Library:Bad Advice
| Bad Advice | |
|---|---|
| Author | Paul A. Offit |
| First published | 2018 |
| ISBN | 978-0-231-18698-8 unverified |
| Role | Analysis |
| Domains | Health & Medicine Technology & Media |
| Tactics | Pseudoscience / Junk Science Imposture |
Bad Advice is a 2018 book by Paul A. Offit.
Summary
Paul Offit, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and co-inventor of a rotavirus vaccine, writes about the difficulty of communicating science to the public. The book's subtitle is Or Why Celebrities, Politicians, and Activists Aren't Your Best Source of Health Information.
Lessons from experience
Offit draws on his long experience as a public defender of vaccines, including his television appearances, debates and the harassment he received from anti-vaccine activists. He uses these experiences to reflect on what scientists do well and badly when they talk to the public.
Misleading voices
The book examines how celebrities, politicians, activists and some doctors promote dubious health claims, including those about vaccines, supplements and alternative treatments. Offit argues that confident storytellers often persuade audiences more effectively than careful scientists.
Advice to scientists
Offit encourages scientists to engage with the public, use stories and humor, admit uncertainty without implying false balance, and refuse to treat unsupported claims as equal to established evidence.
Relevance to Bullshitopedia
The book explains why false health information often outcompetes accurate information, and how experts can respond. It relates to many health and medicine entries in Bullshitopedia.