Making Sense of Science: Separating Substance from Spin - Softcover

Dean, Cornelia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0674237803 ISBN 13: 9780674237803

Publisher: Belknap Press, 2019

Synopsis

A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist

Most of us learn about science from media coverage, and anyone seeking factual information on climate change, vaccine safety, genetically modified foods, or the dangers of peanut allergies has to sift through an avalanche of bogus assertions, misinformation, and carefully packaged spin. Cornelia Dean draws on thirty years of experience as a science reporter at the New York Times to expose the tricks that handicap readers with little background in science. She reveals how activists, business spokespersons, religious leaders, and talk show hosts influence the way science is reported and describes the conflicts of interest that color research. At a time when facts are under daily assault, Making Sense of Science seeks to equip nonscientists with a set of critical tools to evaluate the claims and controversies that shape our lives.

“Making Sense of Science explains how to decide who is an expert, how to understand data, what you need to do to read science and figure out whether someone is lying to you... If science leaves you with a headache trying to figure out what’s true, what it all means and who to trust, Dean’s book is a great place to start.”
―Casper Star-Tribune

“Fascinating... Its mission is to help nonscientists evaluate scientific claims, with much attention paid to studies related to health.”
―Seattle Times

“This engaging book offers non-scientists the tools to connect with and evaluate science, and for scientists it is a timely call to action for effective communication.”
―Times Higher Education

About this title

About the Author:

Cornelia Dean is a science writer for the New York Times and Writer-in-Residence at Brown University.

Review:

“This engaging book offers non-scientists the tools to connect with and evaluate science, and for scientists it is a timely call to action for effective communication.”―Laura Bowater, Times Higher Education

“Fascinating...Its mission is to help nonscientists evaluate scientific claims, with much attention paid to studies related to health.”―Froma Harrop, Seattle Times

“Dean explains how, despite living in an ‘age of science,’ the American public is largely ignorant about what science is and how it works...Dean offers a step-by-step guide for evaluating science. In a few simple steps, she explains how to decide who is an expert, how to understand data, what you need to do to read science and figure out whether someone is lying to you...If science leaves you with a headache trying to figure out what’s true, what it all means and who to trust, Dean’s book is a great place to start.”―Koby Michaels, Casper Star-Tribune

“This book is an accessible-by-all description of modern science and the societal gap of understanding.”―C. Sokolik, Choice

“[An] engagingly written guidebook...Not only are we irrational, but we are mostly ignorant about science, and Dean explores both the reasons and the effects, including our erroneous ideas about probability and risk...Dean’s long and varied experience in the world of science reporting makes for an articulate, well-structured, and easily understood account filled with good stories and sound advice.”―Kirkus Reviews

“Current and future scientists and journalists, as well as advocates for science, will appreciate Dean’s effort to combat scientific illiteracy.”―Nancy R. Curtis, Library Journal

“Dean’s excellent primer will be welcomed by those who find themselves lost in the fog of rival claims about scientific issues that affect us all.”―Publishers Weekly

About this edition

• Publisher: Belknap Press
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 0674237803
• ISBN 13: 9780674237803
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 296