I Think You'll Find It's a Bit More Complicated Than That

By: Ben Goldacre

Narrated by: Ben Goldacre and Jot Davies

The very best journalism from one of Britain’s most admired and outspoken science writers, author of the bestselling Bad Science and Bad Pharma.

In Bad Science, Ben Goldacre hilariously exposed the tricks that quacks and journalists use to distort science. In Bad Pharma, he put the $600 billion global pharmaceutical industry under the microscope. Now the pick of the journalism by one of our wittiiest, most indignant and most fearless commentators on the worlds of medicine and science is collected in one volume.

©2014 Ben Goldacre (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Critic reviews

‘In a busy world where most of us believe what we’re told, the science writer Goldacre looks behind the quackery. “Science is squabble,” he says: he uses close critical appraisal to show that many medical claims are akin to magic and that television presents “real” science as cheap stage effects. And don’t even get him started on bad academia, biased government and credulous media. In short, everything you take at face value is wrong. Maybe even this review: now read Ben.’ The Times

‘Witty and snarky and made me laugh out loud’ Independent on Sunday

‘An accessible and amusing rant on science and society’ Monocle

From the reviews of ‘Bad Science’:

‘For sheer savagery, the illusion-destroying, joyous attack on the self-regarding, know-nothing orthodoxies of the modern middle classes, “Bad Science” can not be beaten. You’ll laugh your head off, then throw all those expensive health foods in the bin.’ Trevor Philips, Observer (Book of the Year)

‘Unmissable…laying about himself in a froth of entirely justified indignation, Goldacre slams the mountebanks and bullshitters who misuse science. Few escape: drug companies, self-styled nutritionists, deluded researchers and journalists all get thoroughly duffed up. It is enormously enjoyable.’ The Times (Book of the Year)

From the reviews of ‘Bad Pharma’:

‘This is a book to make you enraged – properly, bone-shakingly furious…A work of brilliance.’ Daily Telegraph

‘An important book. Ben Goldacre is angry, and by the time you put ‘Bad Pharma’ down, you should be too.’ New Statesman

‘A book that deserves to be widely read, because anyone who does read it cannot help feeling both uncomfortable and angry.’ Economist

fabulous and infuriating

I've just finished reading Ben Goldacre's: I Think You'll Find it's a Bit More Complicated Than That.

I found this book both fascinating and infuriating!
The book is about...well, it is about many things, such as bad science, bad journalism (compounding much the bad science or blatantly distorting real science), and bad governmental policy making (using said bad science and bad journalism).

I think everyone should get a copy of this book, read it, and try to apply the lessons you may learn from it. For instance I am going to try to put into practice one of his pieces of advice:

"If people don't link to primary sources, I don't trust them and I don't read them." (ESPECIALLY on social media).

I use to think (some) sources of journalism were trustworthy, but I think I'll have to start digging even deeper into issues that matter to me in order to ensure I am getting the correct information. The sad part is that this is going to take a lot more time, so I will have to narrow my focus significantly. Soon, I will know every piece of factual information about stegosaurus!