{"product_id":"bad-medicine-isbn-9780471434993","title":"Bad Medicine","description":"\"Christopher Wanjek uses a take-no-prisoners approach in debunkingthe outrageous nonsense being heaped on a gullible public in thename of science and medicine. Wanjek writes with clarity, humor,and humanity, and simultaneously informs and entertains.\"\u003cbr\u003e -Dr. Michael Shermer, Publisher, Skeptic magazine; monthlycolumnist,\u003cbr\u003e Scientific American; author of Why People Believe WeirdThings\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Prehistoric humans believed cedar ashes and incantations could curea head injury. Ancient Egyptians believed the heart was the centerof thought, the liver produced blood, and the brain cooled thebody. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates was a big fan ofbloodletting. Today, we are still plagued by countless medicalmyths and misconceptions. Bad Medicine sets the record straight bydebunking widely held yet incorrect notions of how the body works,from cold cures to vaccination fears.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Clear, accessible, and highly entertaining, Bad Medicine dispelssuch medical convictions as:\u003cbr\u003e * You only use 10% of your brain: CAT, PET, and MRI scans all provethat there are no inactive regions of the brain . . . not evenduring sleep.\u003cbr\u003e * Sitting too close to the TV causes nearsightedness: Your motherwas wrong. Most likely, an already nearsighted child sits close tosee better.\u003cbr\u003e * Eating junk food will make your face break out: Acne is caused bydead skin cells, hormones, and bacteria, not from a pizza witheverything on it.\u003cbr\u003e * If you don't dress warmly, you'll catch a cold: Cold viruses arethe true and only cause of colds.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Protect yourself and the ones you love from bad medicine-the brainyou save may be your own. Acknowledgments.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Introduction: The Roots of Bad Medicine.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e PART I: I SING THE BODY ECLECTIC.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e 10 Percent Misconception, 90 Percent Misdirection: The Brain atWork.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Big Brain, Little Smarts: Brain Size and Intelligence.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Blinded by Lies: The Eyes Have It.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e All in Good Taste: How the Tongue Works.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Scrubbing Your Liver: The Demystification of Detoxification.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Refer to the Appendix: Useless Organ or Helpful Player?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Going Gray? Not Today: White Hair and Its Causes.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Samson's Delight: Baldness Cures.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The Race Is Off: Race Defined.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e PART II: GROWING OLD.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Losing One's Mind: Memory Loss and Aging.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Getting Stiffed: Vitality and Aging.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Illness Gets Old: Aging and Disease.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e See You in 2150: The Long and Short of Life Span.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e On and On: Longevity and Genetics.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e PART III: ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU SICK.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The Plague Lives! The Black Plague in the Modern Age.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Cold Comfort: How to Catch a Cold.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The Ill-Advised War on Bacteria: Are All Bacteria Bad?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Radiating Misperception: Radiation, Pro and Con.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Swimming with Sharks: Sharks and Cancer.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Mutating Misconceptions: What Your Genes Say about Your FutureHealth.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e PART IV: EATING IT UP.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Learning Your Alpha-Beta-Carotenes: Antioxidants, Pro andCon.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The Unbearable Heaviness of Being: Fat People and Food.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Not Milk? Milk and Your Health.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Organic Reasoning: The Benefits of Organic Food.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Water, Water Everywhere: Bottled Water vs. Tap Water.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The Whole Grain Truth: Are Whole Grains Healthier?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e PART V: THE RETURN OF THE WITCH DOCTOR.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The Delusion of Dilution: Homeopathy X 50.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Magnetic Charm: Magnets and Your Health.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Reversal of Fortune: The Viability of Ayurveda.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Something Smells Funny: Aromatherapy As a Cure.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Suffocating Trends: Oxygen--How Much Is Too Much?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The Ultimate Hands-Off Approach: Touch Therapy, Qigong, and FalunGong.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Getting to the Root of the Problem: Herbs As AlternativeMedicine.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e A Shot in the Arm: The True Dangers of Vaccines.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e PART VI: RISKING IT ALL.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Toxic Avenger: The Science of Toxicity.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Peer-Reviewed for Your Pleasure: How Health Studies Work.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Candy Adds Years to Your Life: And Other Important Health StudyFindings.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e We're #1: Rating America's Health.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e PART VII: JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e I'm Not a Reporter, but I Play One on TV: The Accuracy ofTelevision Medical News.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Rambo VI: The Quest for Hearing: Guns and Their Aftereffects.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Knocked Out, Loaded: Imagined Violence and Real Problems.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Heartbreaker: Hollywood Style.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Epilogue: Tomorrow's Promise: Bad Medicine on the Horizon.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Appendix: More Bad Medicine.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Recommended Reading.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Bibliography.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Index. For skeptics, always fans of science: The first two books in aseries devoted to \"bad science,\" Bad Astronomy by PhilipPlait and Bad Medicine (Wiley, $15.95) by ChristopherWanjek, may warm even a Scrooge's heart. In short chapters, Plaittackles misperceptions about why the moon looks larger on thehorizon and why stars twinkle before moving on, dismantlingconspiracy kooks who doubt the moon landing and offering a top 10list of bad science moments in movie history. Wanjek, a sciencewriter who has also written jokes for The Tonight Show andSaturday Night Live, takes an edgy and funny tack indebunking myths such as humans using only 10% of their brains, theutility of \"anti-bacterial\" toys and the safety of \"natural\" herbalremedies, ones often loaded with powerful chemicals. (USATODAY, December 3, 2002)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"...Bad Medicine is an enjoyable romp through a host ofbiomedical misconceptions...\" (New Scientist, 21 December 2002)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"...Wanjek shoots and scores when he tackles the major myths ofmedicine...\" (Focus, February 2003) CHRISTOPHER WANJEK is a frequent contributor to the Washington Post; he has also written for Smithsonian and Forbes, among other publications. He writes jokes for The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live. Wanjek is also a senior writer for NASA. He has previously worked as an in-house science writer at MIT and the NIH.  \"Christopher Wanjek uses a take-no-prisoners approach in debunking the outrageous nonsense being heaped on a gullible public in the name of science and medicine. Wanjek writes with clarity, humor, and humanity, and simultaneously informs and entertains.\"\u003cbr\u003e –Dr. Michael Shermer, Publisher, Skeptic magazine; monthly columnist, \u003cbr\u003e Scientific American; author of Why People Believe Weird Things  \u003cp\u003ePrehistoric humans believed cedar ashes and incantations could cure a head injury. Ancient Egyptians believed the heart was the center of thought, the liver produced blood, and the brain cooled the body. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates was a big fan of bloodletting. Today, we are still plagued by countless medical myths and misconceptions. Bad Medicine sets the record straight by debunking widely held yet incorrect notions of how the body works, from cold cures to vaccination fears.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eClear, accessible, and highly entertaining, Bad Medicine dispels such medical convictions as:\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eYou only use 10% of your brain: CAT, PET, and MRI scans all prove that there are no inactive regions of the brain . . . not even during sleep.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eSitting too close to the TV causes nearsightedness: Your mother was wrong. Most likely, an already nearsighted child sits close to see better.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eEating junk food will make your face break out: Acne is caused by dead skin cells, hormones, and bacteria, not from a pizza with everything on it.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eIf you don’t dress warmly, you’ll catch a cold: Cold viruses are the true and only cause of colds.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eProtect yourself and the ones you love from bad medicine–the brain you save may be your own.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wiley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47988785545445,"sku":"NP9780471434993","price":21.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780471434993.jpg?v=1761781582","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/bad-medicine-isbn-9780471434993","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}