Viral BS: Medical Myths and Why We Fall for Them

by Seema Yasmin

Can your zip code predict when you will die? Will testosterone supplements boost your libido? Should you space out childhood vaccines? Does talcum powder cause cancer? Why do some doctors recommend e-cigarettes while other doctors recommend you stay away from them? Health information--and misinformation--is all around us, and it can be hard to separate the two. A long history of unethical medical experiments and medical mistakes, along with a host of celebrities spewing anti-science beliefs, has left many wary of science and the scientists who say they should be trusted. How do we stay sane while unraveling the knots of fact and fiction to find out what we should really be concerned about, and what we can laugh off?

In Viral BS, journalist, doctor, professor, and CDC-trained disease detective Seema Yasmin, driven by a need to set the record straight, dissects some of the most widely circulating medical myths and pseudoscience. Exploring how epidemics of misinformation can spread faster than microbes, Dr. Yasmin asks why bad science is sometimes more believable and contagious than the facts. Each easy-to-read chapter covers a specific myth, whether it has endured for many years or hit the headlines more recently. Dr. Yasmin explores such pressing questions as

- Do cell phones, Nutella, or bacon cause cancer?
- Are we running out of antibiotics?
- Does playing football cause brain disease?
- Is the CDC banned from studying guns?
- Do patients cared for by female doctors live longer?
- Is trauma inherited?
- Is suicide contagious?

and much more.

Taking a deep dive into the health and science questions you have always wanted answered, this authoritative and entertaining book empowers readers to reach their own conclusions. Viral BS even comes with Dr. Yasmin's handy pull-out-and-keep Bulls*%t Detection Kit.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Health, Medical, Medicine, Audiobook, Skepticism

272 pages, Hardcover

Published January 12, 2021

About the author

Muslim Women Are Everything is out as a book, ebook and an audio book now!

I'm a medical doctor, journalist and author. My first book, The Impatient Dr. Lange: One Man's Fight to end the HIV Epidemic, tells the story of my mentor who was killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot out of the sky. Dr. Lange dedicated his life to fighting HIV and was searching for a cure when he was killed.

My next books, Viral BS, (Johns Hopkins University Press, November 2020) is about medical myths and how health hoaxes can travel farther than accurate information.

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a huge science geek but I was not a fan of this book. It's written by a former doctor who's now a journalist and writes newspaper columns debunking things. It's going to be a huge hit in the anti-natural crowd because it's written exactly like the sort of things they lap up. She starts out by making her Indian grandmother and her childhood peers sound like idiots, saying they were all "conspiracy theorists" because her very traditional grandmother told her once that men hadn't landed on the moon and her friends used to look for signs that Michael Jackson was a satanist in his records. Then she mocks an American mother who came into a colleague's office during the Ebola crisis and wanted an ebola vaccine for her child and then refused a flu vaccine. She talks about how they laughed at her afterwards. Yes, ebola was not in this country yet and never made a big appearance here and the flu can be deadly (and there was no ebola vaccine), but the whole thing just made this mother sound like an idiot instead of recognizing her humanity. How many mothers also went to their doctors early last year and were concerned about the novel coronavirus that had just appeared in China and were also told they were being silly? (In my own ER in April the doctor told me there was no way I'd been sick with covid for the past 6 weeks because I hadn't traveled internationally and "it's not in Minnesota.") I'm just not a fan of making people seem stupid to make other people feel smarter.

The book also does a lot of cherry picking of facts. In the chapter about GMOs, she talks about all the ways genetically engineered crops are fantastic for humanity and going to save us all. Only pages in does she mention one of the biggest reasons to avoid them -- Roundup Ready crops. These crops are genetically engineered so they can withstand glyphosate (and huge doses of it), which kill all the other plants and are linked to dozens of serious health problems including cancer (besides environmental damage). She acknowledges that the World Health Organization has classified glyphosate as a probably carcinogen but she says "but some studies haven't shown this." ??? To quote a dear (atheist, science-loving) friend, "Where do I begin with this f*ckery?". Just no. If any studies say what you want to believe, then you just go with them? That's just not how good science works.

To Yasmin's credit, she does talk about things like the Tuskogee experiment where our government allowed doctors to harm African American families for decades in the name of science, but there's always that "that was in the past, we'd never do that now" kind of tone, even though we've caught drug companies and governments continuing to do this sort of thing right through to the present. And again, there's this sort of tone like immigrants and people of color are paranoid and ignorant not to trust doctors, pharmaceutical companies or the government.

