Download or read book Trick or Treatment written by Dr. Simon Singh and published by Random House. This book was released on 2009-10-06 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcome to the world of alternative medicine. Prince Charles is a staunch defender and millions of people swear by it; most UK doctors consider it to be little more than superstition and a waste of money. But how do you know which treatments really heal and which are potentially harmful? Now at last you can find out, thanks to the formidable partnership of Professor Edzard Ernst and Simon Singh. Edzard Ernst is the world's first professor of complementary medicine, based at Exeter University, where he has spent over a decade analysing meticulously the evidence for and against alternative therapies.He is supported in his findings by Simon Singh, the well-known and highly respected science writer of several international bestsellers. Together they have written the definitive book on the subject. It is honest, impartial but hard-hitting, and provides a thorough examination and judgement of more than thirty of the most popular treatments, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic and herbal medicine.In Trick or Treatment? the ultimate verdict on alternative medicine is delivered for the first time with clarity, scientific rigour and absolute authority.

Download or read book Trick Or Treatment written by Simon Singh and published by Corgi Books. This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides an examination and judgement of more than thirty of the most treatments in alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic and herbal medicine.

Download or read book Trick Or Treatment The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine written by Simon Singh and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2008-08-17 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this groundbreaking analysis, more than 30 of the most popular alternative healing treatments--acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic, and herbal medicines--are examined for their benefits and potential dangers. 16 illustrations.

Download or read book Snake Oil Science written by R. Barker Bausell PhD and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-07-31 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Suckers written by Rose Shapiro and published by Random House. This book was released on 2009 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Alternative' medicine is now used by one in three of us. In the UK we spend an estimated £4.5 billion a year on it and its practitioners are now insinuating themselves into the mainstream. There are methods based on ancient or far-eastern medicine, as well as ones invented in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Many are promoted as natural treatments. What they have in common is that there is no hard evidence that any of them work. Treatments like homeopathy, acupuncture and chiropractic are widely available and considered reputable by many. Ever more bizarre therapies, from naturopathy to nutraceuticals, ear candling to ergogenics, are increasingly favoured. Endorsed by celebrities and embraced by the middle classes, alternative medicine's appeal is based on the spurious rediscovery of ancient wisdom and the supposedly benign quality of nature. Surrounded by an aura of unquestioning respect and promoted through uncritical airtime and column inches, alternative medicine has become a lifestyle choice. Its global market is predicted to be worth $5 trillion by 2050. Suckers reveals how alternative medicine can jeopardise the health of those it claims to treat, leaches resources from treatments of proven efficacy and is largely unaccountable and unregulated. In short, it is an industry that preys on human vulnerability and makes fools of us all. Suckers is a calling to account of a social and intellectual fraud; a bracing, funny and popular take on a global delusion.

Download or read book SCAM written by Edzard Ernst and published by Andrews UK Limited. This book was released on 2018-06-22 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: So-called alternative medicine (SCAM) is popular and therefore important, no matter whether we love or loathe it. Consequently, an impressive number of books about SCAM are already available. Most of them, however, are woefully uncritical, overtly promotional and dangerously misleading. Not so this one! This book was written by someone who received SCAM as a patient, practised SCAM as a doctor, and researched SCAM as a scientist. It provides an insider's perspective by covering aspects of SCAM which most other books avoid, and by questioning the many tacitly accepted assumptions and wild extrapolations that underpin SCAM. The text is factual, occasionally dosed with a touch of humour or satire. The aim is not only to inform but also to entertain. It is written principally for members of the general public who have an interest in healthcare and are tired of the promotional counter-knowledge produced by SCAM enthusiasts. It is an exercise in critical thinking that might prevent you from wasting your money on (or endangering your health with) bogus treatments.

Download or read book Homeopathy Cures Where Alopathy Fails written by Subhash C. Madan and published by Pustak Mahal. This book was released on 2007-09 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book written by an eminent surgeon who happened to explore the horizons of homeopathy, brings about a comparative study of both the leading medical fields-Homeopathy and Allopathy, to the best advantage of the patient. Through the proper case studies, he cites various cases where allopathic medicines have not worked while homeopathy worked wonders to cure the patient.

Download or read book Trick or Treatment The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine written by Edzard Ernst and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2008-08-17 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The truth about the potions, lotions, pills and needles, pummelling and energizing that lie beyond the realms of conventional medicine. Whether you are an ardent believer in alternative medicine, a skeptic, or are simply baffled by the range of services and opinions, this guide lays to rest doubts and contradictions with authority, integrity, and clarity. In this groundbreaking analysis, over thirty of the most popular treatments—acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic, and herbal medicines—are examined for their benefits and potential dangers. Questions answered include: What works and what doesn't? What are the secrets, and what are the lies? Who can you trust, and who is ripping you off? Can science decide what is best, or do the old wives' tales really tap into ancient, superior wisdom?In their scrutiny of alternative and complementary cures, authors Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst also strive to reassert the primacy of the scientific method as a means for determining public health practice and policy.

