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The Skeptic’s Guide to Health, Medicine, and the Media

By: Roy Benaroch, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Roy Benaroch
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Summary

As consumers of medical news, how can we know whether the article we just read is based on solid science or is just an ill-informed attempt to grab readers? Professor Roy Benaroch of Emory University School of Medicine provides just the direction we need in The Skeptic’s Guide to Health, Medicine, and the Media. In 24 fascinating lectures that address the most important health issues of our day - heart health, obesity, longevity, the opioid crisis, the stigma of mental illness, alternative medicine approaches, toxins in the environment, and more - Dr. Benaroch tells us how to recognize the good reporting and the bad.

With his guidance, you’ll create a “Skeptic’s Toolkit”, asking the questions that take you past the headlines and beyond the way health news is typically reported. You’ll learn six specific questions to always keep in mind as you read any article in print or online: What’s the source of the article? Is the evidence presented strong enough to be valuable? Is someone trying to sell me something? Is this study about people like me, and are the factors they’re measuring in the study important to me? Does the report present a viewpoint from scientists not directly involved in the study? And is the story itself sensible, fitting in with what we already know? Armed with these questions, you’ll be able to find valuable information to help inform your own health care decisions, without falling prey to snappy-sounding articles that have no basis in solid science.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 The Great Courses (P)2019 The Teaching Company, LLC
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What listeners say about The Skeptic’s Guide to Health, Medicine, and the Media

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Highly recommended

I highly recommend this coirse not just as a "where we stand" in various matters of health, medication, etc., but also an illuminating account of how we got here. The part played (often not creditable) of pharma and other companies, of the media, and of advocacy groups is covered and the lecturer explains how to develop your "skeptic's toolkit" for assessing claims and scare.

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Very Balanced Well Researched and Presented Guideline

Having been a scepter (not critic) of media or advertising claims for health supplements for a long time I found this audiobook to be a great reminder of what to look for when presented with claims of efficacy. It covered a number if topics very current for us today such as HRT and distracted driving. The presentation of material was lively but without hyperbole or mania, I would have loved to have Dr. Bearoch deliver lectures when I was younger.

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Essential listening

This is an amazing set of lectures, and I believe we need a similar course taught in schools. We’ve all seen over the past few years how easily and effectively the media can lie to us all, especially when we’re told we can’t leave the house. It is incredible how the media lie to us, and series like this help to sift through the bs.

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I miss understood what this was about

He made many valid points about how data is interpreted and how data can be manipulated to support whatever message the media wants us to believe. Over all it was interesting but a little boring at a time.
Narration was more of a chat rather reading, i didnt like that at all.

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