Today is the official publication date of my new book ‘DON’T BELIEVE WHAT YOU THINK‘. It is essentially a crash course in critical thinking. To give you a flavour, here is an excerpt from its preface:
… So-called alternative medicine (SCAM) is a complex and controversial subject. Many people pretend to be experts in SCAM, but few know even the basic facts about it. Many consumers talk about SCAM, but few can be bothered to look behind the smokescreen of misleading claims. Many feel emotionally attached to SCAM, but few manage to think rationally about it. Many religiously believe in SCAM, but few show concern about the evidence. Many are desperate for help, but few seem to mind getting ripped off…
Enthusiasts of SCAM tend to hope for less side-effects, symptom relief, a cure of their condition, improvements in quality of life, and protection from illness. Such high expectations are usually based on misinformation, often even on outright lies. The disappointing truth is that not many SCAMs are truly effective in treating or preventing disease, and that none is totally harmless. In fact, the dangers of SCAM are multi-fold and potentially serious:
- harm due to adverse effects such as toxicity of an herbal remedy, stroke after chiropractic manipulation, pneumothorax after acupuncture (see chapter 3.2);
- harm caused by bogus diagnostic techniques (see chapter 4.4);
- harm of using materials from endangered species (see chapter 3.15);
- harm through incompetent advice by SCAM providers (see chapter 4.5);
- harm due to using SCAM instead of an effective therapy for serious conditions (see chapter 4.5);
- harm due to the high costs of SCAM (see chapter 3.8);
- harm due to SCAM undermining evidence-based medicine (see chapter 5.4);
- harm caused by inhibiting medical progress and research (see chapter 5.1).
In this book, I address these issues in detail and explain how consumers get manipulated into believing things that are evidently wrong. Using plenty of real-life examples, I outline how the constant flow of misinformation, coupled with motivated ignorance, motivated reasoning, and cognitive bias can produce a form of wishful thinking that is detached from reality. In the interest of my readers’ health, I aim to correct some of these false beliefs and fallacious thought processes.
My book consists of 35 concise essays each of which addresses one commonly held belief about SCAM. The essays can be read as stand-alone articles; occasionally, this necessitates a degree of repetition which, however, is minimal. The text avoids technical jargon and is therefore easy to follow. For those who want to dig deeper into the scientific evidence, links are provided to numerous papers that might prove to be helpful. A glossary is added at the end to explain some terms that might be unfamiliar.
This book is meant to stimulate critical thinking not just about SCAM, but also in a more general way. Science deniers employ similar techniques no matter whether they focus on health, climate change, evolution or other subjects. Exposing their techniques for what they are is thus important.
- They ignore the scientific consensus.
- They cherry-pick their evidence.
- They rely on poor quality studies, opinion and anecdotes.
- They invent conspiracy theories.
- They defame their opponents.
- They point out that science has been wrong before.
- They say, ‘science does not know everything’.
Critical thinking is the best, perhaps even the only protection we have from being fooled and, crucially, from fooling ourselves. If my book enables you to question nonsense, call out untruths, correct falsehoods, ridicule stupidity, and disclose fake news, it surely was worth the effort.
Congratulatiions Professor!
Already ordered the book from Amazon.
Congratulations on your latest book.
I look forward to reading it.
me too!!!
…
[a joke for those who think I have a ghost writer]
I am certain, that you won’t be disappointed. 😀
Dear Dr Ernst
Congratulations, I too am looking forward to reading your book. I could not find the e-book version, will there be one? I can’t order the paperback (the covid outbreak has drastically reduced my possibilities to order from a foreign country..) Thank you!
THANKS
I am quite sure there will be an e-version; I’ll check with the publisher.
Thank you!
I have a feeling that you might get it, if you order it from the publisher direct
http://books.imprint.co.uk/book/?gcoi=71157100636150
I got this from the publisher:
We usually aim to have the ebook available at the same time as the official paperback publication date (i.e. today in this instance!). However, given the global situation our ebook partners are a little behind in their conversion schedule, but we would hope to have an ebook on Amazon within the next couple of week
Congratulations, Edzard. Can’t wait to read it.
When will it be available in e-book form? I tried to order the print version but they won’t deliver to Canada. Imagine!
THANKS
I am quite sure there will be an e-version; I’ll check with the publisher.
I will by the Kindle edition too, if it appears.
I have a feeling that you might get it, if you order it from the publisher direct
http://books.imprint.co.uk/book/?gcoi=71157100636150
I tried but couldn’t find a way to buy it on the site so I put in a request. Thanks!
Ron, did you try amazon.com? They have an option to deliver from the publisher, from WA. They did not want to deliver to my country but amazon.co.uk did, from the publisher.
I did but it doesn’t ship to Canada. Not sure why. I’ve ordered a lot of books from Amazon.com.
I’ll have to wait a couple of weeks until the e-book comes out. Until then, I’ll just stumble along, walking into walls.
Thanks, though.
I got this from the publisher:
We usually aim to have the ebook available at the same time as the official paperback publication date (i.e. today in this instance!). However, given the global situation our ebook partners are a little behind in their conversion schedule, but we would hope to have an ebook on Amazon within the next couple of weeks.
Thanks for the link. I put in a request as well, and now we wait…
see also what Ron just commented
I just received a note from Sandra Good at the publisher. There will be an e-version but she doesn’t have a date quite yet.
THANKS
most helpful
Congratulations and thank you Edzard.
Ahhhh…. looks like the majority of people who will buy your book are already in agreement with your opinions… ‘preaching to the converted’ as someone once said. I reckon there are more books published by the medical profession than there are Doctors on Planet Earth. Every TV / Celebrity Doctor that makes an appearance on mainstream media cannot resist the temptation to publish a book – it’s so predictable. Why not simply share your knowledge and experience at no charge via digital newsletters? Just a thought.
“Why not simply share your knowledge and experience at no charge via digital newsletters?”
you mean like a blog with ~2 000 free articles?
YOU MEAN LIKE MY BLOG?
@EE
It’s been pointed out many times already. I repeat, the blog is to promote book sales.
thanks for supporting the sales initiative
And you are one of the resident clowns who provide justification for the Prof pointing out your repeated nonsense.
And quacks never have books to sell, do they?
Oops! Looks like they do!
@Mike Grant
It wasn’t “just a thought.” In fact, it was a not-very-well-thought-out, stupid thing to say.
Congratulations, Prof! I hope it does very well.
thanks
Congratulations.
I hope to snag an e-version soon, noting the forthcoming availability. I see that the print version is already sold out in the UK and down to 15 copies in the US. Doubtless critics secretly indulging, like vegans with an illicit burger.