A lot of her facts are also just plain wrong. Again and again, I found instances where I'd actually looked into a study and it didn't say what she said. In other cases I just don't honestly believe her. She tells one story of how in an American neonatal ward (recently!) all these babies had pertussis because many of the nurses had it and were "coughing all over them" because they wouldn't take sick days and lose out on vacation time. She said that they refused to get the vaccine so they were spreading it to all the infants. I don't even know where to begin with that claim, but I'll pretend that actually happened. If you look into the pertussis vaccine (usually given in the DTaP), it actually only protects YOU from getting pertussis (or symptoms, really). It does not prevent you from spreading it. One government study a few years ago found that people who got the DTaP actually had pertussis in their airways for over a month on average and were asymptomatic carriers who could unknowingly spread it to others, and they also found that people who came in contact with pertussis still spread it without developing symptoms and possibly led to three times as many infections as symptomatic people. None of this is mentioned in the book, which I would have expected if you were going to have a rational discussion about how to keep infants safe from pertussis (the CDC recommends "cocooning" during early months). Yasmin also said that 2 out of 3 nurses surveyed said they didn't think flu vaccines were safe, and then she railed against them for basically sickening everyone in the world and killing us all willy nilly but never explored why on earth more than half of these medical professionals believe it's unsafe. I'd kind of like to talk to them about their reasons. That seems pretty logical, especially as they are medical professionals who might have good input. But no, to hear Yasmin tell it, most nurses are anti-vaccine quacks killing babies so they don't lose vacation time.

The book also just goes on and on in some cases and unless you're really into scientific details it may make your eyes cross after a while. She starts out with the stories everybody will eat up -- tummy teas that kill people, Andrew Wakefield and autism, that sort. Later on there's stuff like is there lead in your lipstick (yes, probably) and she sort of goes around and around in facts and then sort of gives advice but not really. The one about your cat's poop influencing your business sense was badly explained and was one of the shorter chapters, even though the actual studies and science are really interesting and could have done with way better explanation (and it doesn't really have to do with business sense).

I'm sure this book will be a hit with some audiences, but it was not one that I liked at all. I fully expect it to be on lists like Goodreads' best science books of the year though, as the cover and the tone will greatly appeal to many.

I read a digital ARC of this book for review.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Viral BS is a book about medical myths and if they're true or not and why we fall for them. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped and expected a little more from it.
Dr Seema Yasmin explores numerous medical myths (many I'd never hear about before). First she explains what the myth question is such as Does talcum powder cause cancer, does birth control cause depression, is suicide catching, are GMOs safe? etc and then goes on to explain and present information about each myth, however many of the chapters end in inconclusive, debunked, dubious and also it depends on who you ask. These statements weren't what I was looking to read and I'm quite disappointed in these answers and the book title suggests to me they are all myths and the book will explain why.
This book would have been better if it included just how studies were carried out in detail and answers about these studies and if they are conclusive or inconclusive and information as to why.

[Denver Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viral BS is fun, fast and full of debunking! Covering 46 fallacies, from “Is there lead in your lipstick?” to “Can a pill make racists less racist?”, each chapter is just a few pages long, making this great for a coffee table pick-up-and-read-a-bit, or for those with short attention spans brought on by COVID distraction. Everyone should print out Dr. Yasmin’s Bullshit Detection Kit from the back matter to keep on hand when weighing the credibility of all the information (and misinformation) we consume every day!

[Geoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was less why we fall for medical myths and more how we fall, less underlying psychological and cultural factors and more of a catalog of anecdotes. Because of that, the book felt a little unfocused, meandering from debunked vaccine / autism links to ebola responses to horrifically true discussion of US doctors purposely infecting Guatemalans with syphilis. The underlying theme seems to be that health and medicine are complicated, and beware of anyone posing easy answers and cure-alls. The stories and chapters in and of themselves are interesting and discussed in great detail. But this book felt more like a journalistic tour of current medical controversies rather than a coherent argument or story.

**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. I just never warmed up to the author. It happens...

**ARC Via NetGalley**

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a good case for saying this book is the right book for the wrong time. The author, if she's still lecturing in science journalism, and telling the world about medical myths, will never have been busier than in 2020 and in 2021. And yet the coronasniffles gets about one mention in these pages. Don't get me wrong, I certainly welcomed the re-emergence of the criminals who led to the whole MMR = autism nonsense, who you could dismiss with the flat earthers as beyond all hope if they hadn't caused the loss of so many lives. But I did expect that a book with such a charged title as this, coming out at this kind of time, would have had a heck of a lot more to say about anti-vaxxers and their ilk. I did learn that it was partly anti-white racism, especially where the Nation of Islam stir it up with what appears to be zero comeuppance, but they were surely too great a target to miss in such a way.

