Customer Reviews

Condom Nation: Blind Faith, Bad Science

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book somewhat succeeded in terms of humor. I had quite a few laughs and I recommend it to those who believe in science and thus can treat this book as a work of humorous fiction. The "facts" are so distorted and out of context that I am shocked this is not categorized as a work of fiction. I guess Mr. Panzer is not familiar with third-world development and that the primary mechanism for progress in these developing nations is birth control. Come on now Mr. Panzer, stop skewing the facts for some particular ideology you want to promote in the name of self-interest. As a so-called "academic" I expect more responsibility and validity on your part. Shame on you.

Richard Panzer gives us in this small book an informative response to the culture of sexual promiscuity and sexual stupidity. "Condom Nation: Blind Faith, Bad Science" offers both anecdotal and statistical evidence that many programs to prevent or contain sexual disease transmission and teenage pregnancy are counterproductive and inferior to those promoting the decrepit notion that sex should be reserved for a man and a woman who are married to each other. Perhaps the greatest revelation to me was that many are confused about the meaning of sexual "abstinence," thinking it refers only to refraining from coitus. The book also supplies interesting tidbits about condoms and condom-related behavior.

My biggest complaints are not so big: charts using three-dimensional bars rather than two-dimensional bars are unfortunate (see Edward R. Tufte's "Visual Display of Quantitative Information" for why). And I didn't like the layout of the text. But I quibble.

As a further step, I invite those appreciating "Condom Nation: Blind Faith, Bad Science" to investigate the offerings of The GIFT Foundation or the works of Janet E. Smith regarding Catholic teaching on birth regulation.