The Noble Lie: When Scientists Give the Right Answers for the Wrong Reasons by G

Description: The Noble Lie by Gary Greenberg "What is an illness? What is good health? What, for that matter, is medical science really for? Greenberg will make you think about these questions in ways that Im willing to bet you havent. Along the way, he will enlighten and amuse and provoke you in equal measure. A wonderful book from a terrific writer. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Is drug addiction really a disease? Is sexuality inborn and fixed or mutable? Science is where we often turn when we cant achieve moral clarity. In The Noble Lie, acclaimed and controversial science writer Gary Greenberg shows how scientists try to use their findings to resolve the dilemmas raised by some of the most hotly contested issues of our time, from gay rights to euthanasia and the drug war. He reveals how their answers often turn out to be more fiction than science-and explores whether they cause more harm than good. Notes Subtitled, When Scientists Give The Right Answers For The Wrong Reasons. Back Cover "What is an illness? What is good health? What, for that matter, is medical science really for? Greenberg will make you think about these questions in ways that Im willing to bet you havent. Along the way, he will enlighten and amuse and provoke you in equal measure. A wonderful book from a terrific writer." -William Finnegan, author of Cold New World: Growing Up in a Harder Country When a doctor tells you that you have bronchitis and should take an antibiotic, youd probably say that this is an unbiased medical opinion based on an impartial reading of your symptoms, and it makes sense for you to follow your physicians advice. Should you have the same confidence if you are diagnosed with depression and told to take antidepressants, or informed that a loved one is brain-dead and its time to harvest her organs for transplant? In The Noble Lie, acclaimed and controversial science writer Gary Greenberg takes a penetrating look at common and accepted medical practices and opinions that, while they may be beneficial for society and help us deal with the unfathomable, are essentially the product of moral judgments and not supported by scientific evidence. In a series of riveting true stories, Greenberg examines the processes through which alcoholism and depression came to be accepted as diseases, asks why serial killer Ted Kaczynski was diagnosed as schizophrenic, and examines medical pronouncements on when life begins and ends. He also explains why there is no proof that homosexuality is genetic, and there never will be. These real-life science fictions may be well intentioned, but do they cause more harm than good? Read The Noble Lie, then judge for yourself. Flap Whats the difference between being depressed and just being unhappy? Is drug addiction really a disease? Is sexuality inborn and fixed or mutable? When exactly does life begin and end? Scientists think they have the answers to these questions, and these arent the only contentious and important issues we rely on them to resolve. Science, with its claims to neutrality, is where we often turn when we cant achieve moral clarity. But its time to wonder if thats a good idea. In The Noble Lie, notorious journalist Gary Greenberg explores the intersection of science, morality, and public policy in America. He shows how scientists try to use their findings to resolve the dilemmas raised by some of the most hotly contested issues of our time: gay rights, euthanasia, life-sustaining technologies, and the drug war, among others. Their answers allow for progress in fields as diverse as organ transplant, the treatment of mental illness, and basic neuroscience, but they often turn out to be more fiction than science. These fragile fictions are the noble lies we live by. Greenberg brings us along as he plunges into the hospitals and laboratories, the scientific meetings and courtrooms and corporations where noble lies are invented, and into the private lives of people whose lives are affected-sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse-by them. In this challenging and sure-to-be-controversial expos , youll meet the public relations man and the bogus statistician who persuaded the medical establishment to declare alcoholism a lifelong disease-and the researcher who is sure that a single dose of a hallucinogen called ibogaine can cure drug and alcohol addiction overnight. Youll take a tour through a clinical trial of antidepressant drugs and meet a man who was "cured" of his homosexuality, a dying boy who wants to donate his organs-but may not be able to-and Ted Kaczynski, the serial killer who mailed his chilling, but rational, views on relative truth and nuclear physics to Greenberg. At the center of each of these fascinating, entertaining, and sometimes bizarre stories is the underlying tension between the certainty we seek for our moral lives and the kind of truth that science can provide. And each story raises the question of what happens if we no longer live by our noble lies. If brain-dead people arent really dead, should that stop us from harvesting their organs? If sexual orientation is not inborn and immutable, should we still grant equal rights to gay people? If depression isnt really a disease, should we still be allowed to take drugs to feel better? However strongly you may feel about these issues, and whichever side you take, be prepared to have your preconceptions challenged, your articles of faith questioned, and your eyes opened to uncomfortable realities. In The Noble Lie, youll discover a complex world in which reliable answers to important and pressing questions are dismayingly hard to come by, and the truth isnt always out there. Author Biography GARY GREENBERG has written about the intersection of science, politics, and ethics for many magazines, include Harpers , the New Yorker , Wired , Discover , Rolling Stone , and Mother Jones , where hes a contributing writer. His reporting has been widely reprinted and anthologized, including in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2002 . He is also a practicing psychotherapist in Connecticut. Table of Contents Acknowledgments. Introduction. 