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Merchants Of Doubt: How A Handful Of Scientists Obscured The Truth On Issues From Tobacco Smoke To Global Warming (2010)

by Naomi Oreskes(Favorite Author)

4.11 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1596916109 (ISBN13: 9781596916104)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Bloomsbury Press

review 1: Merchants of Doubt puts forth the premise that a very small group of scientists have been behind the campaign to confuse the public on many of the major health issues of the past 50 years. These scientists, backed by the deep pockets of the industries they served, have worked to create a perception that the science is unsettled and needs more research, when often the science had been settled for many years already.I particularly enjoyed the early chapters on this history of tobacco, lead paint, and the ozone layer. Sometimes the authors worked too hard to catalog all of the "he said, she said" of each issue, when a more fluid narrative would have made for better writing. This problem is especially true in the chapters on climate change. It really slowed down the book an... mored didn't offer the reader much.Nevertheless, this was a really interesting book that cemented my perception of a lazy media establishment, easily fooled and unconcerned with trying to resolve who is right. It is far easier to just split the difference, even when that middle ground isn't reflected by the best science of the day.I was also interested in the repeated pattern used by big business to deny and muddle issues year after year as they accrue greater profits. Head trauma in the NFL causes chronic traumatic encephalopathy? Well, gee, the scientists can't be 100% sure. So, I guess they will need to study it for another few decades. Once you see the pattern, it is everywhere. In some ways, it is kind of amazing that science ever wins the public perception battle against such odds and dollars.Unfortunately, in the case of climate change, the same tactics are being used by the same groups. They have had decades to practice. They are winning the perceptions battle and it might just be too late for the science on this one.
review 2: How is it that the same select few "scientists" who got their start claiming the link between tobacco and health hadn't been proven, also ended up singing the same "no proof yet" tune about acid rain, secondhand smoke, the ozone layer and global warming? The authors do a great job of documenting how industries have set up a series of malleable think tanks dedicated to creating doubt and feeding an idiot media that insists "fairness" means there are always two sides to every story. As a result, our gift to our grandchildren will likely be the chance to spend some time semi-tropical Minneapolis. less

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