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Science General

Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules

Separating Fact from Fiction, and the Science of Everyday Life

by (author) Joe Schwarcz

Publisher
ECW Press
Initial publish date
May 2015
Category
General, Healthy Living, Questions & Answers, General
  • Downloadable audio file

    ISBN
    9781773056302
    Publish Date
    Jul 2020
    List Price
    $28.99
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781770411913
    Publish Date
    May 2015
    List Price
    $17.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

 

The bestselling popular science author “has made it his mission to tackle myths about science and the so-called experts who spread them” (CBC Radio)

“A compendium of short articles on a variety of subjects, written in a humorous, accessible style, and larded with intriguing trivia . . . Dr. Joe skewers food myths, opposition to GMOs, Dr. Oz, and Vani Hari, aka the Food Babe.” — Science-Based Medicine

The internet is a powerful beast when it comes to science; the answer to any query you may have is just a few keystrokes away. But when there are multiple answers from various sources, how do we know what information is reliable? In Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules, award-winning author Dr. Joe Schwarcz takes a critical look at how facts are misconstrued in the media. He debunks the myths surrounding canned food, artificial dyes, SPF, homeopathy, cancer, chemicals, and much more.

Unafraid to expose the sheer nonsense people are led to believe about health, food, drugs, and our environment, Dr. Joe confronts pseudoscience and convincingly and entertainingly advocates for a scientific approach to everyday life.

 

About the author

Joe Schwarcz is Director of the McGill Office for Science and Society. He is well known for his informative and entertaining public lectures on topics ranging from the chemistry of love to the science of aging. Dr. Joe has received numerous awards for teaching chemistry and for interpreting science for the public and is the only non-American ever to win the American Chemical Society’s prestigious Grady-Stack Award for demystifying chemistry. He hosts "The Dr. Joe Show" on Montreal's CJAD and has appeared hundreds of times on The Discovery Channel, CTV, CBC, TV Ontario and Global Television. He is also an amateur conjurer and often spices up his presentations with a little magic. Dr. Joe also writes a newspaper column entitled “The Right Chemistry” and has authored a number of books including best-sellers, Radar, Hula Hoops and Playful PigsThe Genie in the BottleThe Right ChemistryAn Apple a Day, Is That a Fact?, and Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules.  Dr. Joe was awarded the 2010 Montreal Medal, the Canadian Chemical Institute’s premier prize recognizing lifetime contributions to chemistry in Canada. In 2015 he was named winner of the Balles Prize for critical thinking by the US based Committee for Skeptical Inquiry in recognition of his 2014 book, Is That A Fact?

Joe Schwarcz's profile page

Awards

  • Short-listed, Vine Awards for Canadian Jewish Literature

Editorial Reviews

 

“Ultimately, the author successfully demonstrates how claims should be queried and analyzed before they are accepted … Recommended for readers of health, nutrition, and popular science.” — Library Journal

“The book is chock-full of captivating anecdotes … The author engages readers with his wit and wisdom.” — The Canadian Jewish News

“A compendium of short articles on a variety of subjects, written in a humorous, accessible style, and larded with intriguing trivia … Dr. Joe skewers food myths, opposition to GMOs, Dr. Oz, and Vani Hari, aka the Food Babe.” — Science-Based Medicine

 

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