Comments on: Generous review of my book in the Daily Telegraph http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/ Ben Goldacre's Bad Science column from the Guardian and more... Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:24:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Cathi Reynolds http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/comment-page-1/#comment-26140 Cathi Reynolds Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:22:18 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/#comment-26140 Thank you for... the unstoppable laughter on the tube journey into work, causing numerous glares/stares (and 2 enquiries for the book title and author) from the various suits this week. Reaffirmation that taking newspaper stories about health/science etc with a pinch of salt isn't necessarily a bad thing. Reigniting the curiousity and belief that taking time to research and form your own opinions from fact and not fiction is actually more fun and interesting than most people let on. Less of a lightbulb moment, more of a jumpstart. Thank you for…

the unstoppable laughter on the tube journey into work, causing numerous glares/stares (and 2 enquiries for the book title and author) from the various suits this week.

Reaffirmation that taking newspaper stories about health/science etc with a pinch of salt isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Reigniting the curiousity and belief that taking time to research and form your own opinions from fact and not fiction is actually more fun and interesting than most people let on.

Less of a lightbulb moment, more of a jumpstart.

]]> By: olster http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/comment-page-1/#comment-22617 olster Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:15:09 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/#comment-22617 'a junior doctor'? I rather assumed you were a med reg! I'll be playing guess the speciality now! Of course you're probably an ortho SHO who keeps this non-bony nonsense away from the bosses! I see Sili mentioned FRS... could that be FRCS? You're wasted in surgery! ‘a junior doctor’?
I rather assumed you were a med reg!
I’ll be playing guess the speciality now!

Of course you’re probably an ortho SHO who keeps this non-bony nonsense away from the bosses!

I see Sili mentioned FRS… could that be FRCS? You’re wasted in surgery!

]]> By: Sili http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/comment-page-1/#comment-22518 Sili Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:54:27 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/#comment-22518 So how long before the FRS and the knighthood? Or are you gonna wait till Liz passes on, just to get to see the look on the face of Chuck-boy when he swings the sword? So how long before the FRS and the knighthood?

Or are you gonna wait till Liz passes on, just to get to see the look on the face of Chuck-boy when he swings the sword?

]]> By: peterd102 http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/comment-page-1/#comment-22497 peterd102 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:06:16 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/#comment-22497 @Finny Yes he does, the release was kept quiet though. There has only been about 5 main posts and several quicklinks, along with the quackometer and DC science reviews, along with a few blogs reveiwing it. The interesting thing is, it isnt really all Bad Science, its more bad medical science. Though i suppose its sos common today there isnt much point commenting on the others. @Finny

Yes he does, the release was kept quiet though. There has only been about 5 main posts and several quicklinks, along with the quackometer and DC science reviews, along with a few blogs reveiwing it.

The interesting thing is, it isnt really all Bad Science, its more bad medical science. Though i suppose its sos common today there isnt much point commenting on the others.

]]> By: Persiflage http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/comment-page-1/#comment-22496 Persiflage Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:59:35 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/#comment-22496 Everyone I know will be receiving a copy for Christmas. That's a lot of people... I don't suppose I can get a discount on a bulk order? ;-) Everyone I know will be receiving a copy for Christmas. That’s a lot of people… I don’t suppose I can get a discount on a bulk order? ;-)

]]> By: Finny http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/comment-page-1/#comment-22494 Finny Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:48:18 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/#comment-22494 I was just wondering. Does Ben have a book out? I was just wondering. Does Ben have a book out?

]]> By: hoypolloy http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/comment-page-1/#comment-22493 hoypolloy Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:40:28 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/#comment-22493 Even the Food Standards Agency Chief Scientist is singing your praises, Ben. http://www.fsascience.net/2008/09/30/when_saturday_comes Even the Food Standards Agency Chief Scientist is singing your praises, Ben.

http://www.fsascience.net/2008/09/30/when_saturday_comes

]]> By: gazza http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/comment-page-1/#comment-22490 gazza Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:32:14 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/#comment-22490 I suspect most journalists know that there's a fair amount of tosh in their papers. They probably excuse that on the grounds of time pressure (hence just lifting press releases and PA reports) and the need for sensationalism to sell papers. But I also suspect that many are honest enough to admit this when given the chance. Maybe the book reviews are a 'cleansing ritual' necessary for well meaning journalists? I have no experience of journalism, so all presumption on my part. Any journalists fancy an opinion on the friendly reviews? I suspect most journalists know that there’s a fair amount of tosh in their papers. They probably excuse that on the grounds of time pressure (hence just lifting press releases and PA reports) and the need for sensationalism to sell papers. But I also suspect that many are honest enough to admit this when given the chance. Maybe the book reviews are a ‘cleansing ritual’ necessary for well meaning journalists?

I have no experience of journalism, so all presumption on my part. Any journalists fancy an opinion on the friendly reviews?

]]> By: NuclearChicken http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/comment-page-1/#comment-22489 NuclearChicken Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:23:45 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/#comment-22489 The recent reviews of 'Bad Science' would have unsettled my view of the press if I didn't know that most journalist are masters of Orwellian 'doublethink'. The recent reviews of ‘Bad Science’ would have unsettled my view of the press if I didn’t know that most journalist are masters of Orwellian ‘doublethink’.

]]> By: helenh http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/comment-page-1/#comment-22488 helenh Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:13:45 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/#comment-22488 The thing I really like about that review is that you do get the impression that the reviewer has actually <em>read</em> the book. You know, rather than just read another review of it in another paper and spouted off some opinion based on that. Excellent stuff, may it bring more readers into the fold. The thing I really like about that review is that you do get the impression that the reviewer has actually read the book. You know, rather than just read another review of it in another paper and spouted off some opinion based on that.

Excellent stuff, may it bring more readers into the fold.

]]> By: hat_eater http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/comment-page-1/#comment-22485 hat_eater Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:12:06 +0000 http://www.badscience.net/2008/10/generous-review-of-my-book-in-the-daily-telegraph/#comment-22485 In a better world, one would hope that in the future the journalists will pay more attention to what they are told and by whom. Oh well. At least when they stray again from the right path you'll be able to quote their own review to them. In a better world, one would hope that in the future the journalists will pay more attention to what they are told and by whom. Oh well. At least when they stray again from the right path you’ll be able to quote their own review to them.

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