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The Certainty Illusion: What You Don't Know and Why It Matters
In a world where there is so much conflicting information about how we are supposed to live our lives, what can we really know?
Knowing the truth, what’s real from what’s fake, should be easy. In today’s world, that’s far from the case. In The Certainty Illusion, Timothy Caulfield lifts the curtain on the forces contributing to our information chaos and unpacks why it’s so difficult—sometimes even for experts—to escape the fake.
Whether it’s science, our own desire to be good and do the right thing, or the stories and opinions of others, there’s more to sussing out the truth than simply tracking down what feels like an authoritative source. These major forces—science, goodness, and opinion—Caulfield argues, drive beliefs and behaviour, but the ways that they can be corrupted, or worse, used to nefarious ends by bad actors, are endless.
While it may feel, at times, as though we are circling the drain of truth, especially as new technologies make it even easier to spread dangerous fictions, Caulfield pulls us out of the vortex and keeps us afloat, helping us recognize and combat the forces that threaten to pull us under.
Knowing the truth, what’s real from what’s fake, should be easy. In today’s world, that’s far from the case. In The Certainty Illusion, Timothy Caulfield lifts the curtain on the forces contributing to our information chaos and unpacks why it’s so difficult—sometimes even for experts—to escape the fake.
Whether it’s science, our own desire to be good and do the right thing, or the stories and opinions of others, there’s more to sussing out the truth than simply tracking down what feels like an authoritative source. These major forces—science, goodness, and opinion—Caulfield argues, drive beliefs and behaviour, but the ways that they can be corrupted, or worse, used to nefarious ends by bad actors, are endless.
While it may feel, at times, as though we are circling the drain of truth, especially as new technologies make it even easier to spread dangerous fictions, Caulfield pulls us out of the vortex and keeps us afloat, helping us recognize and combat the forces that threaten to pull us under.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 7, 2025
90 people are currently reading
1297 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Caulfield
14 books127 followersTimothy Caulfield is a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy and a Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. He has been the Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta since 1993. Over the past several years he has been involved in a variety of interdisciplinary research endeavours that have allowed him to publish over 300 articles and book chapters. He is a Fellow of the Trudeau Foundation and the Principal Investigator for a number of large interdisciplinary projects that explore the ethical, legal and health policy issues associated with a range of topics, including stem cell research, genetics, patient safety, the prevention of chronic disease, obesity policy, the commercialization of research, complementary and alternative medicine and access to health care. Professor Caulfield is and has been involved with a number of national and international policy and research ethics committees, including: Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee; Genome Canada’s Science Advisory Committee; the Ethics and Public Policy Committee for International Society for Stem Cell Research; and the Federal Panel on Research Ethics. He has won numerous academic awards and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He writes frequently for the popular press on a range of health and science policy issues and is the author of The Cure for Everything: Untangling the Twisted Messages about Health, Fitness and Happiness (Penguin 2012) and Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash (Penguin 2015).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
March 24, 2025
Immunization against certainty
Almost nothing is a certainty and it’s always good to read books like this which I have. Many. And this is one of the better ones. You’ll get a nice review about the utter bullshit of pseudoscience. Just like when radiation was discovered, companies literally spiked their products with radiation and marketed them as cure-all elixirs. Well the same thing is happening today but with words like “quantum enema cleanse” and other sciencey language. It’s the same old thing happening over and over again. We are in a new unfathomable age of pseudoscience that has now reached the upper echelons of the government. It’s a dangerous and frustrating time to be a member of the reality-based community.
The author talks about plenty of logical fallacies, one notable being the Galileo complex where pseudoscience hacks will be like “well Galileo wasn’t believed during his time either”. Yeah well Galileo relied on a little something called observational data which you, my anti vax friend, do not have. The author does a good job talking about the bullshitification of science itself in the form of paid-to-publish journals and just outright fraudulent journals that cloud the science with garbage.
There is the goodness illusion where a product is marketed with a halo of “goodness” with words like natural, good, wellness, non-GMO ect. It’s mostly all nonsense. And then the author spends a lot of time on how fake reviews really drive consumption and consumer behavior.
This is a good book well worth your time.
Almost nothing is a certainty and it’s always good to read books like this which I have. Many. And this is one of the better ones. You’ll get a nice review about the utter bullshit of pseudoscience. Just like when radiation was discovered, companies literally spiked their products with radiation and marketed them as cure-all elixirs. Well the same thing is happening today but with words like “quantum enema cleanse” and other sciencey language. It’s the same old thing happening over and over again. We are in a new unfathomable age of pseudoscience that has now reached the upper echelons of the government. It’s a dangerous and frustrating time to be a member of the reality-based community.
The author talks about plenty of logical fallacies, one notable being the Galileo complex where pseudoscience hacks will be like “well Galileo wasn’t believed during his time either”. Yeah well Galileo relied on a little something called observational data which you, my anti vax friend, do not have. The author does a good job talking about the bullshitification of science itself in the form of paid-to-publish journals and just outright fraudulent journals that cloud the science with garbage.
There is the goodness illusion where a product is marketed with a halo of “goodness” with words like natural, good, wellness, non-GMO ect. It’s mostly all nonsense. And then the author spends a lot of time on how fake reviews really drive consumption and consumer behavior.
This is a good book well worth your time.
March 16, 2025
I’ve been following the author’s work for a long time and I love his straightforward, fact-based way of countering medical misinformation. This book looks into why bad science spreads and what can begin to counter it.
The most interesting part, for me, was about the general public’s inability to accurately assess studies and the proliferation of scammy scientific journals without an adequate peer review process. The combination of these two factors results in a lot of misinformation being reported…sometimes by popular mainstream news outlets!
Overall, I thought this was a super intriguing book and I think it will appeal to anyone with an interest in science and current events.
The most interesting part, for me, was about the general public’s inability to accurately assess studies and the proliferation of scammy scientific journals without an adequate peer review process. The combination of these two factors results in a lot of misinformation being reported…sometimes by popular mainstream news outlets!
Overall, I thought this was a super intriguing book and I think it will appeal to anyone with an interest in science and current events.
April 2, 2025
"In so many ways, this is a glorious time for knowledge. Best. Time. Ever..."
The Certainty Illusion was a mixed bag for me. I was not sure what to expect from the book, as the title is somewhat ambiguous. I'll cover both the "good," as well as the "bad" below.
Author Timothy Allen Caulfield is a Canadian professor of law at the University of Alberta, the research director of its Health Law Institute, and current Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy. He specializes in legal, policy and ethical issues in medical research and its commercialization.
Timothy Caulfield:
Caulfield opens the book with a good intro. I found his writing style to be lively and engaging. This one won't have trouble holding the finicky reader's attention. The book's got great flow. He drops the quote above at the start of the book, and it continues:
He outlines the aim and body of the book in this quote:
Continuing on with the positive, most of the information presented here will be valuable to the average person, who is likely mostly scientifically illiterate. The author spends quite a bit of time giving the reader a basic toolkit to scrutinize scientific claims properly. He also helps the naive reader understand a basic hierarchy of epistemology. This information is presented here in a straightforward, engaging, and effective manner. The book is a good example of science communication done well.