It takes until the very end before this volume admits it's a collection of reprints from an American newspaper column, which has covered the healthiness of fracking (not good), the return to the market of thalidomide (not good), and so many other things besides. That, to repeat, gets in the way of this book being what I expected, even if it will open the reader to so much else – from contrails (not bad) to Vitamin D supplements (not worth it). You can gain insight perhaps into how academics think of suicide, and mull over which gender your medics should be and when you might be best not to see them, if anywhen.

And there is the nutjobbery the book should rail at – even if it seems confined mostly to the start here. Forget some ginger nut biscuit "thinking out loud" about drinking bleach to kill off Covid, some people are actively getting rich selling bleach as a cure for autism, believe it or not. And ultimately, those four words are the core of the whole piece – what we should believe, and how we might best be told it so that we do, and how we don't end up with so much dirt on our hands from the people who choose not to believe it. I'll give this four stars, although I'm obliged to close with the remark a lot of it is geared towards the USA, and many chapters don't travel terribly well.

[~☆~Autumn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars! I was was going to give her 4 stars but then she had to bring up her opinion once again about MSG and she is one of those people who does not acknowledge that we ARE NOT ALL THE SAME. She seems to think we are all clones of each other....well, DUH! I have Environmental Illness so I am very different. I get sick from perfume, gasoline fumes, paint fumes, fabric softener and MSG. MSG gives me heart palpitations, chest pain and sometimes migraine. There is a big clinic at Dallas treating people like me and she worked in that area and so should know about it but I find that doctors can be some of the most dense about this. It is hard to understand why they can't think outside the box...why?

She did reveal some horrifying facts about football that more people need to know but she needs to allow for differences of opinion. I could see her being a DICTATOR. (very narrow minded and it is her way or the highway). I hope she never gets into power with her narrow minded views.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. There is a lot of interesting information here and it is fun to read. I really liked the Q&A format.

[Live Forever or Die Trying · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book for a very simple reason, to separate fact from fiction. After all who do you trust in a world with so many post-truth currents? One great thing about many university presses (John Hopkins here) is that unlike mainstream presses uni press books are often fact checked or peer reviewed so you can rest assured you are at least getting factually correct information.

In Viral BS this /mostly/ was the case. I will touch more on that in a second.

As to why I choose this book in particular, Viral BS appealed to me because of it’s subtitle. “Medical Myths and Why We Fall for Them”. Paired with it’s cover promising to dispel myths such as CTEs in football and if e-cigarettes are harmful and I was hooked.

The book is organized like a series of blog posts, which makes sense given the writers background is in journalism as well as a news reporter. Her job has trained her to deliver short and succinct reports on a given topic. All in all this book covers 46 topics which compose individual chapters of 2 – 7 pages each. In this regard this book is a quick, enjoyable read that is perfect for an on-the-go person that is trying to fit reading in on the train or between meetings.

Referring back to my /mostly/ claim I touched on earlier and my first problem with the book. I feel like certain information was omitted to fit a narrative. 1 chapter jumped out to me in particular, gun violence. The information given was strictly correct, say for example that of deaths via gun violence in the US, but other information such as suicide in relation to gun violence was not touched on for some reason. Was this to encourage a certain opinion in the reader? I'm not sure but some chapters felt just a little... off?

Other than this minor qualm, which may be attributed to the fact the author didn’t intend for this to be a 500 page analysis, this book was a thoroughly enjoyable read. It covered many topics I already had interest in such as vaccine harm, the Tuskeegee Project & e-cigs, as well as bringing to light many other issues that I have never thought about such as zip codes being able to predict you lifespan.

Overall I would be happy to read a sequel of this book covering additional myths or any other work put out by Dr. Seema Yasmin.

3.5/5

[Angie Boyter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-
Like many people I find it hard sometimes to judge whether various health and medical claims are valid. Given the author’s credentials and the imprimatur of the Johns Hopkins University Press, I looked forward to learning a lot. There is some good information here, but overall I was a bit disappointed.
The book is actually a collection of 46 pieces the author wrote for her newspaper column “Debunked”, each asking a question about a medical issue. The topics are varied, ranging from obvious sensationalism like “Should you eat your baby’s placenta?” or “Can a pill make racists less racist?” to more mainstream questions like “Are genetically modified foods safe?” and “Are heartburn medicines linked to a serious gut infection? ” . The emphasis on making the titles attention-grabbers can mislead the reader; for example, the essay on “Can your cat’s poop make you better at business?” actually does give evidence that there can be a relationship between “your cat’s poop” and starting your own business, but she gives no evidence that it can make you more successful.
In her Introduction Dr. Seema Yasmin declares that “facts alone are not convincing. Stories are what we remember.” Although it is clear that she does not approve of this situation, she tries to use it at times to make her points, with varying success, at least to this reader. For example, the first essay, “Do the flat tummy detox teas touted by Instagram celebrities actually work?”, opens with the story of her experience when she poisoned herself by accidentally taking her dog’s thyroid pill instead of her birth control pill. A memorable story, perhaps, but rather irrelevant to the topic of the essay.
Many of the essays do contain good science and reports of studies that confirm, deny, or leave the question in the titles uncertain, and I appreciate that when the answer is uncertain she tells the reader so. You should not judge the likelihood of interesting science facts by the title of the essay; for example, “Can a pill make racists less racist?” had an interesting insight.
The last essay explores the question, ”Does debunking a myth help it spread?” and provides some good tips on techniques for countering misinformation. The essays are followed by Dr. Yasmin’s B****It Detection Kit, which could be helpful the next time you encounter something you think might be a medical myth.

