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Rose Shapiro

Suckers: How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of Us All Paperback – International Edition, February 5, 2009

by Rose Shapiro (Author)

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3.8 on Goodreads

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Alternative medicine is an increasingly mainstream industry with a predicted worth of five trillion dollars by the year 2050. Its treatments range from reputable methods like homeopathy and acupuncture to such bizarre therapies as nutraceuticals, ear candling, and ergogenics. Alternative approaches are endorsed by celebrities, embraced by the middle class, and have become a lifestyle choice for many based on their spurious claims of rediscovery of ancient wisdom and the supposedly benign quality of nature. As this hard-hitting survey reveals, despite their growing popularity and expanding market share, there is no hard evidence that any of these so-called natural treatments actually work. It reveals how alternative medicine jeopardizes the health of those it claims to treat, leaches resources from treatments of proven efficacy, and is largely unaccountable and unregulated. Bracing and funny, this is a calling to account of a social and intellectual fraud that has produced a global delusion.

Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Vintage UK
Publication date

February 5, 2009
Dimensions

5 x 0.8 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

0099522861
ISBN-13

978-0099522867
See all details

Edzard Ernst
316
Paperback
31 offers from $2.65

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Suckers is a fascinating, excoriating book; witty, shocking and utterly convincing." —George Monbiot, author, Heat

"A devastating, compelling, and very witty exposé of the increasingly bizarre world of alternative medicine: truly, a book for our times." —Nicci Gerrard, author, The Moment You Were Gone

"Recommended treatment: another dose of Shapiro." —Daily Mail

"If you already buy into CAM, Shapiro’s trade is going to make you feel angry and/or stupid. Which is sad, because you are exactly the kind of person who should digest it carefully before reaching for the arnica." —The Times

"This trenchant polemic against every form of quackery from crystal healing to colonic irrigation is brilliant, necessary stuff." —Scotland on Sunday

About the Author

Rose Shapiro has contributed to Good Housekeeping, the Independent, the Observer, and Time Out.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage UK; 1st edition (February 5, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0099522861
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0099522867
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.8 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,305,576 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #11,282 in Healing
- #220,668 in Medical Books
- #301,716 in Science & Math (Books)

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4.5 out of 5

18 global ratings

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4 star		13%
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Top reviews from the United States

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Ascanio Bencosme

Buena compra

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

Excelente fuente de información sobre el tema

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Tyson Adams

Bound to piss some people off

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 18, 2013

It is great when science wins. It is really annoying when some people pretend that science doesn't matter. This book is about debunking all of those anti-science claims made by Big-Quacka (the alt-med industry that is worth billions in profits annually).

I had to laugh at some of the other review here, the one star reviews are clearly from the alt-med proponents who got butt-hurt by the large dose of reality this book induces.

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

Carl Bartecchi

Suckers-the whole truth about alternative medicine

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 14, 2009

Snake Oil Science: The Truth About Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Suckers is an excellent book that critically reviews the many problems with all forms of alternative medicine. Any person using or considering the use of any form of alternative medicine (CAM,integrative, complementary, etc.)should read this well researched book. It covers a broad range of ineffective practices, nicely exposing the weaknesses of those practices, many of which could be dangerous and contribute to the delay of the application of an appropriate therapy. Unlike other excellent books exposing the problems of alternative medicines (SNAKE OIL SCIENCE, TRICK OR TREATMENT)this book covers the increasing use of alternative medicine practices in infants and children, practices which I believe should be considered malpractice or even criminal. I am not aware of any alternative medicine practice that could be justified for infants or children.
Carl Bartecchi, M.D.

38 people found this helpful

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Dr. Gibson

A Doctor's Opinion. Fraught with bias this book cannot meet the standard it holds to others.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 29, 2010

As part of my work, I have taken part in numerous trials for the NIH. Some of these involved integrative medicine and as such I became acquainted with a number "alternative medicine" physicians. In my experience, western medicine and alternative medicine have similar distribution of personality types among doctors. The quacks and greedy to the brilliant and genuine exist in both camps. Therefore good and evil can be selectively and easily found and proven in all disciplines.

I am a skeptic by nature and felt the need to look up and review the references listed in this book. They were unquestionably cherry picked to support a predetermined bias. This serves no useful purpose as it dose not seek to tell the truth. What actually helps patients improve should be the ultimate goal whether it be medicine or natural medicine. Again, my experience, and the scientific evidence proves that there is both harmful and efficacious treatments in use today by natural and western medical practitioners.