Ok, so now onto "the bad." Unfortunately, for a book about the dangers of cognitive biases, fallacious thinking, and tribalism, this book has a ton of political talking points and leftist jargon liberally peppered throughout. In what has to be the absolute pinnacle of irony, the author talks about how problematic political biases can be, and then almost immediately proceeds to rattle off a ton of biased partisan political rhetoric. He outlines how many conspiracy theories are politically partisan, then proceeds to attack only right-wing theories. He also makes quite a few snide remarks in the book about the evils of right-wing thought; effectively pathologizing ~half of a country's population. For all his talk about the dangers of "echo chambers," it is patently obvious that this guy lives in his own echo chamber. The irony is almost always lost on these types...
The author discussed an experiment that paid Fox News viewers to watch CNN. He thinks this is a great idea:
He follows this quote up by saying:
~Which (again) is incredibly ironic, considering that he is clearly living in his own echo chamber. IIRC, ~70-95% of academic professors (especially in the humanities) identify as left-wing, and this author is very obviously leftist or far left. However, this vast echo chamber doesn't seem to register on his radar, and he makes roughly zero effort to reign in his political biases. What a maroon...
IMHO, this entire mess could (and even should) have been easily avoided. If you are going to write a book about cognitive biases, scientific objectivity, and misinformation, then you should leave your personal political opinions at the door. In fact, the book's own thesis and writing demands just that. There is a ton of downside to adding your own political takes, and virtually zero upside, other than mindlessly virtue signalling to your fellow ideological travelers. I didn't pick up a book like this to hear the shit-tier partisan rantings of someone who has clearly become ideologically possessed. The subject matter here is rich and deep enough on its own, without adding what can only be defined as the author's superfluous commentary on politics.
Additionally, the author comes across overall as a bit of a douchebag here. His writing's got a smug air of self-aggrandizement. His wording and general tone were borderline cringey at times here. Although he was somewhat walking the line for most of the writing, he was heavily flirting with being an obnoxious loudmouth at times. Of course, this is my subjective opinion, and your mileage may vary...
More of what is covered in the book includes:
• The term "quantum" and its misuse
• Stem cells
• Gluten-free
• Scientific grant funding
• Homeopathy
• Fake science journals
• Vaccines; Andrew Wakefield
• The naturalistic fallacy
• GMOs
• "Boosting" your immune system
• Masculinity; red light therapy on your testicles.
• Online customer reviews. Some decent writing here
• Streaming algorithms; IMDB reviews. Some ridiculous writing about the "evil white man" here.
• Music preferences
********************
I wanted to rate this book higher, but the author's addition of his garbage personal political opining almost completely ruined the book for me. I find it extremely grating and obnoxious when authors can't manage to put a leash on their outlandish partisan politicking and just focus on the subject matter.
So, 4 stars for the scientific info here, and 0 stars for the inclusion of the author's stupid woke rantings.
2 stars.
The Certainty Illusion was a mixed bag for me. I was not sure what to expect from the book, as the title is somewhat ambiguous. I'll cover both the "good," as well as the "bad" below.
Author Timothy Allen Caulfield is a Canadian professor of law at the University of Alberta, the research director of its Health Law Institute, and current Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy. He specializes in legal, policy and ethical issues in medical research and its commercialization.
Timothy Caulfield:
Caulfield opens the book with a good intro. I found his writing style to be lively and engaging. This one won't have trouble holding the finicky reader's attention. The book's got great flow. He drops the quote above at the start of the book, and it continues:
"...A time when much of the world has access to rigorously produced, independent, and carefully curated information on everything from our health to details about the black hole at the centre of our galaxy. There are more highly trained researchers than at any time in human history. There are more diverse voices and perspectives in the knowledge- creation mix. There is more research happening on more things. And there are more ways to access and share the knowledge produced by that research and analysis.
This is all good. And it should continue to excite and amaze us. It should give us hope that we can find rational and evidence-informed answers to our problems, both big and small. Both personal and societal."
He outlines the aim and body of the book in this quote:
"The present reality: our information environment—that space where we seek, contribute to, and interact with the world’s knowledge—is completely and truly f*cked. It is a tangle of lies, distortions, and rage- filled rants. This has created a massive paradox: we have more access to more knowledge than ever before and, at the same time, less and less certainty about the issues that matter to us.
Everybody knows this. It is a truism of our time. But it gets worse. The tools we use to navigate through the noise and to find some semblance of certainty—science and academic analysis, expert opinions, representations of consensus, and evidence- informed recommendations—are also being corrupted and twisted, often rendering them near useless. There are, for example, fewer transformative scientific discoveries happening now than in past decades, but research is hyped now more than ever. There are an increasing number of fake and poor- quality scientific journals that pollute both the academic literature and public discourse. It has become the norm to use bad science—and science-y language—to sell us bogus products, procedures, and policy agendas. Fake consumer reviews and ratings exploit our desire for authentic opinion. And even our search for clarity is manipulated by marketers using a manufactured and illusory certainty about what is healthy, needed, and good. We are adrift in a storm of information chaos, and we are tearing down the lighthouses."
Continuing on with the positive, most of the information presented here will be valuable to the average person, who is likely mostly scientifically illiterate. The author spends quite a bit of time giving the reader a basic toolkit to scrutinize scientific claims properly. He also helps the naive reader understand a basic hierarchy of epistemology. This information is presented here in a straightforward, engaging, and effective manner. The book is a good example of science communication done well.
Ok, so now onto "the bad." Unfortunately, for a book about the dangers of cognitive biases, fallacious thinking, and tribalism, this book has a ton of political talking points and leftist jargon liberally peppered throughout. In what has to be the absolute pinnacle of irony, the author talks about how problematic political biases can be, and then almost immediately proceeds to rattle off a ton of biased partisan political rhetoric. He outlines how many conspiracy theories are politically partisan, then proceeds to attack only right-wing theories. He also makes quite a few snide remarks in the book about the evils of right-wing thought; effectively pathologizing ~half of a country's population. For all his talk about the dangers of "echo chambers," it is patently obvious that this guy lives in his own echo chamber. The irony is almost always lost on these types...
The author discussed an experiment that paid Fox News viewers to watch CNN. He thinks this is a great idea:
"...The researchers paid hundreds of hardcore Fox News watchers fifteen dollars an hour to watch seven hours of CNN for an entire month. Despite the fact that many of the participants were likely suspicious of the goals of the research (“you’re trying to brainwash us with Anderson Cooper propaganda!”), the results were both surprising and encouraging. Watching CNN caused the Fox News fans to alter their perspectives, even on highly contentious and politically polarized issues..."
He follows this quote up by saying:
"While this is just one study with obvious limitations (paying people to be exposed to different perspectives isn’t a sustainable solution!), it is clear we need to consider ways to penetrate the citadels of certainty created by information echo chambers."
~Which (again) is incredibly ironic, considering that he is clearly living in his own echo chamber. IIRC, ~70-95% of academic professors (especially in the humanities) identify as left-wing, and this author is very obviously leftist or far left. However, this vast echo chamber doesn't seem to register on his radar, and he makes roughly zero effort to reign in his political biases. What a maroon...
