Description
Book SynopsisExplores some of the mysteries and complexities of medicine while untangling the inherent conundrums of scientific research and highlighting its vagaries. This book considers the prevalence of tonsillectomies, the placebo effect and randomized control trials, bogus doctors, efficacy of vitamin C in fighting cancer and the chronic fatigue syndrome.
Trade Review"Collins and Pinch carefully tease out key conflicts in the way that medical knowledge is constructed and used and endeavor to show how necessarily complicated medical decision making must be....The authors neither jump on the critical bandwagon nor apologize for medicine's failings, rather they show that the inherent discrepancy between the pace of medical discovery and the need for immediate succour is one that must be addressed jointly by physician and patient." - Noah Raizman, Lancet "The writing is interested, intelligent, and explanatory....Much of the book's quality comes from its steady, generally clear-sighted explanation of some of the ordinary within medicine." - Druin Burch, Times Literary Supplement"