[Two Readers in Love · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not exactly what it says on the tin; rather this is a series of articles on medical and general public health topics ranging from the 'viral' (or at least fairly well known) and presumed incorrect to the contested (e.g. where well informed people could agree to disagree) all the way to the obscure yet potentially true (who knew there was a study on toxoplasmosis and rates of entrepreneurship?)

This is understandable as this book is actually a collection of short articles based on the author's regular column "Debunked" in the Dallas Morning News, with a clever 'topical' title for 2021 added on top.

I found it a quick, but uneven, read. Some of the articles are quite interesting, others seemed light on facts (perhaps due to newspaper space limitations?) and one-sided. The cumulative effect was somewhat the opposite of "Gell-Man Amnesia"; lack of circumspection and/or rigor in areas in which I have professional familiarity made me question the author's seemingly solid conclusions in those areas that were new to me. In a book that ends with an encouragement towards informed and skeptical consumption of news, perhaps that is a success?

[sinag · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 stars!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This may be just me, but when I can't connect with the writing style of the author, I can't enjoy the content that much. I expected this book to be fun and enjoyable to read based on the description, however, I loathed every turn of the page and I kept asking when is this going to end. I liked the idea of this book, though, the execution isn't just for me.

[Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Viral BS | Seema Yasmin
I was gifted an audio copy of this by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. And I’ll start by saying.. audio is not my thing. However.. it’s a controversial read, one that leaves no stone unturned and no topic is off limits.. that I did love. Each chapter a new myth is unpacked and a somewhat obvious reminder that all decisions should be researched just like each choice made has consequences. Chapter 3 on vaccinations I’m sure would be a hot topic for most given the world we live in right now! A common theme often mentioned is that people ‘like’ stories.. not facts. Stories have the power to tap into emotion, to expand the mind and to shift beliefs. Facts do not. Facts reflect truth, but it’s not often wanting to be heard. Stories though, can also breed false beliefs, which is often convenient and can also bring a shared sense of belonging. Which brings the question, how to ignore ‘fake news’ and how to protect against misleading rumours? It’s important to always have an open mind and a healthy level of skepticism. And to ask yourself, do you trust the source of where the info is coming from??? 3 big ones for me.. trauma isn’t inherited, suicide isn’t contagious and pills cannot cure racism. Of course, people need to make decisions that are personally right for them.. and it’s up to them to decide what sources they trust and wish to tap into to make what they believe are ‘informed ones.’ But does beg the age old Q though.. is knowledge really power..? Or does it just breed more doubt. Definitely interesting!

[morallyblackchaos · Rating 3 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW!!
Viral BS by Dr. Seema Yasmin
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Again, I would like to thank @booksforwardpr for sending a copy of this title to me. I was brand new to this author before reading If God is a Virus, but I have now added all of her books to my wishlist. 🤭

Viral BS takes us into the world of medical myths and goes into why we fall for them. This style of writing is also new to me, and I really enjoyed the short bursts of chapters that were packed with relevant and interesting information. I found a lot of these to be health and science questions that I’ve always wanted answered. This was definitely a good break for me away from my “typical” reads. Sometimes nourishing my brain with new information is better than my make believe worlds. 😉

This is available now (YAY!) so be sure to grab a copy if this sounds intriguing to you!



(@fyebooks on Instagram!)

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an interesting collection of short chapters, each focusing on a specific question and (usually) how it can be debunked or how true it is. Most, if not all, of these are reprints of the author’s newspaper column but I didn’t mind that. Some people may find it frustrating that many chapters end with “more research is needed” or “it depends, maybe” but that’s to be expected with the various subjects. It’s fascinating to see how research studies are taken out of context and misinformation is spread rapidly in the public. About half of these I already knew but it was still interesting to read further research on them and I learned new things too! However, I was disappointed that there was no debunking of some of the misinformation surrounding COVID-19 and I think this was a missed opportunity. The simple structure of “Viral BS” is very appealing and even if you aren’t interested in all of the topics, it’s easy to skim or jump around. Thank you to Books Forward PR for my gifted copy!