IMHO, this entire mess could (and even should) have been easily avoided. If you are going to write a book about cognitive biases, scientific objectivity, and misinformation, then you should leave your personal political opinions at the door. In fact, the book's own thesis and writing demands just that. There is a ton of downside to adding your own political takes, and virtually zero upside, other than mindlessly virtue signalling to your fellow ideological travelers. I didn't pick up a book like this to hear the shit-tier partisan rantings of someone who has clearly become ideologically possessed. The subject matter here is rich and deep enough on its own, without adding what can only be defined as the author's superfluous commentary on politics.
Additionally, the author comes across overall as a bit of a douchebag here. His writing's got a smug air of self-aggrandizement. His wording and general tone were borderline cringey at times here. Although he was somewhat walking the line for most of the writing, he was heavily flirting with being an obnoxious loudmouth at times. Of course, this is my subjective opinion, and your mileage may vary...
More of what is covered in the book includes:
• The term "quantum" and its misuse
• Stem cells
• Gluten-free
• Scientific grant funding
• Homeopathy
• Fake science journals
• Vaccines; Andrew Wakefield
• The naturalistic fallacy
• GMOs
• "Boosting" your immune system
• Masculinity; red light therapy on your testicles.
• Online customer reviews. Some decent writing here
• Streaming algorithms; IMDB reviews. Some ridiculous writing about the "evil white man" here.
• Music preferences
********************
I wanted to rate this book higher, but the author's addition of his garbage personal political opining almost completely ruined the book for me. I find it extremely grating and obnoxious when authors can't manage to put a leash on their outlandish partisan politicking and just focus on the subject matter.
So, 4 stars for the scientific info here, and 0 stars for the inclusion of the author's stupid woke rantings.
2 stars.
February 24, 2025
Nothing I can argue with in this. I agree with everything he says about conspiracy theories, scientific buzzwords and overhyping research results because of grant money competition.
It also seemed like he was playing it safe politically, punching down at the more ridiculous, wacky kinds of anti-intellectualism that seems to come from the far right, like flat-earth, ect.
Can’t really argue with that, but it’s low hanging fruit. Private sector scientists have buried or tampered with unfavourable results for decades, publishing incorrect research with the aim of muddying the waters of the findings of competitors. And scientists are human and have human failings like pride. Sometimes they deliberately skew results in the pursuit of being proven right over the truth at all costs. Ansel Keys seven country study comes to mind (and was not mentioned)
I also feel that there has been a left-wing takeover of scientific and academic institutions that belies impartial research and balanced opinions. I don’t consider myself right or left politically, I’m basing that opinion on other reading. Science,medicine and academia should be apolitical. They should teach how to think, not what to think.
Still, the book was full of interesting anecdotes and was pretty funny at times. It was also a bit smug for a book written for a general audience.
It also seemed like he was playing it safe politically, punching down at the more ridiculous, wacky kinds of anti-intellectualism that seems to come from the far right, like flat-earth, ect.
Can’t really argue with that, but it’s low hanging fruit. Private sector scientists have buried or tampered with unfavourable results for decades, publishing incorrect research with the aim of muddying the waters of the findings of competitors. And scientists are human and have human failings like pride. Sometimes they deliberately skew results in the pursuit of being proven right over the truth at all costs. Ansel Keys seven country study comes to mind (and was not mentioned)
I also feel that there has been a left-wing takeover of scientific and academic institutions that belies impartial research and balanced opinions. I don’t consider myself right or left politically, I’m basing that opinion on other reading. Science,medicine and academia should be apolitical. They should teach how to think, not what to think.
Still, the book was full of interesting anecdotes and was pretty funny at times. It was also a bit smug for a book written for a general audience.
February 13, 2025
If your bullshit detector could use a tune-up—and, like mine, it probably could, given the current misinformation climate’s glut of hyped junk science, unsupported health claims and manipulated online reviews—I highly recommend Timothy Caulfield’s The Certainty Illusion.
April 12, 2025
This is a great book to make us all think about how anything is questionable these days, and that we should all keep our eyes and ears open to the potential dangerous things being sold and presented to us as cure to all.
The author divides the book very nicely in the science illusion, the goodness illusion and the opinion illusion.
He chose excellent examples to illustrate each of those illusions (like when radiation was discovered as energy, companies would make even water “radioactive” and it took years to realize that it was actually harming people). I also loved his objective criticism of the current state of some areas of STEM to publish or perish.
It was an excellent investment of my time.
The author divides the book very nicely in the science illusion, the goodness illusion and the opinion illusion.
He chose excellent examples to illustrate each of those illusions (like when radiation was discovered as energy, companies would make even water “radioactive” and it took years to realize that it was actually harming people). I also loved his objective criticism of the current state of some areas of STEM to publish or perish.
It was an excellent investment of my time.
August 20, 2025
Timothy Caulfield is, in my opinion, one of the great living Canadians (I’m Canadian btw). His well informed views on misinformation in technology (science MIScommunication as I like to call it) have largely shaped my views on social media feed “science”, so much so that I quit most social medias a long time ago.
This book covered topics which I largely already knew about, but was happy to get a refresher on. The science illusion (not all researchers and scientists are looking out for public interests and the research / studies grants system is often influenced by hype and excessive work flow, as opposed to slow and boring but thorough science); the goodness illusion (“goodness” is a common but often flawed sales tactic, “non-GMO”, “natural”, “organic”, “green”, etc. are words often used to imply benefits in certain products that are largely useless. Also worth noting that “immune boosting” is not a thing at all…); and opinion illusion (most online opinions and reviews are largely misinformed and oversaturated by fake or fraudulent means.
Caulfield doesn’t offer much for a layman like myself to remedy this problem with science misinformation, he says to basically take fringe opinions with a grain of salt and follow reliable science communicators (done and done!), other than that “like that you like”, I like space and what not so it’s always interesting to read a new article that posits super galaxies where there shouldn’t be any, but I’m not going to start questioning everything I think I know about the age of the universe.
This book covered topics which I largely already knew about, but was happy to get a refresher on. The science illusion (not all researchers and scientists are looking out for public interests and the research / studies grants system is often influenced by hype and excessive work flow, as opposed to slow and boring but thorough science); the goodness illusion (“goodness” is a common but often flawed sales tactic, “non-GMO”, “natural”, “organic”, “green”, etc. are words often used to imply benefits in certain products that are largely useless. Also worth noting that “immune boosting” is not a thing at all…); and opinion illusion (most online opinions and reviews are largely misinformed and oversaturated by fake or fraudulent means.
Caulfield doesn’t offer much for a layman like myself to remedy this problem with science misinformation, he says to basically take fringe opinions with a grain of salt and follow reliable science communicators (done and done!), other than that “like that you like”, I like space and what not so it’s always interesting to read a new article that posits super galaxies where there shouldn’t be any, but I’m not going to start questioning everything I think I know about the age of the universe.
March 27, 2025
Despite the book's extremely odd structure (which, to the author's creditis is at least able to be categorized in three simple headlines- the science illusion, the opinion illusion, the goodness illusion), The Certainty Illusion proves a very quick and easy read. A pop culture analysis of a deep rooted problem. We are living in a time in history where we have more informaiton and more scientific progress than ever before. We are also living in the greatest disinformation age of human history, leading to incredible abuses of this information and a rampant epidemic of distorted and corrupted knowledge.
