all Products
Alternative & Complementary Medicine
Hardcover Books
Medical
Snake Oil Science: The Truth about Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Snake Oil Science: The Truth about Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Bausell, R. Barker
Select Format
Regular price
$81.28 USD
Regular price
$85.56 USD
Sale price
$81.28 USD
Unit price
per
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Millions of people worldwide swear by such therapies as acupuncture, herbal cures, and homeopathic remedies. Indeed, complementary and alternative medicine is embraced by a broad spectrum of society, from ordinary people, to scientists and physicians, to celebrities such as Prince Charles and Oprah Winfrey.
In the tradition of Michael Shermers Why People Believe Weird Things and Robert Parks's Voodoo Science, Barker Bausell provides an engaging look at the scientific evidence for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and at the logical, psychological, and physiological pitfalls that lead otherwise intelligent people--including researchers, physicians, and therapists--to endorse these cures. The books ultimate goal is to reveal not whether these therapies work--as Bausell explains, most do work, although weakly and temporarily--but whether they work for the reasons their proponents believe. Indeed, as Bausell reveals, it is the placebo effect that accounts for most of the positive results. He explores this remarkable phenomenon--the biological and chemical evidence for the placebo effect, how it works in the body, and why research on any therapy that does not factor in the placebo effect will inevitably produce false results. By contrast, as Bausell shows in an impressive survey of research from high-quality scientific journals and systematic reviews, studies employing credible placebo controls do not indicate positive effects for CAM therapies over and above those attributable to random chance.
Here is not only an entertaining critique of the strangely zealous world of CAM belief and practice, but it also a first-rate introduction to how to correctly interpret scientific research of any sort. Readers will come away with a solid understanding of good vs. bad research practice and a healthy skepticism of claims about the latest miracle cure, be it St. John's Wort for depression or acupuncture for chronic pain.
In the tradition of Michael Shermers Why People Believe Weird Things and Robert Parks's Voodoo Science, Barker Bausell provides an engaging look at the scientific evidence for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and at the logical, psychological, and physiological pitfalls that lead otherwise intelligent people--including researchers, physicians, and therapists--to endorse these cures. The books ultimate goal is to reveal not whether these therapies work--as Bausell explains, most do work, although weakly and temporarily--but whether they work for the reasons their proponents believe. Indeed, as Bausell reveals, it is the placebo effect that accounts for most of the positive results. He explores this remarkable phenomenon--the biological and chemical evidence for the placebo effect, how it works in the body, and why research on any therapy that does not factor in the placebo effect will inevitably produce false results. By contrast, as Bausell shows in an impressive survey of research from high-quality scientific journals and systematic reviews, studies employing credible placebo controls do not indicate positive effects for CAM therapies over and above those attributable to random chance.
Here is not only an entertaining critique of the strangely zealous world of CAM belief and practice, but it also a first-rate introduction to how to correctly interpret scientific research of any sort. Readers will come away with a solid understanding of good vs. bad research practice and a healthy skepticism of claims about the latest miracle cure, be it St. John's Wort for depression or acupuncture for chronic pain.
Accessories:
No Accessory
Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PR
Bisac Major Subject
Medical
Bisac Minor Subject
Alternative & Complementary Medicine
Binding Type
Hardcover
Country Of Origin
US
Number Of Units
1
Length
8.52 Inches
Barcode Indicator
ISBN
Width
6.28 Inches
Publication Date
1970-01-01
Height
1.19 Inches
ISBN 10
0195313682
Weight
1.2 Pounds
Book EAN
9780195313680
Target Audiance
Adults
User reviews will be displayed here...
Related products or products you might find interesting
20% OFF
The Bible Recap: Deepen Your Understanding of God's Attributes from Every Book in the Old Testament
Cobble, Tara
$17.21 USD Shop Now
Art & Art Instruction
Art & Art Instruction
20% OFF
Architecture
Window Shopping with Helen Keller: Architecture and Disability in Modern Culture
Serlin, David
$121.96 USD Shop Now
Art & Art Instruction
Biography / Autobiography
Biography / Autobiography
Biography / Autobiography
Tales from the Dancefloor: Manchester / The Warehouse Project / Parklife / Sankeys / The Ha
Lord, Sacha
$30.00 USD Shop Now
Biography / Autobiography