[Bob Colwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do vaccines cause autism? Are genetically-modified foods safe? Does talcum powder cause ovarian cancer?

Dr. Seema Yasmin is a reporter, epidemiologist, and medical doctor who combines all three of her areas of expertise to address 46 different medical myths to determine which ones are true, which ones are fiction, and which ones lie somewhere between the extremes. In addition to the science related to the myths, Dr. Yasmin includes background information that helps explain the birth (and transmission) of a lot of these myths; by only including factual information and eschewing personal opinion or societal bias, 'Viral BS' is an interesting study of many medical questions that seem to take on lives of their own through frequent repetition and conveyance.

In addition to the scientific basis of her writing, each chapter is brief and logically written to leave readers educated without feeling bombarded with medical minutae; this book is recommended for anyone who wants to learn the facts and fiction behind the conventional wisdom of the medical community.

[Becki Sims · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book.

This book is well written, interesting and comes across as well researched.

It takes into account people’s background and any other factors that comes into play when people make decisions about health but then puts across her scientific view very intellectually.

I enjoyed the narrator, she added to the experience on the whole.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Book for these times especially. It is really important to know actual scientific facts and medical information known at the time vs. relying on myths, hearing from friend of a friend, intuition. The book does present these myths and stories in an easy to understand way. Not every story is untrue. Also, it is noted that people have legitimate reasons to distrust the medical community. Especially, marginalized groups and those lacking resources.

Still, with Covid we are seeing how important a Vaccine can be. I did not see many awful diseases b/c I grew up in a time when vaccines were available and worked very well. So, it’s important to understand Science. Know that even though the author is a dr, she says that Medicine and Science can’t always give an absolute answer about how well something will work. Statins are an example. They are for the heart, but whether it actually saves one from heart disease is unclear. This is not due to lying, but tracing over time the effects of certain drugs.

Especially now, it is really important to become educated and have a good relationship with your dr. Following up and reading additional information is fine, but know what sources you are relying on. This book was presented well and made it easy to read and not a chore.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book caught my attention because of our current Covid situation, marked by disinformation. It can be extremely frustrating when you know the science and facts, but others refuse them and continue spreading false information, so I thought maybe this book would show the way between fact and fiction and help set the record straight on some other medical misinformation, some of which has been spread for decades and then some. I was drawn in by the book's simple question and answer format in short chapters. What a great way to get information to the casual layperson who may or may not know what to believe anymore.

The first chapter was about weight-loss teas, which I've never believed in, but the descriptions of how they can actually be toxic are surprising. Even more shocking is that they aren't regulated in any way. Ditto vitamins and supplements. Yikes. Other topics I found interesting: the recent trend of eating your placenta after giving birth (my OBGYN asked me if I wanted it and in my drug induced haze I believe I said "Throw that shit out."), is trauma inherited, diet sodas in relation to Alzheimer's/stoke (I call Diet Coke "mom juice"), mammograms, statins, supplements, and fracking.

Ultimately and unfortunately, I don't think I was the intended target for this book. Most of the information presented was old news to me and I admit to skimming a few sections. The topics are explained in simple manner, which I sometimes found lacking or a little over generalized. As for the section on vaccines, well, you're never going to change anyone's mind on that so why bother.

And I don't know if it's just because I have an advanced copy, but there is no bibliography or endnotes. For someone who gives us a numerical list in the appendix of what to look out for in deciding if something is true or false, the author doesn't provide the reader with much to go on besides studies mentioned in the text. Should we just take her word for it? (I mean, probably because this is published by a reputable university, but still.)

If this sounds like something you're interested in, by all means get a copy and read it. I'm not saying it's poorly written beyond a couple over generalizations; but if you already have a great handle on viral medical mysteries, then I'd say this is one you can probably skip.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

I was expecting something different from this book.

Each chapter proposes a question (does birth control cause depression? Are GMOs safe?) and then spends 3 -5 pages exploring the question. Studies are quoted and legitimately horrific experiments like the Tuskegee experiment are referenced. But this book also reads like pop science.

The conclusion in some of the chapters is essentially 'it depends on who you ask' which isn't really a helpful answer. The author even says some of the studies they quote are dubious. The end of the book has a list on how to help determine if a source is legitimate, but not a lot educating people about how studies are done and what makes them statistically significant or not.

It's a bummer because there is some useful information in this book - it highlights how incredibly high the maternal mortality rate is for Black women in the US for example, but overall it wasn't very in depth.

[Michael K. · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title is misleading. Most of these chapters have nothing to do with debunking myths, but with picking sides in various controversial debates, from gun control to fracking.

The chapter headings are all questions that the author will answer for you. There are no surprising answers. When you hear a question, think to yourself, “How would a smug Brit with a particularly condescending attitude towards Americans answer?” Voila! Now you can skip that chapter.