I do have to say though, I can't remember the last time I read something where I felt they got so much fundamentally right, while equally completely missing the bigger point. It's actually relatively easy to see why this is the case- he's a card carrying member of the enlightenment project. While he attempts to give a nod early on in the book to the basic fact that how we know is not reducible to science, his book, and his entire enterprise, it seems, is built on the precise opposite. In some weird way, science for him is both the problem and the solution to the present dilemma.
What he gets fundamentally right:
- I loved that he takes aim at things like the whole natural/health/holistic economy, calling out its falsehoods. As someone who was a vicitm of this illusuion and this lucrative industry myself, its probably the illusion that I see as most pervasive. It uses problematic science to maniplate the goodness economy
- Along these same lines, and indeed occupying the same category, I love that he calls up the present fad regarding CBD and cannibas, often touted as a cure all despite being rooted in very little science
- I loved that he fleshes out the problem of science and economics, especially where it gets into the opinion illusion. There is so much information that we are forced to live with that it becomes necessary to find ways to know what to base our opinions, and often times even our lives, on. The fact that so much of our lives are in fact based on illusions is perhaps most difficult to address. Pop that bubble and the implications become massive- you can't trust anything
- I think he's right in noting that modern society has turned nature into a god
What he gets fundamentally wrong:
The problem isn't rooted in the science. The problem is rooted in the way the whole enlightnement project has led us to believe that science can solve all of our problems. That science is synonymous with knowledge.
The real issue is that this world, the same one he is championing, albeit under the guise of humility (is this an illusion?), is that we have lost the ability to understand why. Great, celebrate scientific accomplishments. Celebrate a world with longer life spans and never ending lists of things that make our life, quote on quote, better (a word that is as problematic as the word good or natural when employed without defintion). Unless we know why we are investing in this. Unless we have a sense of where this is headed and what this supposed better life is supposed to be doing and why, it will always remain in the same place- aimless, looking for an ideology to attach itself to. And guess what. When that science also seemingly depends on capitalism for its own existence, the entire landscape is going to become muddied and incoherent very, very quickly.
It is his failure to flesh this out that leaves his attempts at offeringsolutions a bit wanting. In fact, what could be just as true is that science will always be untrustworthy, precisely because it needs an interpreter. Or what could be equally true is that science cannot answer this present problem. That the problem stems from the nature of social structures, bound as it is to human nature.. Which results in cycles. It is the natural outcome of this information/disinformation age precisely because we need the why. We always need the why.
And yes, we need science. But science can never operate alone.
Or, one last thought. If science progresses regardless of the present state of humanity, why does it matter? Won't it always be the case that change is fueled by the minority? If the aim is progress, and progress is inevitable regardless of our illusions, it's uncertain where the author believes the problem lies without appealing to something outside of the science.
I do have to say though, I can't remember the last time I read something where I felt they got so much fundamentally right, while equally completely missing the bigger point. It's actually relatively easy to see why this is the case- he's a card carrying member of the enlightenment project. While he attempts to give a nod early on in the book to the basic fact that how we know is not reducible to science, his book, and his entire enterprise, it seems, is built on the precise opposite. In some weird way, science for him is both the problem and the solution to the present dilemma.
What he gets fundamentally right:
- I loved that he takes aim at things like the whole natural/health/holistic economy, calling out its falsehoods. As someone who was a vicitm of this illusuion and this lucrative industry myself, its probably the illusion that I see as most pervasive. It uses problematic science to maniplate the goodness economy
- Along these same lines, and indeed occupying the same category, I love that he calls up the present fad regarding CBD and cannibas, often touted as a cure all despite being rooted in very little science
- I loved that he fleshes out the problem of science and economics, especially where it gets into the opinion illusion. There is so much information that we are forced to live with that it becomes necessary to find ways to know what to base our opinions, and often times even our lives, on. The fact that so much of our lives are in fact based on illusions is perhaps most difficult to address. Pop that bubble and the implications become massive- you can't trust anything
- I think he's right in noting that modern society has turned nature into a god
What he gets fundamentally wrong:
The problem isn't rooted in the science. The problem is rooted in the way the whole enlightnement project has led us to believe that science can solve all of our problems. That science is synonymous with knowledge.
The real issue is that this world, the same one he is championing, albeit under the guise of humility (is this an illusion?), is that we have lost the ability to understand why. Great, celebrate scientific accomplishments. Celebrate a world with longer life spans and never ending lists of things that make our life, quote on quote, better (a word that is as problematic as the word good or natural when employed without defintion). Unless we know why we are investing in this. Unless we have a sense of where this is headed and what this supposed better life is supposed to be doing and why, it will always remain in the same place- aimless, looking for an ideology to attach itself to. And guess what. When that science also seemingly depends on capitalism for its own existence, the entire landscape is going to become muddied and incoherent very, very quickly.
It is his failure to flesh this out that leaves his attempts at offeringsolutions a bit wanting. In fact, what could be just as true is that science will always be untrustworthy, precisely because it needs an interpreter. Or what could be equally true is that science cannot answer this present problem. That the problem stems from the nature of social structures, bound as it is to human nature.. Which results in cycles. It is the natural outcome of this information/disinformation age precisely because we need the why. We always need the why.
And yes, we need science. But science can never operate alone.
Or, one last thought. If science progresses regardless of the present state of humanity, why does it matter? Won't it always be the case that change is fueled by the minority? If the aim is progress, and progress is inevitable regardless of our illusions, it's uncertain where the author believes the problem lies without appealing to something outside of the science.
March 18, 2025
“The Certainty Illusion” is a book about “fake news”. Well not exactly fake news, but it's about the belief that people have in "science-y" sounding words, pitches based on goodness, and manipulated reviews and opinion polls.
We live in an age of massive and growing amounts of data. To cope with this deluge of data and information we create systems or pseudo-environments (Walter Lippmann) to help us cope with, process, and manage this huge amount of data. We allow certain types of data to enter this model and reject other data. And we build mental models or shortcuts that summarise the world. Each of us has these models - which reflect his or her particular view of the world.
These mental models are one of the key reasons that understanding another person requires an understand of their view of the world. They are different for everyone one of us which causes conflict and the polarization that we see in Western societies today.
The gates we use to enter data in these pseudo -environments have – since at least the Renaissance – included 1.) scientific, those related to 2.) goodness, and 3.) the opinions of others. According to the author, Timothy Caulfield, these three paths have been corrupted. Science-like terms are now used to sell unscientifically proven products, goodness terms are used to promote products that are not proven to be good for you, and opinion polls are not rigorously conducted. The result is an illusion about certainty. Increasingly our certainty is built on a foundation of false data - fake news if you like.
I picked up this book to learn more about these issues – as they are becoming more and more prevalent in our lives. It’s alarming to read that scientific experiments can rarely be replicated and the pressure to publish and survive has caused such an increase in fraudulent data, insights, intelligence, and recommendations. I wanted to know more about this, and importantly, to understand what I can do about this - if only for readjusting my own model of how the world works.
Clearly, we need to be aware of this and the book accomplished this key goal. I now know more and am better "armed" to deal with fake news.
