Description
Book SynopsisThe U.S. scientific community has long led the world in research on such areas as public health, environmental science, and issues affecting quality of life. Our scientists have produced landmark studies on the dangers of DDT, tobacco smoke, acid rain, and global warming. But at the same time, a small yet potent subset of this community leads the world in vehement denial of these dangers.
Merchants of Doubt tells the story of how a loose-knit group of high-level scientists and scientific advisers, with deep connections in politics and industry, ran effective campaigns to mislead the public and deny well-established scientific knowledge over four decades. Remarkably, the same individuals surface repeatedly - some of the same figures who have claimed that the science of global warming is not settled denied the truth of studies linking smoking to lung cancer, coal smoke to acid rain, and CFCs to the ozone hole. Doubt is our product, wrote one tobacco executive. These ''experts'' sup
Trade ReviewAnyone concerned about the state of democracy in America should read this book -- Al Gore
Brilliantly reported and written with brutal clarity * Huffington Post *
It is tempting to require that all those engaged in the business of conveying scientific information to the general public should read it * Science *
A hard-hitting thriller ... also a meticulously researched history book and a portal into the world of real science ... A fascinating story * West Australian *
Excellent, important * Choice *
