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nothing and everything at the same approach where “religion [is] always a (pp. 123–124). And nothing, of course, time—supposedly whatever the reader potential threat to science.” Christian can be both natural and supernatural at needs, so long as she renounces science readers, however, are quite predictably once. Christians must swear to the exis- and politics—is more significant. directed to select the ever peace-loving tence of a rigid yet unproven boundary Theists should not care when or how and submissive option number three. between religion and science “or else, as their god created life, Shermer instructs. Thus, each party is allowed to have the book of Proverbs (11:29) warned: Only scientists should ponder such its cake and devour it too. Scientists may ‘He that troubleth his own house shall questions because god does not really test and debate reality amongst them- inherit the wind.’” So, why does Darwin “exist” in any intelligible way; god is selves, undistracted by the mental mean- really matter? Because, at the individual “being itself, not a being” (p. 44). derings of common slobs. Religionists level, religion matters too much to risk. Quoting favored theologians, former may enjoy vague and occasional comfort Less erudite and stylistic than Daw- president and Christian evangelist Jimmy in their “spiritual fitness” as they shuffle kins, less technical and apolitical than Carter, and, twice, Pope John Paul II, their children off to public schools Shanks, Michael Shermer’s latest text on Shermer at times seems obsessed with the where they will learn to dutifully add, evolution is both considerable as an edu- maintenance of a pleasantly innocuous subtract, and memorize the Krebs cycle, cational endeavor and, as usual, enter- Christianity. Even Charles Darwin, the but never confront issues the potential taining to the point of betraying the author emphasizes, never thought of him- solution to which might improve (if not author’s unique intellectual playful- self as an atheist, and, for whatever rea- preserve) innumerable future lives. ness—a more Pigliucci-like contribu- sons, declined to criticize or even discuss But if religionists refuse to accept a tion to the reasonably intelligent layper- supernaturalism. At that, readers are asked watered-down deity and to leave well son’s continuing science education. to choose one of three familiar attitudes enough alone, Shermer warns, they will Notwithstanding its dubious premise toward the relationship between science suffer dearly. Religion and science can be and arguably mischievous aim, Why and religion: the Conflicting Worlds, reconciled only through confession to Darwin Matters will prove a worthwhile Same World, and Separate Worlds mod- “different realities,” because “if you push experience for truly curious and, thus els. For himself, Shermer has privately the science to its logical conclusion, far, open-minded generalists, if such chosen the first position, the “warfare” you will end up naturalizing the deity” creatures really exist.
Placebo, Reassurance, Evidence-Based Critical Chiropractor, Medicine, Spinal Manipulation, Ther- apy, Occupation, and Natural History. Inept Publisher He explains that most episodes of HARRIET A. HALL back pain will resolve in a short time with no treatment at all. Simple com- The P.R.E.S.T.O.N. Protocol for Back Pain: The Seven fort measures can be tried at home Evidence-Based Practices for Living Pain Free, by Preston H. using ice, heat, exercise, and anal- Long. PublishAmerica: Baltimore, 2006. 84 pp. ISBN 1- gesics. He stresses that remaining 4241-0684-2. Paperback, $14.95. active is the best thing to prevent chronic disability, and that the and limit their practice to evidence- really, really wanted to recommend patient’s attitude is important. Fear based treatments. His previous book, The P.R.E.S.T.O.N. Protocol for Back and avoidance behavior can cause pain The Naked Chiropractor: Insider’s Guide IPain, but I cannot. It is full of excel- to become chronic, and patients who to Combating Quackery and Winning the lent information that I wish could be dislike their jobs are less likely to War against Pain, recounted how he widely disseminated, but the author was recover. He suggests that three factors questioned and rejected much of what betrayed by an incompetent publisher. might be used to predict outcome: he was taught in chiropractic school. Preston Long, PhD, is one of a rare whether the patient flosses regularly, This new book describes the best evi- breed: chiropractors who can think crit- whether he wears a seat belt consis- dence for what works in the treatment ically, understand the scientific method, tently, and whether he enjoys his job. of back pain, and is meant to be a self- There are errors on almost every page: Harriet Hall is a retired physician who help manual that will preclude the need writes about alternative medicine and for most patients to seek professional errors of spelling, errors of grammar, frag- pseudoscience. She wrote “Teaching Pigs to treatment of any kind. ments, missing references and improperly Sing” in our May/June 2006 issue. E-mail: He offers excellent advice under cited references, inconsistent punctua- [email protected]. the chapter headings P.R.E.S.T.O.N.: tion, and even missing quotation marks.