1. Addiction: Visions of Healing. 2. Depression: In the Magic Factory. 3. Sexual Orientation: Gay Science. 4. Schizophrenia: In the Kingdom of the Unabomber. 5. Brain Death: As Good as Dead. 6. Persistent Vegetative State: Back From the Dead. 7. Mortality: Well All Wake Up Together. Afterword. Notes. Index. Review "...impressive and fascinating round-up" ( New Scientist , September 13, 2008) Long Description "What is an illness? What is good health? What, for that matter, is medical science really for? Greenberg will make you think about these questions in ways that Im willing to bet you havent. Along the way, he will enlighten and amuse and provoke you in equal measure. A wonderful book from a terrific writer." -William Finnegan, author of Cold New World: Growing Up in a Harder CountryWhen a doctor tells you that you have bronchitis and should take an antibiotic, youd probably say that this is an unbiased medical opinion based on an impartial reading of your symptoms, and it makes sense for you to follow your physicians advice. Should you have the same confidence if you are diagnosed with depression and told to take antidepressants, or informed that a loved one is brain-dead and its time to harvest her organs for transplant?In The Noble Lie, acclaimed and controversial science writer Gary Greenberg takes a penetrating look at common and accepted medical practices and opinions that, while they may be beneficial for society and help us deal with the unfathomable, are essentially the product of moral judgments and not supported by scientific evidence. In a series of riveting true stories, Greenberg examines the processes through which alcoholism and depression came to be accepted as diseases, asks why serial killer Ted Kaczynski was diagnosed as schizophrenic, and examines medical pronouncements on when life begins and ends. He also explains why there is no proof that homosexuality is genetic, and there never will be.These real-life science fictions may be well intentioned, but do they cause more harm than good? Read The Noble Lie, then judge for yourself. Review Text Has science replaced religion for a modern society unwilling to bear moral responsibility? Questions of life and death lie in doctors' hands. Even a diagnosis, says science writer and psychologist Greenberg, is a moral statement: the doctor is “telling you what's wrong with your life and how to fix it.” This unconvincing statement exemplifies Greenberg's difficulties in his muddled attempt to grapple with our faith in scientific truth. Diseases are invented, not discovered, he claims. By exploring various medical issues—such as addiction, depression, brain death—he tries to demonstrate that “deciding which suffering should be relieved and how is not as simple as applying a stethoscope to a chest”—hardly an original idea. The truth becomes a casualty of organized medicine's need to provide relief to all who say they are suffering, and that need is institutionalized and commercialized by structures like the FDA and the drug industry. The “noble lie” inherent in the treatments offered for common diagnoses can't last, says the author. But while Greenberg's questions about the scientific validity of medical research and treatments are urgent, they have been explored more capably and cogently elsewhere. (Sept.) (Publishers Weekly, July 28, 2007) "An impressive and fascinating round-up of pseudoscientific notions and the ways in which they have come to count as genuine illnesses. In each case he examines, Greenberg cites the strange and sometimes contradictory views that people struggling to clear up these questions often express. Laudably, he does not rest content with diagnosing paradoxes. Instead, he points out that these are truly hard problems, ones where it is not unreasonable for people to welcome any half-decent solution rather than living in total blindness."-New Scientist "With his skepticism informed by a prewriting career as a psychotherapist, Greenberg casts his doubts into humorous form, often at his own expense, as when he describes participating in a clinical trial of fish oil's therapeutic value in treating depression. Alt-medicine fans will be informed and entertained by this engaging author."--Booklist Review Quote "...impressive and fascinating round-up" (New Scientist, September 13, 2008) Promotional "Headline" Has science replaced religion for a modern society unwilling to bear moral responsibility? Questions of life and death lie in doctors hands. Even a diagnosis, says science writer and psychologist Greenberg, is a moral statement: the doctor is "telling you whats wrong with your life and how to fix it." This unconvincing statement exemplifies Greenbergs difficulties in his muddled attempt to grapple with our faith in scientific truth. Diseases are invented, not discovered, he claims. By exploring various medical issues-such as addiction, depression, brain death-he tries to demonstrate that "deciding which suffering should be relieved and how is not as simple as applying a stethoscope to a chest"-hardly an original idea. The truth becomes a casualty of organized medicines need to provide relief to all who say they are suffering, and that need is institutionalized and commercialized by structures like the FDA and the drug industry. The "noble lie" inherent in the treatments offered for common diagnoses cant last, says the author. But while Greenbergs questions about the scientific validity of medical research and treatments are urgent, they have been explored more capably and cogently elsewhere. (Sept.) (Publishers Weekly, July 28, 2007) Details ISBN0470072776 Author Gary Greenberg Short Title NOBLE LIE Language English ISBN-10 0470072776 ISBN-13 9780470072776 Media Book Format Hardcover Year 2008 Subtitle When Scientists Give the Right Answers for the Wrong Reasons Country of Publication United Kingdom Imprint John Wiley & Sons Ltd Place of Publication Chichester Illustrations black & white illustrations DOI 10.1604/9780470072776 AU Release Date 2008-09-18 NZ Release Date 2008-09-18 UK Release Date 2008-09-18 Pages 256 Publisher Turner Publishing Company Publication Date 2008-09-18 DEWEY 500 Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:137422059;

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