Trick or treatment

the undeniable facts about alternative medicine

Hardcover, 352 pages

English language

Published April 7, 2008 by W.W. Norton & Co..

ISBN:
978-0-393-06661-6
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OCLC Number:
181139440

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4 stars (17 reviews)

In this groundbreaking analysis, over thirty of the most popular treatments--acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic, and herbal medicines--are examined for their benefits and potential dangers. Questions answered include: What works and what doesn't? What are the secrets, and what are the lies? Who can you trust, and who is ripping you off? Can science decide what is best, or do the old wives' tales really tap into ancient, superior wisdom? In their scrutiny of alternative and complementary cures, authors Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst also strive to reassert the primacy of the scientific method as a means for determining public health practice and policy.--From publisher description.

15 editions

Review of 'Trick or Treatment?' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

In many ways, I preferred this book over the one of 100 years of quackery. It did put a lot of effort into examining the claims and validity of the same about alternative medicine. And it emphasized what made for the difference between conventional medicine and STRICTLY alternative. It took efforts to not out right call all alternative medicine "quackery", but it definitely pointed out when there was no evidence of healing involved! It also was sure to include that treatments that previously determined to be ineffective and/or harmful have sometimes since been reevaluated.
Lack of popularity – amongst citizens or doctors – is NOT enough to claim our treatment useless. I find that I suffer from a form of confirmation bias, in that I don't believe in any of this crap, but I appreciate the findings of measured/limited good from seemingly ridiculous claims, simply because experiments have not totally …

Review of 'Trick or treatment?' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Similar to [b:Bad Science|3272165|Bad Science|Ben Goldacre|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NPP8ZDXZL.SL75.jpg|3308349] in some ways, and with some overlap, this important work covers some of the most popular "complementary and alternative medicine" (CAM) options available, focussing primarily upon acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, and herbal medicine. Both authors bring their extensive combined experience in CAM, science, medicine, journalism and writing to bear in this excellent book.

Despite what you may expect from scientists writing about alternative treatments, they are not scathing in their appraisal of these methods, and show that sceptical and scientific method will accept treatments that are proved to work. And even those that are not proven to work exactly as stated by their practitioners, the authors will illustrate what does and does not work within those treatments. It is written to educate, not to proselytise or shill.

Aside from the meat of the book, of particular use to the layperson is the final …

Subjects

  • Alternative medicine
  • Complementary Therapies
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Placebo Effect