This wouldn’t really be a problem if it were not for the shifting standards the author applies when rendering her verdicts. Should correlation be confused with causation? Of course not. Unless it’s useful to the argument you agree with.

An example: studies show that teenagers who use e-cigarettes are more likely to try cigarettes than those who don’t. She pretends that this is clear evidence of causation. If you can spot the problem here, don’t bother with this book. It’s full of this nonsense (or downright dishonesty).

[Sayani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Viral BS
Medical Myths and Why We Fall for Them
Seema Yasmin
Johns Hopkins University Press
ISBN: 9781421440408
272 pp. | 6 in x 9 in
2 line drawings
12 Jan 2021
**This is an ARC provided by NetGalley for book reviews.**

Summary:

A collection of articles about medical myths, propagation and genesis of misinformation, rampant pseudoscience, and dark episodes of unethical medical practices including human medical experimentations and false publications in reputed journals. The forty-six "debunking" articles have a journalistic vibe to them and comprise of historical facts, quotations from physicians, scientists, patients, and administrators involved in various cases. This book is quite relevant in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Detail Review:

The first few chapters of this book tell us about the gross misinformation regarding usage and safety of several over-the-counter drugs, food and dietary supplements, and some really bizarre cases of medical misconceptions such as placental pills (this is where I had a sinking feeling that the book is going to be a lot more shocking than I originally predicted). The section on the rise of Instagram influencers and their role in disseminating wrong information about health fads is seriously alarming. This only goes to show how many people around the world are exposed to false advertisements which are potentially harmful to them via social media. The pandemic surely brought forth the general disbelief and denial that prevails among a large section of the world's population about scientific truths. But when you read about the history of racial bias regarding blood donation in the US it surely is an eye-opener. This book is a catalogue of how billion-dollar companies push their agenda towards consumers like us to buy pills, e-cigarettes, and seemingly healthy-sounding products like detox teas which have been found to contain harmful compounds in certain cases.

Dr Yasmin talks about her personal experiences when she researched about a whooping cough outbreak in Arizona in 2011. I was as flabbergasted as she was when she realized how deeply entrenched anti-vaccine sentiment is in the US. Now that vaccines against the Sars-Cov2 have started rolling out we are beginning to see the blatant disregard for the vaccination procedures not just in the US but across the globe.
Written by someone who has worked in the field of epidemiology the book clears some unfamiliar concepts regarding how clinical trials are conducted. For example, the nocebo effect occurs when something doesn't have any health effects whatsoever but makes you ill simply because you believe it's bad for your health. This has been documented in the case of MSG or Ajinomoto used in Chinese cuisine where people actually got sick thinking MSG caused their illness whereas no study could prove it categorically.

Dr Yasmin explains the importance of scientific language used in clinical studies. When we read about a particular medical finding which was gathered from an observational study it means the scientists found only links or associations between the causal agent and the disease. Groups of people are observed for their habits and intake of medicines or food supplements which often consists of observational bias. Some of these observational studies are clumped together and called "meta-analysis". It only shows an association between a causative agent and a particular disease based on observational data collected from thousands of people. Again, meta-analyses suffer from personal bias as well. On the other hand, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are conducted by randomly assigning people to "placebo" or "treatment" groups where personal bias about the medicine is kept minimal. These are the highest standards in any clinical study. Many such RCTs have come in the media regarding our Covid vaccine studies. I think such a distinction between various methods of a clinical study should be discussed more so that the general audience is aware of the quality of evidence rather than jumping on conclusions about some quirky research finding which makes a juicy news flash.

The second half of the book deals with more serious diseases like Ebola and Zika and the doubts surrounding their long-term effects and routes the virus follow to infect people. An exception to all these medical chapters mentioned before is the one particular case where the author talks about the rampant fracking practices. It is a concern how academia is forced to publish fracking in a good light under the monetary influence and political pressure from the oil and gas industry. This is a sad truth but academia is not a pinnacle of unbiased truth as it likes to be. People run it and people can be swayed and manipulated by rich conglomerates and big-pharma in academia just as anywhere else.

Overall, the book has a lot to offer but its structure could have been a bit more classified. A division of the chapters into sections like diseases, cosmetics, medicines, dietary habits, occupational hazards would have been more convenient and accessible for the reader.

Who will love this book:

For someone with a long scientific training, some of the stories in this book come as a shock to me. The book is an excellent handbook to refer to if you are struggling to discuss concerns about any recent medical fact, infectious diseases, or misinformation regarding dietary habits or medicines. But I doubt whether the right audience will read this book. This book is meant to shatter misconceptions and unless a greater number of people read it and discuss it with one another the path to curbing misinformation is a long haul.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was some varying quality from chapter to chapter. I didn't see a lot of the "Why We Fall for Them" part in here until very briefly in the very last chapter or so, it was more going through a tour of various "myths" (most weren't myths?) and either confirming or debunking them.