Regarding dislikes of the book, I had none. That said, I felt that the author relied a little bit too heavily on “Canadian” references – which being Canadian and one that has lived abroad for much of my life – I find suspect. There is more strength in diverse thinking, and I think the author should have found support beyond this relatively small data set.
It’s a good read and an important subject. Solid but not stupendous.
We live in an age of massive and growing amounts of data. To cope with this deluge of data and information we create systems or pseudo-environments (Walter Lippmann) to help us cope with, process, and manage this huge amount of data. We allow certain types of data to enter this model and reject other data. And we build mental models or shortcuts that summarise the world. Each of us has these models - which reflect his or her particular view of the world.
These mental models are one of the key reasons that understanding another person requires an understand of their view of the world. They are different for everyone one of us which causes conflict and the polarization that we see in Western societies today.
The gates we use to enter data in these pseudo -environments have – since at least the Renaissance – included 1.) scientific, those related to 2.) goodness, and 3.) the opinions of others. According to the author, Timothy Caulfield, these three paths have been corrupted. Science-like terms are now used to sell unscientifically proven products, goodness terms are used to promote products that are not proven to be good for you, and opinion polls are not rigorously conducted. The result is an illusion about certainty. Increasingly our certainty is built on a foundation of false data - fake news if you like.
I picked up this book to learn more about these issues – as they are becoming more and more prevalent in our lives. It’s alarming to read that scientific experiments can rarely be replicated and the pressure to publish and survive has caused such an increase in fraudulent data, insights, intelligence, and recommendations. I wanted to know more about this, and importantly, to understand what I can do about this - if only for readjusting my own model of how the world works.
Clearly, we need to be aware of this and the book accomplished this key goal. I now know more and am better "armed" to deal with fake news.
Regarding dislikes of the book, I had none. That said, I felt that the author relied a little bit too heavily on “Canadian” references – which being Canadian and one that has lived abroad for much of my life – I find suspect. There is more strength in diverse thinking, and I think the author should have found support beyond this relatively small data set.
It’s a good read and an important subject. Solid but not stupendous.
June 4, 2025
A great overview of our modern misinformation crisis. Well written and well researched, it calls for changes that are sorely needed in this moment. Despite absolutely loving this read, I can’t help but think its ability to enact any kind of real world change will be limited, as I don’t see this book being ready widely by anyone who doesn’t already agree with everything the author champions.
May 27, 2025
People need to read this book. Even at the Graduate level of education there are people who spread misinformation and do not recognize how little they understand or know. Pls for the love of personal autonomy—read this book
June 15, 2025
Really enjoyed the first part of the book, less so the second part, and even less the third part. Overall, very good book on science (mis)communication and a must read for any consumer of information.
February 25, 2025
good listen
March 7, 2025
Eye-opening and insightful. Well worth reading; a lighthouse itself in our current storm of misinformation.
October 6, 2025
I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. Should be required reading for everyone!
February 5, 2025
An interesting book that makes you think. I liked the Canadian direction and its review of reviews, what makes a good studio and the sentiment of love what you love and be informed.
May 20, 2025
So good. Should be required reading in our current MAHA, crunchy mom, influencer era (lol).
May 23, 2025
I’m generally highly skeptical when it comes to wellness culture and pseudoscience so this book was probably right up my alley. I thought the sections on health halos and fake/incentivized reviews were particularly interesting. I’ve definitely fallen for some of the marketing tactics described, so I found this to be a helpful guide for addressing biases and thinking critically about how information is presented.
June 9, 2025
This work tackles some of the less well known distortions of the contemporary ‘information ecosystem’ ( beyond the obvious and disgusting spectacle of the constant bullshit from the political far right). Notably it describes the failing ‘academic knowledge production’ system which is assailed not only by ‘publish or perish’ but also by predatory publishers, fake and flawed papers never properly retracted, distorted granting, salami publishing, etc. it also describes, in the context of health and biomedicine, the world of hucksters, quacks, and advertising which uses virtually meaningless terms such as natural, organic, clean, etc. to describe products. Most interesting to me was the final section on the distortion of opinion through fake reviews, biased ratings, and the industry of manipulating online reviews.
Overall it seems clear that evidence based decisions are much more difficult to make these days as all forms of information are being assailed, and not just by explicitly political speech.
Overall it seems clear that evidence based decisions are much more difficult to make these days as all forms of information are being assailed, and not just by explicitly political speech.
January 19, 2025
One of the best NF books I have read lately. If you believe in science and good research this is the book to read. It gets you to finding the truth and being a critical consumer. What was very interesting was his explanation of how conspiracy theories work and mobilize, how science terminology is now used to market products, and it contributes to the erosion of peoples belief in science. He also talked about opinion polls and how they influence our beliefs and choices… which made me think, I might miss a really good book if I never choose a 1 or 2 book on Good Reads.
June 23, 2025
Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. This guy not only constantly used ‘et cetera’, but he doubled and tripled it. I have strong opinions on authors who use et cetera; I have even stronger opinions on readers who write reviews and use it but misspell the short form as ‘ect.’ OHMYGOD people, it’s ETC. What, do you morons think the word is Ec tcetera?
Strong opinion: if you’re going to write a book, you should finish your g-damned sentences. Is that too much to ask? (Evidently, yes.) It’s bad enough in novels, but in a non-fiction book where the author is trying to impart information that, presumably, the reader does not know, it’s unforgivable.
Et cetera - here’s what it means: it means that the speaker gives partial information, and expects the listeners to finish the idea themselves. Which means that the listener has to know the answer already. If I already knew this stuff, I wouldn’t be reading this book.
Let’s roleplay! I’ll be the author/teacher and you’re the student. Topic: Lorrie101. (I’m Lorrie) So… I’ve been to various countries: I live in Canada, and I’ve travelled to the USA, Egypt, and Australia, ET CETERA. Blah, blah, blah. Test time! Question 1: Name 3 ~other~ countries that I’ve travelled to. You have 3 guesses.
What? Is there a problem? I mean, I did say ‘et cetera’ so I covered the required info, right? Oh, wait… you don’t know me, so you need me to ACTUALLY GIVE THE FULL INFORMATION.
Authors who can’t be bothered to finish their own sentences/thoughts can’t expect readers to be bothered to read their books.
Strong opinion: if you’re going to write a book, you should finish your g-damned sentences. Is that too much to ask? (Evidently, yes.) It’s bad enough in novels, but in a non-fiction book where the author is trying to impart information that, presumably, the reader does not know, it’s unforgivable.
Et cetera - here’s what it means: it means that the speaker gives partial information, and expects the listeners to finish the idea themselves. Which means that the listener has to know the answer already. If I already knew this stuff, I wouldn’t be reading this book.
Let’s roleplay! I’ll be the author/teacher and you’re the student. Topic: Lorrie101. (I’m Lorrie) So… I’ve been to various countries: I live in Canada, and I’ve travelled to the USA, Egypt, and Australia, ET CETERA. Blah, blah, blah. Test time! Question 1: Name 3 ~other~ countries that I’ve travelled to. You have 3 guesses.
What? Is there a problem? I mean, I did say ‘et cetera’ so I covered the required info, right? Oh, wait… you don’t know me, so you need me to ACTUALLY GIVE THE FULL INFORMATION.
Authors who can’t be bothered to finish their own sentences/thoughts can’t expect readers to be bothered to read their books.
March 8, 2025
There are books that unfold as clear arguments, and there are books that resemble intricate forests of reasoning, ideas, and carefully constructed narratives. The Certainty Illusion by Timothy Caulfield unmistakably belongs to the latter category. This work is not a straightforward exposition but an intellectual journey through the pitfalls of our modern information society. Caulfield, known for his relentless fight against pseudoscience and misinformation, takes the reader on a fascinating yet unsettling exploration of how our quest for certainty makes us more vulnerable to manipulation.
From the very first page, the tone is set. Caulfield opens with a sweeping perspective on our era, an age where access to knowledge has never been so ubiquitous, yet where that very abundance of information paradoxically leads to confusion and deception. “We have more access to more knowledge than ever before and, at the same time, less and less certainty about the issues that matter to us,” he states. This is the essence of what he calls the “certainty illusion”: the misleading belief that more information naturally results in greater understanding. In reality, we are increasingly overwhelmed by fragmented, biased, and deliberately distorted truths.
The book is divided into three thematic parts, the first of which, The Science Illusion, examines how science is manipulated and misused in public and commercial discourse. This is undoubtedly the most compelling and disturbing section, as Caulfield convincingly exposes how scientific terminology and authority are wielded as rhetorical weapons.
With a keen eye for the absurdities of our time, he dissects the ways in which the marketplace capitalizes on the public’s scientific imagination. He introduces the term scienceploitation to describe the practice of leveraging scientific jargon to lend credibility to products, ideas, and beliefs. The world of health, beauty, and alternative medicine is saturated with terms like “quantum,” “microbiome,” and “epigenetic,” even though these are often nothing more than smokescreens to entice consumers.
One of the most striking passages is his discussion of the rise of predatory journals—academic publications that bypass rigorous peer review, publishing dubious studies that are then cited by the media and commercial entities as ‘scientific evidence.’ Caulfield demonstrates how the desire for scientific legitimacy has spawned an entire industry where illusion, rather than truth, prevails. “If you see ‘quantum’ on a product, assume it’s pseudoscientific nonsense,” he remarks wryly.
Yet his tone is not merely ironic or outraged; he also advocates for a measured and critical approach to science. He highlights the role of hype within academia itself and how even reputable scientists sometimes succumb to the allure of grand breakthroughs. This nuance strengthens his argument: he is not blind to the shortcomings of science but remains unwavering in his defense of critical thinking.
In the second part, The Goodness Illusion, the focus shifts to a subtler yet equally powerful mechanism: the way our desire to ‘do the right thing’ is channeled and exploited. Caulfield explores how concepts like sustainability, health, and ethical consumerism are often used as marketing tools, where the actual impact of our choices is secondary to the perception that we are acting morally.
One of his most astute observations is his analysis of “health halos”: labels such as “natural,” “organic,” and “clean beauty,” which give consumers a false sense of superiority without scientific backing. The food industry capitalizes on these illusions, as does the beauty industry, where terms like “chemical-free” and “paraben-free” play on fear and uncertainty, converting them into purchasing behavior.
This section of the book is particularly strong because Caulfield avoids descending into cynicism. He acknowledges the complexity of moral choices and how they are shaped by both cultural norms and personal beliefs. At the same time, he urges a rational, evidence-based assessment of what truly works and what does not.
In the third and final part, The Opinion Illusion, Caulfield addresses the increasingly blurred line between fact and opinion. In a world where everyone has a platform and opinions often carry as much weight as scientific facts, it is becoming harder to distinguish reliable information from subjective or even deceptive interpretations.
He highlights the rise of the opinion economy, in which algorithms and social media do not prioritize truth but engagement. Fake reviews, curated recommendations, and the influence of online personalities are just a few examples of how the perception of authenticity is increasingly detached from actual expertise. “People trust online reviews more than experts or even friends and family,” he notes with a touch of irony.
This section is both the most unsettling and the most intellectually demanding. Caulfield forces the reader to consider the impact of digital platforms on our thinking and decision-making but offers no easy solutions. He acknowledges that there is no magical remedy for the pollution of our information ecosystem but advocates for individual responsibility and a conscious approach to knowledge.
With The Certainty Illusion, Timothy Caulfield has crafted an exceptionally relevant and incisive book that challenges the reader to critically examine the world of information, science, and truth. His style is direct, sometimes ironic, but never cynical; he remains steadfast in his belief that through critical thinking and rational analysis, we can navigate the chaos.
However, there are some caveats. At times, the book risks getting bogged down in an overabundance of examples, occasionally obscuring the overarching structure of his argument. Additionally, the practical question remains: how do we concretely arm ourselves against the mechanisms he describes? His call for critical thinking is valuable but lacks a fully fleshed-out roadmap for action.
Despite these minor flaws, The Certainty Illusion is a book that demands to be read in an era where misinformation has become a systemic problem. Caulfield does not offer comforting answers but challenges the reader to embrace the complexity of our knowledge landscape. And that, in a world where false certainties abound, may be the most valuable message of all.
From the very first page, the tone is set. Caulfield opens with a sweeping perspective on our era, an age where access to knowledge has never been so ubiquitous, yet where that very abundance of information paradoxically leads to confusion and deception. “We have more access to more knowledge than ever before and, at the same time, less and less certainty about the issues that matter to us,” he states. This is the essence of what he calls the “certainty illusion”: the misleading belief that more information naturally results in greater understanding. In reality, we are increasingly overwhelmed by fragmented, biased, and deliberately distorted truths.
The book is divided into three thematic parts, the first of which, The Science Illusion, examines how science is manipulated and misused in public and commercial discourse. This is undoubtedly the most compelling and disturbing section, as Caulfield convincingly exposes how scientific terminology and authority are wielded as rhetorical weapons.
With a keen eye for the absurdities of our time, he dissects the ways in which the marketplace capitalizes on the public’s scientific imagination. He introduces the term scienceploitation to describe the practice of leveraging scientific jargon to lend credibility to products, ideas, and beliefs. The world of health, beauty, and alternative medicine is saturated with terms like “quantum,” “microbiome,” and “epigenetic,” even though these are often nothing more than smokescreens to entice consumers.
One of the most striking passages is his discussion of the rise of predatory journals—academic publications that bypass rigorous peer review, publishing dubious studies that are then cited by the media and commercial entities as ‘scientific evidence.’ Caulfield demonstrates how the desire for scientific legitimacy has spawned an entire industry where illusion, rather than truth, prevails. “If you see ‘quantum’ on a product, assume it’s pseudoscientific nonsense,” he remarks wryly.
Yet his tone is not merely ironic or outraged; he also advocates for a measured and critical approach to science. He highlights the role of hype within academia itself and how even reputable scientists sometimes succumb to the allure of grand breakthroughs. This nuance strengthens his argument: he is not blind to the shortcomings of science but remains unwavering in his defense of critical thinking.
In the second part, The Goodness Illusion, the focus shifts to a subtler yet equally powerful mechanism: the way our desire to ‘do the right thing’ is channeled and exploited. Caulfield explores how concepts like sustainability, health, and ethical consumerism are often used as marketing tools, where the actual impact of our choices is secondary to the perception that we are acting morally.
One of his most astute observations is his analysis of “health halos”: labels such as “natural,” “organic,” and “clean beauty,” which give consumers a false sense of superiority without scientific backing. The food industry capitalizes on these illusions, as does the beauty industry, where terms like “chemical-free” and “paraben-free” play on fear and uncertainty, converting them into purchasing behavior.
This section of the book is particularly strong because Caulfield avoids descending into cynicism. He acknowledges the complexity of moral choices and how they are shaped by both cultural norms and personal beliefs. At the same time, he urges a rational, evidence-based assessment of what truly works and what does not.
In the third and final part, The Opinion Illusion, Caulfield addresses the increasingly blurred line between fact and opinion. In a world where everyone has a platform and opinions often carry as much weight as scientific facts, it is becoming harder to distinguish reliable information from subjective or even deceptive interpretations.
He highlights the rise of the opinion economy, in which algorithms and social media do not prioritize truth but engagement. Fake reviews, curated recommendations, and the influence of online personalities are just a few examples of how the perception of authenticity is increasingly detached from actual expertise. “People trust online reviews more than experts or even friends and family,” he notes with a touch of irony.
This section is both the most unsettling and the most intellectually demanding. Caulfield forces the reader to consider the impact of digital platforms on our thinking and decision-making but offers no easy solutions. He acknowledges that there is no magical remedy for the pollution of our information ecosystem but advocates for individual responsibility and a conscious approach to knowledge.
With The Certainty Illusion, Timothy Caulfield has crafted an exceptionally relevant and incisive book that challenges the reader to critically examine the world of information, science, and truth. His style is direct, sometimes ironic, but never cynical; he remains steadfast in his belief that through critical thinking and rational analysis, we can navigate the chaos.
However, there are some caveats. At times, the book risks getting bogged down in an overabundance of examples, occasionally obscuring the overarching structure of his argument. Additionally, the practical question remains: how do we concretely arm ourselves against the mechanisms he describes? His call for critical thinking is valuable but lacks a fully fleshed-out roadmap for action.
Despite these minor flaws, The Certainty Illusion is a book that demands to be read in an era where misinformation has become a systemic problem. Caulfield does not offer comforting answers but challenges the reader to embrace the complexity of our knowledge landscape. And that, in a world where false certainties abound, may be the most valuable message of all.
June 21, 2025
I like Timothy Caulfield’s work but I didn’t understand the purpose of this book. I don’t think anyone who actively believes in scientific misinformation would finish this book once they read some of the language used to talk about them/their beliefs. Other reviews write that this book feels like an echo-chamber and I have to agree, because I think this book only attracts an audience that would hold the same beliefs as the author to begin with.
I did like the chapter of online reviews, which I feel is lower stakes and divisive than the health related chapters. I also liked “unknowingly, people equate nature to god, and thereby natural to holy. Nature, like god, can do no wrong, and all suffering is from humans defying the natural, that is, the holy order of things.”
I did like the chapter of online reviews, which I feel is lower stakes and divisive than the health related chapters. I also liked “unknowingly, people equate nature to god, and thereby natural to holy. Nature, like god, can do no wrong, and all suffering is from humans defying the natural, that is, the holy order of things.”
February 27, 2025
i suspect that this book will be preaching to the choir for a lot of people inclined to read this, but i really appreciated the range of topics caulfield covers, and found the ratings and beauty sections very interesting
April 8, 2025
This author is such a hater. Instead of listing facts and letting the audience decide for themselves, he insults people and claims they don’t list facts… which is what he’s also not doing! It would’ve been a fun book except for his constant hate. Hard to get through, don’t recommend.
January 18, 2025
A complex and urgent call for action, explained in writing that's notable for its clarity and accessibility. The reading is made even easier by the large portions of humour mixed with the serious and often dismaying subject matter. In essence, the book is a well informed and judicious look at how people are misled in their perceptions of health matters, food, cosmetics and other areas. Caulfield makes a strong argument that in most of these cases, real science is subverted by "science-y" claims — a paradoxical perversion of most people's basic trust in science. The floods of lies, disinformation and misinformation are mostly pushed in pursuit of money and political agendas. But there are also distressing examples of serious researchers being driven by the internal workings of academia into spreading the presence and influence of fake scientific journals. It all amounts to an essential guide for everyone living through an age of deceptions and mistakes. Probably best read in conjunction with associated works like Peter Pomerantsev's "This is Not Propaganda" and Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow." (Kahneman's book and other works in behavioural economics show how people's thinking is subject to haphazard and almost invisible influences that often have no purpose behind them.)
The subject matter does raise the meta question of how we can trust what Caulfield says about untrustworthy claims and language. There's also the nervousness caused by the initial feeling that everything he says sounds persuasive and correct (a reaction corroborated by his noting that the sweet spot for persuasiveness in online reviews is about 4.5 stars rather than the perfect 5.) Some of his writing style, particularly the humour and the relatable anecdotes from his own life, even matches some of the approach he finds in work created to spread illusions. He's aware of that and addresses the point toward the end of the book. The easiest solution to the dilemma is to note his extensive research and common sense.
There is one atrocious case of a sentence matching a plural subject with a singular verb but that's a very small price to pay. He also almost lost me with a paragraph saying Ernest Hemingway is one of his favourite authors and including an inscrutable quotation from a Hemingway work; that's quickly remedied by a succeeding paragraph that says Hemingway is not his favourite author and the quotation is an example of something that was made up from thin air. The concluding passages on music appreciation seem a little off-topic, despite the argument that they are not, but they still have value in terms of prompting readers to think.
A book to read and then to keep on hand for reference. Comes with useful suggestions for appropriate actions to counter the surrounding informational miasma.
The subject matter does raise the meta question of how we can trust what Caulfield says about untrustworthy claims and language. There's also the nervousness caused by the initial feeling that everything he says sounds persuasive and correct (a reaction corroborated by his noting that the sweet spot for persuasiveness in online reviews is about 4.5 stars rather than the perfect 5.) Some of his writing style, particularly the humour and the relatable anecdotes from his own life, even matches some of the approach he finds in work created to spread illusions. He's aware of that and addresses the point toward the end of the book. The easiest solution to the dilemma is to note his extensive research and common sense.
There is one atrocious case of a sentence matching a plural subject with a singular verb but that's a very small price to pay. He also almost lost me with a paragraph saying Ernest Hemingway is one of his favourite authors and including an inscrutable quotation from a Hemingway work; that's quickly remedied by a succeeding paragraph that says Hemingway is not his favourite author and the quotation is an example of something that was made up from thin air. The concluding passages on music appreciation seem a little off-topic, despite the argument that they are not, but they still have value in terms of prompting readers to think.
A book to read and then to keep on hand for reference. Comes with useful suggestions for appropriate actions to counter the surrounding informational miasma.
January 22, 2025
This week, instead of doomscrolling I read this book. It was definitely a good call.
These five stars subjectively represent my very-actually-human very-authentically-positive experience with this book. While escapist fiction in all its forms remains my jam, my brain has always craved a daily injection (immunization?) of nonfiction content, usually in the form of the NY Times/ Globe & Mail/ National Post/ The Guardian, because as a High School Socials Teacher/ Teacher-Librarian I am *supposed to* to know The Things about The World Today.
Well, for the next month, I plan to take a very, very deliberate break from The Things aka. media headlines and tackle one informative, nonfiction book each week. Anyone else want to join me? Anyhow, The Certainty Illusion was the first on my list.
I've used Timothy Caulfield's documentaries and interviews in my lessons on research skills and fact checking. It's fantastic content and offers a Canadian perspective (huge bonus for Canadian teachers!). This book expanded on and delved deeper into many of the themes that interest me most as an educator and research professional. I appreciated the clarity and directness of Caulfield's writing and felt he offered plenty of relevant examples to back up each chapter's main ideas. I particularly enjoyed the chapters that focused on hype and catatstrophizing, since these seem to be the two things my teenage students latch onto the most!
The chaotic murkiness of the information landscape these days is frustrating at best, devastating at worst. Like Caulfield, I suspect it will get (a lot?) worse before it improves, but I also believe that it can and will improve. This book grounded me further in my work, and has encouraged me to find the energy to continue helping teens pop the hype balloon, avoid the minefields of catastrophization and navigate this swampy information landscape. I'm definitely adding more of Caulfield's books to my to-read list over the coming months. Thanks for a great read!
These five stars subjectively represent my very-actually-human very-authentically-positive experience with this book. While escapist fiction in all its forms remains my jam, my brain has always craved a daily injection (immunization?) of nonfiction content, usually in the form of the NY Times/ Globe & Mail/ National Post/ The Guardian, because as a High School Socials Teacher/ Teacher-Librarian I am *supposed to* to know The Things about The World Today.
Well, for the next month, I plan to take a very, very deliberate break from The Things aka. media headlines and tackle one informative, nonfiction book each week. Anyone else want to join me? Anyhow, The Certainty Illusion was the first on my list.
I've used Timothy Caulfield's documentaries and interviews in my lessons on research skills and fact checking. It's fantastic content and offers a Canadian perspective (huge bonus for Canadian teachers!). This book expanded on and delved deeper into many of the themes that interest me most as an educator and research professional. I appreciated the clarity and directness of Caulfield's writing and felt he offered plenty of relevant examples to back up each chapter's main ideas. I particularly enjoyed the chapters that focused on hype and catatstrophizing, since these seem to be the two things my teenage students latch onto the most!
The chaotic murkiness of the information landscape these days is frustrating at best, devastating at worst. Like Caulfield, I suspect it will get (a lot?) worse before it improves, but I also believe that it can and will improve. This book grounded me further in my work, and has encouraged me to find the energy to continue helping teens pop the hype balloon, avoid the minefields of catastrophization and navigate this swampy information landscape. I'm definitely adding more of Caulfield's books to my to-read list over the coming months. Thanks for a great read!
January 8, 2025
Professor Caulfield is back again with another witty and well-researched book that arms us with solid science to assist our daily choices. As the book title suggests, this book cautions us that external forces operate to influence our thought process that often results in decisions being made that are far from certain. In a humorous and self-deprecating writing style, Professor Caulfield encourages the reader to be critical and skeptical without being cynical and pessimistic. He compiles a considerable body of evidence and, without an agenda or built-in bias, lets the reader decide what to accept and what to reject. This book comes at an inflection point in our history, as many of our decisions are guided by the invisible hand of artificial intelligence. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to decipher whether a review or recommendation is the product of a real person and, if so, whether that real person is providing an honest and accurate appraisal. In fact, one important tenet of the book is that reviews are notoriously unreliable. As I am writing this review, it is not lost on me that you, the reader, might think “if reviews are notoriously unreliable, how can I be certain that this review is accurate and honest”. That is a valid concern, so all that I can do is assure you first, that I did read the book, second, I thoroughly enjoyed it and third, I gained useful, and sometimes surprising, insight. If you want to have more certainty in making choices that are right for you, then this book is certainly worth a read.
April 12, 2025
I found this book very tiring to read - by the time I was near the end I had to skim paragraphs to see if they might have something interesting. Most of the points he makes, could have been made in three page article in the New Yorker.
Here's a hint to all writers: an Introduction should be just a few pages, not 19. Unless it's more informative than this one. (e.g. Stephen King's introduction to the expanded version of The Stand). I was weary by the time I'd finished reading the intro.
I had just finished Marty Makary's book, Blind Spots, about the reluctance of the medical establishment to accept new ideas. Makary cited lots of studies, using a numerical referencing system, listing the actual titles by chapter in an appendix, as is commonly done. Caulfield did the same thing except without the numbers, so you had to kind of guess which of the titles in the appendix was the one he was talking about.
And the referencing of studies got very tiresome: there might be three or four mentioned in a paragraph.
Lastly, as a sceptic myself, I didn't care for his dismissal of the "yeah, but they thought Galileo was wrong too" argument. Certainly if you're going to challenge established beliefs you should have something to back it up, but it's equally valid to ask for justification of the beliefs.
Here's a hint to all writers: an Introduction should be just a few pages, not 19. Unless it's more informative than this one. (e.g. Stephen King's introduction to the expanded version of The Stand). I was weary by the time I'd finished reading the intro.
I had just finished Marty Makary's book, Blind Spots, about the reluctance of the medical establishment to accept new ideas. Makary cited lots of studies, using a numerical referencing system, listing the actual titles by chapter in an appendix, as is commonly done. Caulfield did the same thing except without the numbers, so you had to kind of guess which of the titles in the appendix was the one he was talking about.
And the referencing of studies got very tiresome: there might be three or four mentioned in a paragraph.
Lastly, as a sceptic myself, I didn't care for his dismissal of the "yeah, but they thought Galileo was wrong too" argument. Certainly if you're going to challenge established beliefs you should have something to back it up, but it's equally valid to ask for justification of the beliefs.
April 9, 2025
4.5 stars, rounded up.
Confirmation bias.
Motivated reasoning.
Attentional bias.
Pareidolia.
These days, there isn't a single facet of our daily lives which is not being tainted, if not outright and irrevocably ruined by these cognitive biases.
This book is essential reading for every single person who desires or believes themselves to be a useful member of society.
But, due to these very same cognitive biases, the people who most need to read this book are the least likely to think that they should.
The author prudently limits his prescriptions to the "supply side" of the equation. Even that would require a consensus and a concerted effort based on good intentions which seems in severely short supply these days.
But we can hope, and each do our part to be a little more discerning in our daily lives.
Confirmation bias.
Motivated reasoning.
Attentional bias.
Pareidolia.
These days, there isn't a single facet of our daily lives which is not being tainted, if not outright and irrevocably ruined by these cognitive biases.
This book is essential reading for every single person who desires or believes themselves to be a useful member of society.
But, due to these very same cognitive biases, the people who most need to read this book are the least likely to think that they should.
The author prudently limits his prescriptions to the "supply side" of the equation. Even that would require a consensus and a concerted effort based on good intentions which seems in severely short supply these days.
But we can hope, and each do our part to be a little more discerning in our daily lives.
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