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Is That a Fact?

Frauds, Quacks, and the Real Science of Everyday Life

Published by ECW Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

The bestselling “quackbuster” and “tireless tub-thumper against pseudoscience” fishes for the facts in a flood of misinformation (Maclean’s)

“Written with a light touch and refreshing humor, this book provides a solid, authoritative starting point for anyone beginning to look at the world with a skeptical eye and a refresher for those further along that path.” — Library Journal

“The author’s entertaining writing style and clear, precise explanations make the book a joy to read.” — Booklist

Eat this and live to 100. Don’t, and die. Today, hyperboles dominate the media, which makes parsing science from fiction an arduous task when deciding what to eat, what chemicals to avoid, and what’s best for the environment. In Is That a Fact?, bestselling author Dr. Joe Schwarcz carefully navigates through the storm of misinformation to help us separate fact from folly and shrewdness from foolishness.

Are GMOs really harmful? Or could they help developing countries? Which “miracle weight-loss foods” gained popularity through exuberant data dredging? Is BPA dangerous or just a victim of unforgiving media hype? Is organic better? Schwarcz questions the reliability and motives of “experts” in this easy-to-understand yet critical look at what’s fact and what’s plain nonsense.

About The Author

Product Details

  • Publisher: ECW Press (May 1, 2014)
  • Length: 288 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781770411906

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Raves and Reviews

“Written with a light touch and refreshing humor, this book provides a solid, authoritative starting point for anyone beginning to look at the world with a skeptical eye and a refresher for those further along that path.” — Library Journal

“The author’s entertaining writing style and clear, precise explanations make the book a joy to read, and his choice of subjects is so wide-ranging that there is really something for everyone here.” —Booklist

“Takes its readers through the carnival of pseudoscience, the morass of half-truths, and, finally, the relatively safe road of reproducible scientific knowledge. This journey is made all the more enjoyable by Dr. Schwarcz’s surgical use of words and his mastery of public writing … [He] can always be counted on to write about the chemistry of the world in a way that is both entertaining and educational.” — Cracked Science

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