Download or read book The Code Book The Secrets Behind Codebreaking written by Simon Singh and published by Delacorte Press. This book was released on 2002-05-14 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "As gripping as a good thriller." --The Washington Post Unpack the science of secrecy and discover the methods behind cryptography--the encoding and decoding of information--in this clear and easy-to-understand young adult adaptation of the national bestseller that's perfect for this age of WikiLeaks, the Sony hack, and other events that reveal the extent to which our technology is never quite as secure as we want to believe. Coders and codebreakers alike will be fascinated by history's most mesmerizing stories of intrigue and cunning--from Julius Caesar and his Caeser cipher to the Allies' use of the Enigma machine to decode German messages during World War II. Accessible, compelling, and timely, The Code Book is sure to make readers see the past--and the future--in a whole new way. "Singh's power of explaining complex ideas is as dazzling as ever." --The Guardian

Download or read book Chronic written by Steven Phillips and published by Houghton Mifflin. This book was released on 2021-02-02 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Autoimmune and chronic illness are a global crisis, with an estimated 50 million sufferers in the US alone. While modern medicine has drastically reduced overall mortality rates--from heart disease, stroke, HIV, and even cancer--what is fueling this twenty-first century pandemic? In this eye-opening, provocative book, Steven Phillips, MD, and his former patient, singer/songwriter Dana Parish, take on the medical establishment. Backed by a trove of published data, Chronic reveals striking evidence that a broad range of microbes, including the Lyme bacteria, cause a variety of recurrent conditions and autoimmune diseases. Chronic delves into the history and science behind common infections that are difficult to diagnose and treat, debunks widely held beliefs by doctors and patients alike, reveals how medicine got the facts patently wrong, and provides solutions that empower readers to get their lives back. Dr. Phillips was already an internationally renowned physician specializing in complex, chronic diseases when he became a patient himself. After nearly dying from his own mystery illness, he experienced firsthand the medical community's ignorance about the pathogens that underlie a range of chronic conditions--from fibromyalgia, lupus, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis to depression, anxiety, and neurodegenerative disorders. Parish, too, watched her health spiral after twelve top doctors missed an underlying infection that caused heart failure and other sudden, debilitating physical and psychiatric symptoms. Now, they've come together with a mission: to change the current model of simply treating symptoms, often with dangerous, lifelong drugs, and shift the focus to finding and curing root causes of chronic diseases that affect millions around the world.

Download or read book The Skeptic s Dictionary written by Robert Carroll and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2011-01-11 with total page 525 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A wealth of evidence for doubters and disbelievers "Whether it's the latest shark cartilage scam, or some new 'repressed memory' idiocy that besets you, I suggest you carry a copy of this dictionary at all times, or at least have it within reach as first aid for psychic attacks. We need all the help we can get." -James Randi, President, James Randi Educational Foundation, randi.org "From alternative medicine, aliens, and psychics to the farthest shores of science and beyond, Robert Carroll presents a fascinating look at some of humanity's most strange and wonderful ideas. Refreshing and witty, both believers and unbelievers will find this compendium complete and captivating. Buy this book and feed your head!" -Clifford Pickover, author of The Stars of Heaven and Dreaming the Future "A refreshing compendium of clear thinking, a welcome and potent antidote to the reams of books on the supernatural and pseudoscientific." -John Allen Paulos, author of Innumeracy and A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper "This book covers an amazing range of topics and can protect many people from being scammed." -Stephen Barrett, M.D., quackwatch.org Featuring close to 400 definitions, arguments, and essays on topics ranging from acupuncture to zombies, The Skeptic's Dictionary is a lively, commonsense trove of detailed information on all things supernatural, occult, paranormal, and pseudoscientific. It covers such categories as alternative medicine; cryptozoology; extraterrestrials and UFOs; frauds and hoaxes; junk science; logic and perception; New Age energy; and the psychic. For the open-minded seeker, the soft or hardened skeptic, and the believing doubter, this book offers a remarkable range of information that puts to the test the best arguments of true believers.