It was fine, just not quite as...unified as I expected. It read like a compilation of the author's favorite stories from her column. Just not what the title promised.

UPDATE: It was only after completing a second read and marking the book complete on here that I noticed I'd already read it. Goes to show what an impression it made.

[Candi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The topic of medical myths and misconceptions is always good to read. Find out facts that many of us are not aware of. Doctor Yasmin puts together an informative fast paced book with health news that is familiar to us and our everyday lives.

I received this book for an honest review.

[S Walker · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to wade through her thicket of inflammation to get to her punchline: "Facts are not enough. Facts don't seem to change minds; stories possess that power." Do not waste your time wading, instead, look for a section of the pool that has deep water.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first it seemed interesting, but as I read I felt like the author was just giving her opinions instead of actual medical data. The topics were weird and off the wall as well. I was disappointed.

[Unquiet Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out my full review here

Thanks to Dr. Yasmin and Books Forward for providing me with the ARC to review!

My Rating: 4/5

“So what use is the truth anyway?”

This statement is very poignant, especially if you have ever tried to argue with a relative on social media. Sometimes it feels like, no matter how many facts you have or how many sources you cite, you cannot change a person’s mind once it’s made up. Dr. Seema Yasmin explores this issue at length in her book Viral BS, examining why people are so set in their beliefs, even when they are incorrect, and how occasionally you can change their mind.

Information Literacy is becoming more vital as our access to information grows. We need to know how to avoid the fiction and find the facts. One thing I like to do when I read a non-fiction book, especially one dealing with anything health related, is to check out the source of this information. I looked up the author, Dr. Seema Yasmin, and was in awe of her credentials. This was enough to encourage me to read her book.

The chapters of Viral BS are split into different beliefs/misconceptions that people have about health and science, and explore the history behind the beliefs and the studies involved. If you are not a traditional cover-to-cover reader, this chapter set-up facilitates the ability to peruse the different questions based on your interest in the topic. Personally, I read the book from start to finish, but the narrative is open enough where skipping a chapter that doesn’t interest you personally will not affect the readability of the book.

I found that there was a good variety of topics covered by Dr. Yasmin. The first few chapters cover popular areas of contention, such as flat-tummy detox teas, vaccines, and autism. Even with my previous understanding of these topics, I still learned a lot from the facts that were presented. As I moved through the book, the topics became less familiar to me, with some chapters introducing brand new information, like the one on the Statin debate. This could possibly be because of my age, or where I grew up, but I just never came across these topics before. Each chapter is clearly well researched, with some including several studies discussing the many different aspects of the argument and its history. However, no matter how detailed the chapters were, I never felt overwhelmed by data, which can happen quite easily when dealing with scientific studies.

The level of detail that Dr. Yasmin puts into her research is impressive. I know that a lot of statistics and quoted studies can be daunting, and too much scientific jargon can be off-putting for the casual reader, but Dr. Yasmin is able to break up the science with a narrative voice that keeps this book from becoming too much like a textbook. I enjoyed the author’s personal stories and bits of humour that were injected among the facts, it lightened the tone of the book without removing any of the credibility. In fact, I found that by including stories from her work history and even from her childhood, I could more easily accept the information she was providing as plausible. I also really appreciated that Dr. Yasmin pulled no punches when it came to pointing out when the medical community failed in its treatment of marginalized communities, women and BIPOC.

“We don’t talk much about the bloody history of public health or the creation of modern medicine…By airing our dirty laundry, we get to get to the truth of modern-day public health travesties”.

It’s easy to blame these beliefs on people’s ignorance, but as Dr. Yasmin explains, a lot of this misinformation can be traced to injustices that occurred in the history of the medical community. I’m happy that Dr. Yasmin addresses this instead of pushing it aside like so many people do.

With a non-fiction book, there are certain things I’m looking for. For me, credibility is the most important, and Dr. Yasmin definitely provided that. Another is readability, which I believe was also achieved in Viral BS. I do admit, there were a couple of chapters that I found to be a bit harder to get through, as the topic itself was not really of interest to me. I will also note that I read this book in bits and pieces, as it is quite a bit of information to digest all at once. However, I had no problem picking it back up to continue reading, and I didn’t feel like it was an effort to finish in the least. I especially liked the ‘Bullshit Detection Kit’ included at the back of the book. This is a great little guide to information literacy that everyone should use when reading things online. Overall, I recommend this book to everyone who wants to be more informed, or who has a curiosity for health matters and the origins of common beliefs.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to review this book with thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers.

