Here's a book you should buy and read. University of California Press has published "The Healthy Skeptic: Çutting Through The Hype About Your Health," by Robert Davis, PhD. 
Disclosure: Robert is my friend and trusted colleague. I hired him at CNN longer ago than either of us wants to remember.
Just to give you a taste of his book, here are some of the chapter titles:
1. Says Who? How We Know What (We Think) We Know
2. The News Media: Eat This!
3. Diet Books: Don't Eat That!
4. Advertisements: Take a Supplement!
5. Government Campaigns: Watch Your Cholesterol!
6. Celebrities: Get Tested!
7. Health Groups: Wear Sunscreen!
8. Consumer Activists: Beware of Chemicals!
9. Anti-Aging Doctors: Don't Get Sick, Don't Get Old, Don't Die!
10. Guaranteed! Overpromising on Prevention
We need more journalists like him, and more informational/educational efforts like his book.
Congratulations, Robert. Hope you sell a bunch of them.
Posted by schwitz at April 29, 2008 07:39 AM | TrackBackMy policy on comments
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