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Alex Berezow
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Little Black Book of Junk Science Paperback – January 1, 2017

by Alex Berezow (Author)
2.8 2.8 out of 5 stars 13 ratings
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Everyone talks about fake “news,” but it is a little harder to know what junk science is, especially if you are not an expert. The Little Black Book of Junk Science, authored by the American Council on Science and Health’s Dr. Alex Berezow will allow the public to do just that. It is an A-Z pocket-sized, gold embossed, handy reference guide to the most common myths and misunderstandings surrounding health fads, diets, chemicals and other pseudoscience. It provides a small dose of sanity in a world full of junk science.
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  1. Print length
    72 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    American Council on Science and Health
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2017
  5. ISBN-10
    0997253002
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0997253009
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ American Council on Science and Health; First Edition (January 1, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 72 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0997253002
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0997253009
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.57 ounces
  • Customer Reviews:
    2.8 2.8 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

About the author

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Alex Berezow

Alex Berezow

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Dr. Alex Berezow is a science writer, author, and public speaker who specializes in the debunking of junk science.

Currently, Dr. Berezow is Vice President of Scientific Communications at the American Council on Science and Health, a science and consumer advocacy non-profit whose mission is to promote evidence-based science and to separate exaggerated health scares from legitimate health threats. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Council on Strategic Risks.

Additionally, Dr. Berezow is a member of the USA Today Board of Contributors. His articles have appeared in BBC News, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Wired, Scientific American, The Economist, and many other publications. His most recent books are The Next Plague and How Science Will Stop It (2018) and Little Black Book of Junk Science (2017).

Formerly, he was the founding editor of RealClearScience and an assistant editor of RealClearWorld. Previously, he authored the blog “The Ministry of Science” at Forbes, wrote a monthly column for the Puget Sound Business Journal, and was an Analyst at Geopolitical Futures. For more than two years, he was regularly featured in a radio segment, “Real Science with Dr. B,” on the Kirby Wilbur Show.

Customer reviews

2.8 out of 5 stars
13 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • E. Hons
    2.0 out of 5 stars Just Junk
    Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I was hoping for actual science to confront the junk with, as this is listed as coming from the impressive sounding "American Council on Science and Health."

    It turns out this is intended more to be funny or at least witty. But it isn't funny. Or witty.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • marvin spacek
    1.0 out of 5 stars It's a tiny pamphlet with not much info. in ...
    Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    It's a tiny pamphlet with not much info. in it. Just stuff we all know. Way overpriced for what it is.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Christina Z.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Delivers Science and Snark in Spades
    Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I purchased this book on behalf of a family member who I discovered posting articles on the following:

    1. The initial blast of A/C coming out of the vents when you turn on your car can give you cancer
    2. Vaccines are a scam, particularly the HPV vaccine
    3. Energy drinks will give perfectly healthy people heart attacks

    As a scientist I feel I have fundamentally failed in some way with this person; and so, I turn to Dr. Berezow and the ACSH to assist in a friendly intervention (I also bought a copy for myself).

    At its core, the LBB of Junk Science is just that- a bite-sized, fast-paced index of a multitude of topics that are or suffer from pseudoscience. It is not a deep dive into anything in particular, but it does include citations to further explore some of the topics should you feel so inclined. Dr. Berezow delivers many of these nuggets with a side helping of snark, which can dilute the book's effect to some who would read into it as bias on his part. I offer this perspective instead: as a scientist, you would be a little fed up too if you had to constantly deal with people telling you about the health benefits of homeopathy and yoni eggs (look those up if you're not familiar), and how your body needs more alkalinity because you're SUCH a Gemini. Or worse, that vaccines cause autism (and throwing in a Wakefield reference for proof). And then having said people get angry with you and say you don't know what you're talking about when you inform them their claims aren't based on any real science or credible data. So yeah, I feel you, Berezow. Snark away.

    I feel what the book lacks in depth it makes up for in breadth. It's a useful little thing for gifting someone a primer in Pseudoscience 101, as well as basic Real Scientific Terms and What They Actually Mean (relative risk, reproducibility, theory, consensus, correlation and causation, etc.). I intend to use it to quickly bring people up to speed and start longer conversations with them about junk science. And maybe, after that, they'll have a healthier respect for real science. To reference Dr. Berezow in his section on Reproducibility, "science is hard."

    PS: there are still SO many topics this could include. Really hoping edition 2 has an entry on yoni eggs.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • Donald J.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Good talking points. Helps to dispel myths.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • superbrain
    2.0 out of 5 stars A pseudoscientific attempt to debunk pseudoscience
    Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2017
    What a truly useless compendium of garbage. The authors take the reader on a tour of their opinions on topics listed in alphabetical order, often disparaging a person, topic, organization and even one of the National Institutes of Health in a just few unsupported sentences. As a scientist I'm appalled at their positions on some of the subjects. The irony is they claim to be debunking pseudoscience science while making subjective, poorly supported claims for some, though not all, topics. They come across as uninformed and biased and should be embarrassed given the purpose of their pamphlet (at 73 pages it's not a book). In some instances they slander the purveyors of pseudoscience rather than the pseudoscience itself. Is that scientific? I don't believe so. Pass on this. There are plenty of books written by actual objective scientists that debunk many of the myths they attempt to debunk. If I were Mercola or NIH, I would explore legal action. Disparage the science but not the people. How is it scientific to rip Mercola? I disagree with 90% of what he says but if you are claiming to be scientific, attack the science behind the claims not the man making them. And, with regard to the NIH center that deals with alternative medicine, yes it IS important to study yoga and other non-opioid treatments for pain, non-benzo treatments for anxiety, non-SSRI treatments for depression, etc. Seriously, get real jobs!! Are you not aware of the need to study alternatives to Rx meds?? I'm only giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because I agree with some critiques that don't slander people and organizations. The lead author has written articles for main stream press that are compelling and rational. This "book" is not representative of his capabilities. What a shame.
    19 people found this helpful
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  • Diane Fanning
    1.0 out of 5 stars science fiction of 1970 surpasses the forsight and intellect of this
    Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2022
    Alex Berezow is behind the times; lacking ability to keep up with technology advances which do the exact thing he has deems unlikely. He emanates that one parent saying to their child "you cannot possibly have seen or understood that (because I myself have not seen or understood that).... while amplifying his ignorance by failing to acknowledge scientific advancement beyond his current knowledge late on…20 years later that child is likely to have to explain how his lack of vision keeps this publication as mediocre and furthermore less insightful than your average 1970’s version of science fiction at best.
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  • marcuscassius
    2.0 out of 5 stars An excellent little propaganda piece funded by the GM industry
    Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2017
    An excellent little propaganda piece funded by the GM industry. Written well enough to make you want to slit your wrists and sell your kids for scientific experiments.
    One person found this helpful
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