Download or read book The Diabetes Code written by Dr. Jason Fung and published by Greystone Books Ltd. This book was released on 2018-04-03 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: FROM NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR DR. JASON FUNG • “The doctor who invented intermittent fasting.” —The Daily Mail “Dr. Fung reveals how [type 2 diabetes] can be prevented and also reversed using natural dietary methods instead of medications … This is an important and timely book. Highly recommended.” —Dr. Mark Hyman, author of The Pegan Diet “Dr. Jason Fung has done it again. … Get this book!” —Dr. Steven R. Gundry, author of The Plant Paradox Everything you believe about treating type 2 diabetes is wrong. Today, most doctors, dietitians, and even diabetes specialists consider type 2 diabetes to be a chronic and progressive disease—a life sentence with no possibility of parole. But the truth, as Dr. Fung reveals in this groundbreaking book, is that type 2 diabetes is reversible. Writing with clear, persuasive language, Dr. Fung explains why conventional treatments that rely on insulin or other blood-glucose-lowering drugs can actually exacerbate the problem, leading to significant weight gain and even heart disease. The only way to treat type 2 diabetes effectively, he argues, is proper dieting and intermittent fasting—not medication. “The Diabetes Code is unabashedly provocative yet practical ... a clear blueprint for everyone to take control of their blood sugar, their health, and their lives.”—Dr. Will Cole, author of Intuitive Fasting

Download or read book Fermat s Last Theorem written by Simon Singh and published by . This book was released on 1998-05 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1963 a schoolboy browsing in his local library stumbled across a great mathematical problem: Fermat's Last Theorem, a puzzle that every child can now understand, but which has baffled mathematicians for over 300 years. Aged just ten, Andrew Wiles dreamed he would crack it.

Download or read book Personhood and Health Care written by David C. Thomasma and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-04-17 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: PERSONHOOD AND HEALTH CARE This book arose as a result of a pre-conference devoted to the topic held June 28, 1999 in Paris, France. The pre-conference preceded the Annual Congress of the International Academy ofLaw and Mental Health. Other chapters were solicited after the conference in order to more completely explore the relation of personhood to health care. The pre conference was held in honor of Yves Pelicier who led so many of our French colleagues in medicine, philosophy, and ethics as Christian Herve notes in his Tribute. As health care is aimed at healing persons, it is important to realize how difficult it is to construct a theory of personhood for health care, and thus, a theory of how healing in health care comes about or ought to occur. The book is divided into four parts, Concepts of the Person, Theories of Personhood in Relation to Health Care and Bioethics, Person and Identity, and Personhood and Hs Relations. Each section explores a critical arena in constructing the relation of personhood to health care. Although no exploration ofthis nature can be exhaustive, every effort was made to present both conflicting and complementary views of personhood from within similar and different philosophical and religious traditions. PART ONE: CONCEPTS OF THE PERSON Tracing the origins of the concept of person from antiquity through present day, Jean Delemeau provides an historical sketch of the development of a wide range of meanings.

Download or read book Don t Believe What You Think written by Edzard Ernst and published by Andrews UK Limited. This book was released on 2020-05-20 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: So-called alternative medicine (SCAM*) is largely useless; very few SCAMs demonstrably generate more good than harm. Yet, SCAM is popular and has grown into a huge business. Spending on SCAM in Australia (2016) was estimated to be AUS$3.9bn, in the UK (2008) £4.5bn, and in the US (2012) US $30.2bn. Why is something that is expensive and useless nevertheless popular? One answer is that consumers are constantly being misled about SCAM. Consequently, many of us have come to believe things that are quite simply not true. Currently, over 50,000,000 websites promote SCAM, and consumers are being bombarded with information not just via the internet, but also via newspapers, magazines, books and many other sources. This situation has the potential of separating us from our cash or even of damaging our health. There is little that protects us from greedy SCAM-entrepreneurs and over-enthusiastic SCAM-therapists. Therefore, we ought to protect ourselves. This book offers this protection for anyone who is willing to reconsider their own beliefs. It discloses the errors and lies that misled you into believing things about SCAM that are untrue. It analyses the many falsehoods used in the promotion of SCAM, explains the erroneous thinking behind them, and presents the scientific evidence in easily understandable terms. In a way, Ernst's new book amounts to a course in critical thinking, a skill that should prove to be helpful far beyond the realm of healthcare. *Ernst’s previous book was entitled SCAM: So-Called Alternative Medicine.

Download or read book Nutritional Oncology written by David Heber and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2021-08-23 with total page 523 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comprehensive treatment of all aspects of nutrition and cancer, including prevention, response to treatment, avoidance of relapse and promotion of quality of life for cancer survivors. Examines alternative medicines and botanical dietary supplements and identifies hypotheses for future research based on science.

Download or read book How We Know What Isn t So written by Thomas Gilovich and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-06-30 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thomas Gilovich offers a wise and readable guide to the fallacy of the obvious in everyday life. When can we trust what we believe—that "teams and players have winning streaks," that "flattery works," or that "the more people who agree, the more likely they are to be right"—and when are such beliefs suspect? Thomas Gilovich offers a guide to the fallacy of the obvious in everyday life. Illustrating his points with examples, and supporting them with the latest research findings, he documents the cognitive, social, and motivational processes that distort our thoughts, beliefs, judgments and decisions. In a rapidly changing world, the biases and stereotypes that help us process an overload of complex information inevitably distort what we would like to believe is reality. Awareness of our propensity to make these systematic errors, Gilovich argues, is the first step to more effective analysis and action.