About the Author

Ben Goldacre is a doctor and science writer who wrote the 'Bad Science' column in the Guardian from 2003 to 2011. His work focuses on unpicking the evidence behind misleading claims from journalists, the pharmaceutical industry, alternative therapists, and government reports. He has made a number of documentaries for BBC Radio 4, and his first book Bad Science reached Number One in the nonfiction charts, has sold 400,000 copies, and has been translated into 17 languages. His second bestselling book, Bad Pharma, was published in 2013.

Reviews

‘This is a book to make you enraged – properly, bone-shakingly furious – because it’s about how big business puts profits over patient welfare, allows people to die because they don’t want to disclose damning research evidence, and the tricks they play to make sure doctors do not have all the evidence when it comes to appraising whether a drug really works or not. A work of brilliance.’ Max Pemberton, Daily Telegraph ‘This is a brilliant piece of work’ Evening Standard, William Leith ‘This is an important book. Ben Goldacre is angry, and by the time you put ‘Bad Pharma’ down, you should be too.’ New Statesman ‘Nailing the compromise between too much detail and too little, Goldacre’s brilliantly enraging study unpeels how the pharmaceutical giants routinely misrepresent science in their quest for profit.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘What keeps you turning its pages is the accessibility of Goldacre's writing … his genuine, indignant passion, his careful gathering of evidence and his use of stories, some of them personal, which bring the book to life.’ Luisia Dilner, Guardian ‘This is a book that deserves to be widely read, because anyone who does read it cannot help feeling both uncomfortable and angry.’ Economist ‘’Bad Pharma’ will confirm his status as a thorn in the side of the medical Establishment – Goldacre’s detailed research would be hard for any drug-company executive to contradict’ Lois Rogers, Sunday Times

Goldacre (Bad Science) here turns his attention to medical research and the pharma-ceutical industry. He explains that negative or no-result studies of drugs are less likely to be published anywhere in the professional literature than positive ones. The author further explains that medical professionals are manipulated by planted articles, drug vendors, and the selective use of statistics. All true, if not exactly new ideas. Unfortunately, despite his claims of nonbias, -Goldacre supports his opinions with interesting anecdotes and carefully selected metadata studies. This fact-filled book is scientifically no better than the studies it critiques. The audiobook, competently read by Jonathan Cowley, has its own problems. It comes with so-called bonus materials-PDF files of graphs. In several places, people are expected to go to their computer and look at figures while listening to the text, not easy for those who listen while driving, exercising, etc. -VERDICT While not an impartial expose, this is an enjoyable and informative book, best read in print form. Recommended for individuals interested in medical issues who are good at mental data manipulations. ["Goldacre's recommendations for much larger, simpler trials and for more access to clinical trial data, as well as educating people about risk assessment, clinical trial design, and statistical literacy, make this much more than a condemnation of the pharmaceutical industry," read the review of the Faber & Faber hc, LJ Xpress Reviews, 3/22/13.-Ed.]-I Pour-El, Des Moines Area Community Coll., Ames, IA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In his latest, British physician and author Goldacre tackles the misdeeds of the pharmaceutical industry. As Goldacre presents a laundry list of flawed research projects, narrator Jonathan Cowley handles the author's academic style with ease, never missing a beat. His precise annunciation matches the seriousness of the issues at hand, and he successfully balances the shifting tones of the narrative. Yet, as Goldacre recounts his adventures uncovering greed and corruption, Cowley ably takes on the author's populist persona. Cowley especially entertains in sections devoted to industry schmoozing and networking, providing doses of humor to help bring home the author's underlying messages. And if technical and scientific sections of the book make for a sometimes-demanding listening experience, Cowley's winning reading helps broaden the appeal. A Faber & Faber hardcover. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.