Is That a Fact?: Frauds, Quacks, and the Real Science of Everyday Life

By Joe Schwarcz

Dr. Joe Schwarcz takes on the quacks and doles out the facts in this eye-opening look at the science around us

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 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? Dr. Joe questions the reliability and motives of “experts” in this easy-to-understand yet critical look at what’s fact and what’s plain nonsense.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ECW Press
• Release date: May 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781770905283

Joe Schwarcz

JOE SCHWARCZ is director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society. He teaches courses on nutrition and the applications of chemistry to everyday life. His informative and entertaining public lectures range from nutritional controversies to the chemistry of love. Schwarcz has received numerous awards, including the Royal Society of Canada’s McNeil Award, and is the only non-American to win the American Chemical Society’s prestigious Grady-Stack Award. He is the author of five titles, including Let Them Eat Flax. He was also the chief consultant for the blockbuster titles Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal and The Healing Power of Vitamins, Minerals and Herbs. A regular guest on Daily Planet, CBC, CTV and TVO, and the host of a weekly radio show on CFRB in Toronto and CJAD in Montreal, Schwarcz also writes a weekly column for The Gazette (Montreal). He lives in Montreal.

Reviews for Is That a Fact?

[annetteoc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What’s attractive about book debunking urban myths and exposing frauds? It’s not just the promise of being well-informed, but very much the satisfaction of laughing at the expense of those we imagine are too stubborn or stupid to see the light. The latest book in this genre of exposé is Joe Schwarcz’s Is That a Fact? Frauds, Quacks, and the Real Science of Everyday Life.The book starts off promising to entertain with a great introduction, stressing the need to think critically, assessing the problem of popular scientific misinformation, and discussing the limitations and difficulties that plague scientific research. But it quickly goes downhill with a rather boring review of should-be-obviously-wrong beliefs. Unlike similar debunking books that are upbeat in tone and fun to read, Schwarcz is dull. His explanations are bogged down in a lot of scientific lingo, and too often he just resorts to the “Well, it’s obviously stupid to believe this” sort of attitude. As if that’s actually going to help the reader!When discussing things whose status is verified or yet to be determined, Schwarcz is a lot more balanced and easier to read. However, by then I was disillusioned with the book. Schwarcz just doesn’t deliver. Worse yet, he proves that even he’s not immune to quackery, eagerly taking up the banner of his favorite fad diet. Given his heavy use of science, readers with backgrounds in chemistry might appreciate Is That a Fact. However, the majority who just want to be entertained by a scientist uncovering the truth about Youngevity and Dr. Oz should probably look elsewhere.

[beckygraham1016 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book in a long time I didn't finish - not worth my time.

[kaethe_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Short, highly readable pieces about a vast array of issues of chemistry in modern life. Many, not surprisingly, are about how things can't possibly work, like homeopathy. Other pieces consider new science discoveries, the worthlessness of all those "miracle food" stories (and the very thin research behind them), and how to critically evaluate some forms of risk. A good introduction to the subject for those who aren't already skeptically literate, and a fun browse for those who are.

Library copy