Viral BS: Medical Myths and Why We Fall for Them

by Seema Yasmin Narrated by Seema Yasmin

Overview

Dissecting the biggest medical myths and pseudoscience, Viral BS explores how misinformation can spread faster than microbes.



Can your zip code predict when you will die? Will testosterone supplements boost your libido? Should you space out childhood vaccines? Does talcum powder cause cancer? Why do some doctors recommend e-cigarettes while other doctors recommend you stay away from them? Health information-and misinformation-is all around us, and it can be hard to separate the two. A long history of unethical medical experiments and medical mistakes, along with a host of celebrities spewing anti-science beliefs, has left many wary of science and the scientists who say they should be trusted. How do we stay sane while unraveling the knots of fact and fiction to find out what we should really be concerned about, and what we can laugh off?



In Viral BS, journalist, doctor, professor, and CDC-trained disease detective Seema Yasmin, driven by a need to set the record straight, dissects some of the most widely circulating medical myths and pseudoscience. Exploring how epidemics of misinformation can spread faster than microbes, Dr. Yasmin asks why bad science is sometimes more believable and contagious than the facts. Each chapter covers a specific myth, whether it has endured for many years or hit the headlines more recently.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

[Yasmin] analyzes the pseudoscience that becomes hard to shake and reviews related research that presents the truth. The antidote is easy to swallow, thanks to Yasmin's approach.
—Science News

Doody's Review Service

Reviewer: Paul Urbanski, PhD, MSSW (Monmouth University School of Social Work)
Description: This book provides brief (three- to eight-page) chapters that are focused on an array of medical myths. It presents the material in language that is both friendly to the layperson while grounding the discussion in past and current scientific research. It explains the complex nature of human physiology and medical research that can lead to life-saving vaccines and expose snake oil scams that lead to health risks for consumers.
Purpose: The purpose of the book is to help the general public understand how scientists work to understand the complex nature of human physiology and ongoing efforts to provide safe and effective remedies that counter viruses, treat or prevent cancers, while at the same time, present reliable research findings to the general public to avoid the dangers of unsubstantiated product claims and medical myths that can lead to life-threatening consequences.
Audience: The author has made the content accessible to the layperson while providing students, practitioners, and members of the scientific community adequate detail in explaining the complexity of humans. The author is a credible source, with a medical degree from the University of Cambridge and who has served at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention investigating disease outbreaks and has won an Emmy for her work as a health reporter.
Features: Focusing on medical myths, the book covers an array of public health issues such as e-cigarettes, sport risks for traumatic brain injuries, the safety of everyday products such as lipstick, aspirin, herbal teas, and birth control pills. The author also goes back in time to uncover the sources of many of the medical myths that continue to circulate and should be familiar to most readers.
Assessment: Our inclination to buy into myths, accept hearsay, and question science concerning our health has been especially evident during the recent pandemic. This book provides a valuable resource for those curious to know the stories behind myths. The author piques readers' interest in how these myths arise and demonstrates the critical process needed for evaluating whether the myths are true or false. She also cautions that there is still much to learn about ourselves and the world around us. The final chapter presents a useful tool that can help us think critically about the science and myths we encounter and arrive at a place that supports our personal health and the public's health as well.

Science News

[Yasmin] analyzes the pseudoscience that becomes hard to shake and reviews related research that presents the truth. The antidote is easy to swallow, thanks to Yasmin's approach.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940178810620
Publisher:	HighBridge Company
Publication date:	07/13/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos