They Got It Wrong: Science: All the Facts that Turned out to be Science Fiction

by Graeme Donald

This book is the perfect gift for anyone with an interest in our scientific history. It exposes the theories that were once widely regarded as facts but have since been proven to be complete science fiction. From such seemingly crazy ideas as the body being composed of only four things—black and yellow bile, blood, and phlegm—to the discovery of dinosaur bones being accepted as the bones of giants killed in the great flood from Biblical times. They Got It Wrong: Science tells the fascinating story behind 50 erroneous scientific theories and gives incredible perspective on how the way we view the workings of the world has evolved throughout history.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, History

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 21, 2013

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is what I'd call a coffee table or bathroom book, but I read it cover to cover (mostly). If you're 62, as I am, and you are relatively well read, I doubt there is much in this book to surprise you, although I think some of the "facts" are a little more controversial than the author states. I did not find this book "hilarious" as other reviewers have stated. Actually, I found it a bit tedious, thus the "mostly" above. I was going to rate it two stars, but the anti-science slant bothers me.

[James Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly a fascinating book. Did Edison invent the light bulb? No. Were the Wright brothers the first to achieve powered flight? No. This book will expose some of your long-held beliefs.
Some of it is for adults only as it has some historical sex information that might make you blush.

[Mj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content 5/5; The only reason I'm giving a 4/5 is because I would've liked to have seen a far more dedicated and researched bibliography with footnotes, because the ideas promoted are very illuminating.

[Denis Vasilev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Весьма неплохое развлекательное чтиво. Даже узнал немного нового. History is a pack of lies about events that never happened told by people who weren't there. George Santayana.

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting. I disliked the format. There were sidebars throughout with brief notes of "mini myths," but the way these were written, it was unclear whether the author was simply listing erroneous beliefs that were perpetuated in our culture, whether he was substantiating things that were thought to be myths, whether he was contradicting them, or perhaps doing some of each in different places.

In a book with such a title (_All the Facts That Turned Out to be Science Fiction_)I was expecting more of a list-type format in which MANY different misconceptions were addressed, perhaps with an explanation of why the misconception persists, followed by facts to substantiate the author's claims that the beliefs are false. Perhaps that's what the author set out to produce. Instead, he gave extensive, chapter-long descriptions full of anecdotes, examining a little over a dozen erroneous scientific beliefs. Despite the statement on the cover that "Einstein never flunked math," which led me to believe the book would focus on CURRENT misconceptions, many of the claims examined have long been widely debunked and their practices discontinued (such as the belief that bloodletting healed the sick).

Though the author asserted throughout the book that people had gotten these concepts wrong, he first of all did not provide evidence that such claims were widely believed (he gave only vague descriptions such as "the ancient Greeks thought"), and secondly, he did not give references or even much hard data to support his claims of the misinformation. He sometimes provided what appeared to be factual information but frequently drew extreme conclusions that he did not justify. He used a lot of provocative language to sway the reader; for example, in the chapter discussing drug use, he called Queen Victoria "junkie-in-chief." He also made sweeping accusations such as, "The entire medical profession was united in the opinion that opiates and cocaine were valuable cures that contained no addictive qualities." I find it difficult to believe such extreme statements could be true without exception, yet he presents such unanimous agreement among large populations as fact.

There is a bibliography at the end of the book but it is very brief and there are no footnotes or end notes to match up statements with references. To be fair, the book was not a total disaster; some of the chapters did contain interesting information, but I have little reason to be confident that this information is reliable. I feel that the book would have been better without the many items that were previously exhaustively debunked by others. Of what remains, the reader is left with little but the author's say-so about some claims; in many instances there is only scanty evidence provided to support his assertions as anything other than his own opinions. I was hoping for a more scholarly examination of the information, rather than a sensationalized account.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

True rating: 3.5 stars.

An interesting and often eye-opening set of short essays. I’d like to, but I can’t rate it higher for two reasons. First, there are no supporting notes for the hundreds of bold statements that the reader must simply accept as fact. And second, the sidebars called “Mini Myths”, while generally accurate to the letter, occasionally present one-line mythbusters that seem designed to shock, and yet are doing nothing more than splitting hairs. Example 1: “Heat does not rise...” Well, no, heat is energy, so of course it doesn’t – it’s hot air that rises. Example 2: “Edison did not invent the lightbulb [sic].” Again, no, technically he didn’t invent the first light bulb, but he did invent the first bulb that could be used commercially, which is what’s important about his achievement. Example 3: “Pythagoras did not come up with “his” eponymous theorem.” Now here is where a footnote would be appropriate, because to my knowledge there is no evidence of anyone else coming up with the theorem before him. Speculation, absolutely, for some prior mathematician(s) surely wrote out the equation. But is there evidence enough to make such a flat-out declaration – nope. Additionally, Darwin’s most famous book is mistitled On the Origin of the Species. The actual title, On the Origin of Species, reflects the broader scope of the book. One hopes this was a typo and not the author’s mistake.

All that aside, I enjoyed the book and learned enough to recommend it for a quick, entertaining, and informative popular science read.

[Michael Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

They Got It Wrong is a fun read. It provides some rather interesting information regarding science and scientific thought, coupled with the beliefs and thought processes of philosophers, religious leaders, politicians, charlatans, and the social mores of their times.

Not intended to be an entirely serious and scholarly examination of the scientific method, They Got It Wrong does take a pragmatic approach and views the historical development of the scientific process under a magnifying glass, giving the open-minded reader food for thought. The book does spend a lot of time examining things from the Euro-centric perspective.

A more inclusive approach encompassing a more multicultural and world-centric view would give the reader a broader picture of where one culture got it right while another got it wrong.

[Lyg · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was counterproductive. It set about to make fools of history's scientists and make you doubt anything and everything currently thought to be true in the world of science. The book failed to explain how many misconceptions are wrong, using with current believe and new understanding, or even how we now we were wrong. The attitude of the writer seems to be one of malicious intent, which overshadows the facts and explanations that are given and elucidated. It is because of this attitude that I gave this book only one star. I would also not recommend this book to anyone who does not already understand the physics, chemistry, and medicinal science discussed herein.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

They Got It Wrong: Science, is an fun new read about many of the scientific fallacies, both past and present, that have existed in the world. Topics range from the fantastical quest for the philosopher's stone, to the absurd notion of female hysteria and the disturbing studies of eugenics and phrenology. This book is a quick and fun read from the new book shelf. I do wish a greater source list had been included then the small bibliography in the back of this book, as many of the topics are quite interesting. All things said, definitely an enjoyable read.

[Richard Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book examines historical "facts" that ultimately became fiction. Graeme Donald, in 16 brief essays, discusses topics such as phrenology, hollow earth, and life energy among others. Each "chapter" is subdivided with appropriate titles. Numerous sidebars labeled "Reality Check" amplify points in the essay. Perhaps the highlight may be the illustrations of a historical nature. All in all, an interesting read.

[Hannah Stowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable and interesting.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

good science book!