But hospitals and doctors have a problem too. The scientific evidence often conflicts with their ideology. They could address this problem in several ways. Hospitals could modify their specific ideological beliefs on the basis of scientific evidence. Doctors could question whether ideology has had an inappropriate impact on the promulgation and validation of their recommendations. Both those approaches would involve a threat to cherished and often dogmatic beliefs. They, therefore, have taken a different approach. They've tried to claim "evidence based practice." while ignoring scientific evidence.

Medicine, is a pragmatic, probabilistic activity. It requires that decisions be made on the basis of available evidence, within a limited time. Particularly evidence-based medicine as it is currently practiced, aspires to a scientific standard of proof.

But medicine, is an art of probabilities, or at best, a science of infinite uncertainty. One can better practice medicine by using other evidentiary standards in addition to the scientific. To employ only the current scientific standard of proof is inappropriate, if not impossible; furthermore, its application in medicine is fraught with bias as is this book.

One of the best ways to determine relative risk of a given specialty in health care is to look at the malpractice insurance rates. My counterparts in alternative medicine enjoy insurances rates so low as to shame every medical doctor into silence if they were honest about its true implication and meaning. When compared to my premiums from the same insurer, the alternative doctor pays tens of thousands of dollars less per year. Granted, this only applies to safety, not efficacy, but the fact is that they simply win hands down when it comes to overall safety. Not to mention that patient satisfaction is rated much higher than medical treatments.

Bottom line there can exist a balance where beneficial therapies from all sources operate in an integrated setting. We must dispel the myth that this book seeks to perpetuate and find what works best.

R. Gibson, M.D.

60 people found this helpful

Helpful

CA_Shopper

Unfortunately, you're making yourself a real fool.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 9, 2013

Another reader Dr. C. Becker commented
>> Did you know that "Traditional Chinese Medicine" is barely over 50 years old?

This statement alone makes this book worse than toilet paper which at least serves its purpose truthfully.

You need to read more books, and maybe original Chinese medical books from 1000 years ago, so that you can see the flaws with your statement based on this book. FYI, here is one of the most famous Chinese doctors from 1400 years ago. Many of his practices and treatment methods are still widely used today in China.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Simiao

17 people found this helpful

Helpful

Raizo

The real sucker

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 4, 2013

I hope this person gets cancer and starts losing their hair from kimo! Maybe then they will realize the value of alternative medicine as opposed to allopathic medicine which is meant to keep us sick and broke!

4 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

phil a

Brilliant book - witty

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 1, 2015

Verified Purchase

Brilliant book - witty, insightful and exceptionally informative. Does a brilliant job of demonstrating how so many modern alternative 'cures' and treatments are really just entirely ineffective, and often dangerous, quack remedies promoted by cynical con artist to people who are often seriously ill and desperate for assistance. Should be required reading for all.

2 people found this helpful

a yungerman

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 22, 2017

Verified Purchase

fine

M. Greenwood

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 30, 2015

Verified Purchase

Interesting

mags14208

A real eye-opener!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 17, 2013

Verified Purchase

Save yourself money! Before you're tempted to shell out on alternative medicines or complementary therapies, spend a few pounds on buying this book, and a few hours reading it.

Peter Piper

A moneysaving guide to healthcare

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 14, 2009

Verified Purchase

Having experienced Complimentary & Alternative Medicine (CAM) myself in the form of osteopathy, I was interested to read about it and the other CAM treatments in this book. Shapiro shines a bright light on the twightlight world of alternative medicine and therapies.
What is most compelling is the lack of evidence that the treatments applied are of any benefit whatsoever. In fact there's good evidence to show Chiropractors are very dangerous!
All the CAM methodologies investigated appear to have some originating dogma, akin to the origin of a cult or religion. Lots of baseless claims an lots of wide-eyed enthusiasts preaching the benefits.
I went to an osteopath and had the party-trick of him clicking my neck. My back did improve, but I was also doing regular stretching exercises in accordance with a properly qualified physiotherapist, so who's to say what fixed my back. What IS in line with the book was the ostepath's zeal to get my wife and son to also visit (£35 a visit). This desire to sign up the whole family is documented in Suckers and also highlights the religious parallels.
Ultimately CAM is CAM because it makes claims it can't prove. Otherwise it would be conventional medicine. Most telling, there are no CAM treatments for conditions that can be clearly measured. Where's the CAM contraceptive, for example?
A great book! :)

15 people found this helpful

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Suckers: How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of Us All Paperback – International Edition, February 5, 2009

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