Author)
May 2014. 280 p. ECW, paperback, $17.95. (9781770411906). 500.
If you combined the rigorous scientific approach of Ben Goldacre (Bad Science, 2010) with the enthusiasm and outspoken prose of James Randi (the noted skeptic and debunker), you would have Joe Schwarcz, chemist, science writer, and radio host. Here, in his latest collection of essays, he tackles a wide variety of topics: bogus self-help products, quackery, homeopathy, misinformed celebrities (i.e., celebs who make ridiculous statements because they don鈥檛 know they鈥檙e misinformed), fish-oil supplements, weight-loss plans, Dr. Oz, Jamie Oliver, GMOs, and the list goes on. It鈥檚 important to note, too, that he doesn鈥檛 take a hard-core debunking tack to everything he discusses: the book is divided into three broad聽categories called black, gray, and white (black representing things for which there is no scientific evidence, white being those for which there is hard evidence, and gray being those in between). The author鈥檚 entertaining writing style and clear, precise explanations make the book a joy to read, and his choice of subjects is so wide-ranging that there really is something for everyone here.
鈥� David Pitt