Respect for this book. So much respect. I wish I could hand this book to everyone (or hit them over the head with it!) of those I’ve encountered that hold adamant misinformed views - there is just so much medical misinformation out there. Medical myths, conspiracies, ignorance and bad science continue to plague the public and it’s with the help of books like these, we might hold a small chance of reversing, educating or make a difference to BS in the medical community and consumers.

It’s expertly, and incredibly well written, providing a perfect balance between the science, the common misconceptions as well as information and examples of different medical misinformation.

The book is split into easily digestible and readable chunks, with small chapters dedicated to a different topic. It prevents the reader from becoming too overwhelmed with information but packs and awful lot of punch, covering a lot of ground and useful knowledge.

This book is for everyone who would like to educate themselves on misinformation, where the info is delivered in an understandable and entertaining way. I couldn’t get bored reading this book as I was just so invested and interested in what the author covered. I also liked that she’s written in a way that didn’t totally alienate those who perhaps had been misinformed and worked to correct incorrect beliefs by bringing new information to give the reader enough knowledge to make their own new conclusions or provoke a discussion.

There was plenty of interesting topics, such as do vaccines cause MMR? The dangers of pregnancy for different races, GMO foods, detox teas (just the word detox is enough to make me shudder!), supplements and other non medical current topics to name a few. There was so many new interesting studies and cases which I’d never known about before - such as post Ebola syndrome. I learnt a lot reading this book!

And the additive of the BS detection kit at the end was a fantastic little ending note. Definitely need to have that pinned up on the wall!

Overall, ‘Viral BS’ was very well written, informative and full of knowledgeable accounts and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this book.

[blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a saying in medical school that by the time you practice, half of what you’ve learned will be obsolete. Since I was a first-year, this claim has been preceded by an understanding that medical research is ever-evolving, and the consequence of such cutting-edge evidence naturally supplants prior knowledge. This book emphasizes a more subversive approach, questioning the very merit of both medical research and wellness practices. The truth might not be waiting for a future discovery, but rather it’ll take an uncovering of nefarious political agendas and widely-spread misinformation. Moreover, truth is determined by one’s gut feeling towards information, complicating the hot-button debate between fact and feeling. Yasmin argues that these feelings are paramount in the battle against misinformation; we must connect with the reason behind others’ disbelief and use counterarguments that compel humility, accountability, and genuine goodwill. We must equip ourselves to tell better stories and elicit an emotional landscape where unity in public health can flourish.

Side note: Dr. Seema Yasmin has the coolest career trajectory ever. I saw her speak in September and this book further confirms that I want to be her when I grow up.

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“We’d rather not wash our dirty linens in public because confronting the past raises difficult questions like, why would doctors inject bacteria into peoples spines? And why would scientists not treat syphillis patients with medicine? The true stories we bury sprout fake stories, like fungi blooming from dead tree trunks. There’s sometimes an inkling of truth in a conspiracy theory, and these truths wrap in history and suspicion, can spread faster than microbes, infecting people with a deeper distrust in doctors and science. History is the kerosene that ignites conspiracy theories and fuels new hoaxes.”

“Facts are the universal antidote to misinformation according to many science and health officials. I disagree. We must go beyond facts. If the conspiracy theories I grew up with were fascinating because they were fantastical, memorable because they were absurd, then facts — straight-up clinical, sterile facts — are not cutting it. Neuroscience can help guide us through this dilemma. In his studies of the impact of stories on the brain, neuroscientist Paul Zach discovered that stories full is suspense, heartache, intrigue, and inspiration caused a release of neurotransmitter and hormone oxytocin. Stories have the power to expand our minds, shift our beliefs, and even change our behaviors.”

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book the author, a former medical professional, presents medical myths/questions and provides the background as to where these myths arose and include facts as to why they are incorrect.

I think this book is a fascinating read to get general information about why these medical myths are just that, myths. If you are looking for more information regarding a specific topic though, you will have to go and do some more research on your own. What is nice is that the author provides you with enough information that it will be easy for you to start such research if you wish. With that being said, I do feel that this book is more for those with curious minds about medical myths, not necessarily for someone who is looking for hardcore detailed facts.

One part of this book that I enjoyed was how heavily it focused on how stories have more power over people than facts do and that is how these myths come about. The author also went into how celebrities and influencers really do influence the public when it comes to “healthy” fad or different medical procedures. This was fascinating because she showed how the public will listen to these people over medical professionals and end up in the hospital due to these, in reality, very unhealthy products they promote.

As someone who has grown up hearing many of these myths I did find this book to be a very interesting read and recommend it to people who are interested in learning about where these myths came from. I also think this would be a great gift/read for people who are thinking about not vaccinating themselves or their children as it is full of information as to why that is a horrible idea.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!