The funny thing is how research works...ok, maybe the really funny thing is how it does NOT work...Ben Goldacre's work here shows us that you have to be careful about making assumptions about results from scientific studies. Just because I say I did it scientifically, doesn't really mean I did, and even if I did, I might not be giving you all the facts about my study in the hopes that you interpret the results in a way that pleases me. Even more important, I might have come up with an answer that absolutely displeases me, in that case, I might just forget to mention I even did that study at all. These are just some of the possibilities that make some of the proclamations made in the media that seem often contradictory to the last study a little hard to believe. Also, think back to your statistics class(es)...how much do you really remember about the application of those numbers to real life? This book gives you some ideas about what to look for and what it means. Ignore some of the hysteria and think for yourself! A great introduction to doing so in the context of scientific studies and the "facts" that they uncover. - Christa
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