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Almost any published book contains read this and restrain his red pencil. they submitted it, they were immedi- a few errors, but this is beyond the pale. There is solid content in this book, ately offered a contract. It is apparent that no proofreading was and a great deal of useful information. I I contacted Dr. Long, and he con- done, and that not even a spell-checker suppose a reader could learn a lot from firmed he was given no help, no proof- was employed. it; but it takes more effort than it should reading, and no editing. The Houston Veterans Affairs Med- to make sense of many passages. It cer- One of the things that worries me as ical Center is the “Houston Infections tainly doesn’t inspire confidence in a a skeptic is that I know we all have blind Administration Medical Center,” aceta- reader with no prior knowledge of the spots, and I keep wondering what mine minophen is acetametaphen, Ecuador is subject. It gives the impression that the are. Long is a critical thinker about chi- Equador, Dr. Lundberg becomes Lun- author isn’t thinking clearly and is ter- ropractic, but he was unaccountably berg, and the Cochrane Reports Cochran minally careless (or dyslexic). gullible in his choice of a publisher. If he Reports. Even the misspellings are incon- The publisher is PublishAmerica, an had applied his critical thinking skills to sistent. He refers to a “le phage” surgical organization that apparently will pub- this decision, he might have produced a treatment; I was unable to find any such lish anything. It claims to not be a “van- superb book. As it is, he has produced thing. The most egregious error is “The ity” press, since it doesn’t charge authors an embarrassing travesty. He has a lot to old adage of pre rom non nosier, first do a fee and actually pays them a one dollar offer, and I hope he will try again with a no more, must always be borne in advance. However, it leaves publicity competent publisher. mind.” I imagine he meant primum non and marketing pretty much up to the Samuel Homola, D.C., is another nocere which means first do no harm. author himself, and prints books only evidence-based chiropractor who was The writing descends into incoher- on an on-demand basis. Many com- more fortunate in his choice of publish- ent confusion in places. As an exercise in plaints have been lodged against it (a ers. If you want to learn the truth about editing, see if you can make sense out of sampling can be found at www.absolute chiropractic and the best way to care for the following two paragraphs and write.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1 your own back, Homola’s Inside rewrite them more clearly: 0211). A group of authors tested Chiropractic and The Chiropractor’s Self- A Scottish Naval surgeon by the name Publish America by collaborating on Help Back and Body Book are much bet- of James Lind tried to control scurvy “the worst book ever written.” When ter choices than Long’s book. for the British Navy, as it was a huge problem back then, by watching the sailors that received oranges and lemons versus those that did not. This The Privacy Threat, pioneer study pretty much controlled scurvy by 1814. Watching that the Revelations, and soldiers who received a lemon or an orange did not develop scurvy, and the ones who did not receive the fruit, Relevancy did develop the disease. WENDY M. GROSSMAN As in the United States, Lind’s work did not take fruition immedi- Spychips: How Major Corporations and Governments Plan to ately. It took approximately forty to forty-five years before it was actually Track Your Every Move with RFID. ISBN 1-5955-5020-8. totally received by the pertinent 288 pp. Hardcover, $24.99. authorities. His research took place on May 20, 1747, and even though The Spychips Threat: Why Christians Should Resist RFID and there were positive outcomes, the Electronic Surveillance. ISBN 1-5955-5021-6. 288 pp. forty-two-year lag occurred and ini- Paperback, $14.99. Both by Katherine Albrecht and Liz tially it didn’t have any impact on the McIntyre, published by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, medical opinion in Britain. Actually, Tennessee. the Naval Board rejected the fact that sailors required fruit on long voyages. first heard Katherine Albrecht speak She spoke thoughtfully and calmly, I can’t do it. I can’t even figure out in a session at the 2004 Computers, detailing years of research and campaign- where the forty-two years he cites came IFreedom, and Privacy conference. ing about supermarket loyalty cards and from. I would expect this level of writ- the coming, considerably greater threat to ing from a junior high school student, Wendy M. Grossman is founder and for- be posed by Radio Frequency but not from a professional with a doc- mer editor of The Skeptic (U.K.) and a Identification (RFID). She sounded torate. And I find it hard to believe that freelance technology writer based in authoritative, reasonable, knowledgeable, anyone in the publishing industry could London. and utterly rational even though what she
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