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Science, Sense & Nonsense |  | Author: Dr. Joe Schwarcz
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Category: Book
List Price: $18.50
Buy New: $10.00
as of 7/30/2010 21:31 CDT details
You Save: $8.50 (46%)
New (13) Used (7) from $9.80
Seller: berkeleylibraryfriends
Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 624630
Media: Paperback
Pages: 256
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8
ISBN: 0385666047
Dewey Decimal Number: 540
EAN: 9780385666046
ASIN: 0385666047
Publication Date: November 3, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
When did "chemical" become a dirty word?
Forty or so years ago, chemistry - which had been recognized as a miracle-making boon to humanity - somehow became associated with warfare, sinister food additives, "toxins" and pollution.
It's a situation that Dr. Joe Schwarcz aims to put into perspective.
Yes, there's a downside to chemistry, he says, but this is dwarfed by its enormous benefits.
Dr. Joe's new collection of commentaries will inspire an appreciation for the science of everyday life, and equip you to spot the muddled thinking, misunderstandings and deceptions in media stories and advertising claims. Does organic food really always equal better food? Are vaccines dangerous? Will the latest health fad make you ill? Do expensive wrinkle creams do the job? What are the best ways to avoid cancer? The answers to such questions often lie in an understanding of the chemistry involved. Ask Dr. Joe.
Science, Sense and Nonsense celebrates chemistry's great achievements, lambastes its charlatans, and explores its essential connections to our wellbeing. And does so in authoritative, highly readable, good humoured style.
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| Customer Reviews:
Entertaining, Logical and Well-Written November 22, 2009
G. Poirier (Orleans, ON, Canada)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
In sixty two essays (not sixty one as noted on the cover) divided into six chapters (plus an introduction and an afterword), the author discusses various issues in the world of science concentrating mostly on chemistry. Starting with various nutritional and health issues and progressing towards broader scientific topics, the author not only explains the dynamics of various chemicals, but he also debunks various misconceptions. He discusses the antics of various charlatans and misguided/misinformed individuals and exposes some of their tricks and how they arrive at some of their mind-boggling conclusions. This author's writing style is one of the highlights of this book. His witty choice of words in well-selected circumstances can so often bring a smile to the reader's face. His prose is clear, very friendly, quite authoritative and most captivating. The sixty two bite-sized sections make for a quick, but most educational read. The only possible difficulty that a reader may encounter is pronouncing some of the chemicals mentioned; but this does not detract from reading enjoyment or from understanding the issues at hand. This is a book that can be relished by anyone.
A Truly Enjoyable Read! January 31, 2010
christopher griffitts (Laval, QC)
Joe Schwartz has a knack for keeping science fun and intriguing. His little tidbits of sarcasm, which close each topic of the book, are nothing short of hilarious which adds to the charm of this good little read. Schwartz comes off as a level headed, well-informed and humorous person and his book is filled with statistics to back every one of his positions on a given topic. He does this without filling the pages with numbers though and it makes for a very smooth educational read. Great book, I have no complaints!
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