Nonsense on stilts

This book is relevant to everything going on in society today, especially as concerns the public perception and interpretation of scientific news and advances. Today you don't have to look hard to find someone peddling some new miracle cure, or claiming that they've discovered some new secret to the universe. And much of this is presented right along with the latest in scientific discoveries on your favorite news channel. But how do you tell the difference between what's really true, and what's utter bunk? That's what this book is all about; it lays out the different criteria one can use to determine what is science, and what is pseudo-science, or even out right nonsense (with or without stilts).

The book is broken up into several sections starting with an examination of the differences between science, fringe science, and pseudo-science. It then examines the discussion of science within the media and how the outreach of some scientists to the media has fared. It further explores the history of science and the relationship it has with philosophy, as well as the future need for the philosophy of science. It ends the book with a look at what criteria we the public can use when trying to determine someone's expertise in a particular area of science in order to determine who we should trust when evaluating claims.

In general the book's writing style was engaging and keeps you moving along, as opposed to other similar books that tend to be a bit dry and sometimes difficult to get through.; there is even a bit of wit and humor thrown in from time to time to keeps things light. The topics are handled without the need for a heavy knowledge of science and I found it to be highly accessible for the general public. If you find yourself struggling to determine which claims are correct, and which are not, among the many news venues available, this book is a good remedy for that.