Doubt is Their Product: How Industry's Assault on Science Threatens Your Health | 
| Author: David Michaels
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
List Price: $27.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 35159
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 019530067X
Dewey Decimal Number: 615.902
EAN: 9780195300673
ASIN: 019530067X
Publication Date: April 23, 2008
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Product Description
"Doubt is our product," a cigarette executive once observed, "since it is the best means of competing with the 'body of fact' that exists in the minds of the general public. It is also the means of establishing a controversy."br In this eye-opening expose, David Michaels reveals how the tobacco industry's duplicitous tactics spawned a multimillion dollar industry that is dismantling public health safeguards. Product defense consultants, he argues, have increasingly skewed the scientific literature, manufactured and magnified scientific uncertainty, and influenced policy decisions to the advantage of polluters and the manufacturers of dangerous products. To keep the public confused about the hazards posed by global warming, second-hand smoke, asbestos, lead, plastics, and many other toxic materials, industry executives have hired unscrupulous scientists and lobbyists to dispute scientific evidence about health risks. In doing so, they have not only delayed action on specific hazards, but they have constructed barriers to make it harder for lawmakers, government agencies, and courts to respond to future threats. The Orwellian strategy of dismissing research conducted by the scientific community as "junk science" and elevating science conducted by product defense specialists to "sound science" status also creates confusion about the very nature of scientific inquiry and undermines the public's confidence in science's ability to address public health and environmental concerns Such reckless practices have long existed, but Michaels argues that the Bush administration deepened the dysfunction by virtually handing over regulatory agencies to the very corporate powers whose products and behavior they are charged with overseeing.br In Doubt Is Their Product Michaels proves, beyond a doubt, that our regulatory system has been broken. He offers concrete, workable suggestions for how it can be restored by taking the politics out of science and ensuring that concern for public safety, rather than private profits, guides our regulatory policy.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
More than just doubt. December 17, 2008
Dr. Michaels' book reveals the motivations and follow-up actions of many industries who strive to protect their profits regardless of the impact on the nation's health. His story tells of the various industries' scientific and technical "whores" who sell their expertise to either create doubt about, or directly challenge the legitimate science that is produced for science sake - not profit. br /br /However, the underlying tale is far more onerous than the title expresses. It is not much of a stretch to understand that the nature of science is being seriously subverted. Science builds upon itself. All future work in the medical sciences will have to be cautious when using data produced by these charlatans. Some of that data will, in fact, be totally false.br /br /If this is allowed to continue, science will one day acquire the reputation now currently reserved for used-car salesmen, and streetwalkers. The problem is far greater than any of us would like to think about. Bravo Dr. Michaels.
Heavy Reading December 1, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is an examination of campaigns by industry to thwart attempts of government, especially the United States government, to protect the health of workers and citizens. Michaels has had a long history in public health working in both the public and academic sectors. In this book, he traces the history of numerous cases of industries that have escaped safety regulations and the dire consequences of their actions. br /br /Michaels observes that industries trying to escape regulation commonly do so by raising the flag of uncertainty. That is, they take advantage of the fact that it is logically impossible to prove an effect conclusively, but rather, all science can do is provide evidence that strongly suggests connections between cause and effect. This has allowed the tobacco industry to fight and delay warnings about the health risks of tobacco smoking. It also has also slowed down response to the climate change crisis, as contributing industries claim we must wait for more evidence before we take any action. He notes that industry often manages to establish doubt concerning the findings of scientific research through media reports that cite conflicting opinions on the topic. However, these media reports do not look into the sources and funding of the conflicting opinions; they contrast volumes of evidence found by independent and publicly funded research with "research" funded by industry or created by industry think tanks.br /br /The text of the book is extremely dense, with extensive references cited in endnotes. Michaels does an admirable job of explaining how the efforts of industry to undermine sound science are made to sound credible, through trade supported "peer-reviewed" journals and think tanks. He argues that because industries have been so successful at evading regulation, litigation is often the only recourse in the present system, and thus, the ability of citizens to seek damages in the courts for injuries must be protected against the industry-led campaign for "tort reform". The book provides valuable information for those seeking a deeper understanding of the extent of the control industry has managed to wrest from the government and other agencies that are supposed to be looking out for public health. On disinformation provided by industry and the conservative politicians owned by them, Michaels quotes Lily Tomlin "No matter how cynical you become, it's never enough to keep up."
BIDDNESS November 30, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
BUSINESS. THE BIG. THE SMALL. IF THEY CAN'T SELL IT TO YOU THEY WILL DUMP IT ON YOU!br / AND THEY USE YOUR GOVERNMENT TO DO IT. OVER AND OVER. I THINK IT'S TIME (PAST TIME) TO SEPARATE GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS. JUST AS WE HAVE SEPARATED CHURCH AND STATE. NO MORE "INQUISITIONS" AND WAY LESS PHILOSOPHICAL BS. SOCIETY IS MUCH SAFER. LIFE IS BETTER...br / THE BUSH YEARS HAVE BEEN A DISASTER. "FREE TRADE". "FREE MARKETS". "TORT REFORM". "PRIVATIZE". "DE-REGULATE". "WAR". ALL PARTS OF A PROGRAM TO LOOT AMERICA AND AMERICANS. br / WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE! GET THEM OUT AND KEEP THEM OUT OF GOVERNMENT! GET A COPY OF YOUR CONSTITUTION AND BILL OF RIGHTS AND READ IT. NOWHERE DOES IT SAY BUSINESS IS THE GOVERNMENT. YOU ARE... QUIT BELIEVING THE SKIN HEAD BLATHER ON FOX AND "TALK" RADIO. THAT "TALK" IS BIG BUSINESSbr /FUNDED AND APPROVED. THEY WANT YOU STUPID AND MISINFORMED. WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW YOU ARE EASY TO CHEAT!br / GET "DOUBT IS THEIR PRODUCT". READ IT AND KNOW.
Detailed expose with real solutions October 15, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
David Michaels has traveled the honorable path of scientific muckracking, peeling back the lies and distortions that have killed millions in the U.S. for the greater good of shareholder profit. The great improvement of his book, "Doubt is their Product," is that it also lines out a series of concrete solutions with proven examples of ways that agencies can retake the high ground.br /br /This book has an important inspirational component and a get-to-work component that activists can use to make the workplace and environment safer. Michaels counsels us on practical means such as ending court sanctioned secrecy, allowing injured workers to sue their employees, develop better compensation systems, and ending pre-emption that harms public policy and public health.br /br /The book includes a crucial chapter on concrete ways to improve the regulatory system so that it protects the majority rather than serving as a shield, flack, and apologist for corporate profits.br /br /This is a must read for any law school course on administrative law, and for any college course on modern government. Its discussion of the asbestos industry--creator of the global mesothelioma scourge--is particularly apropos. Best of all, the book is well written, thoroughly researched, and righteous while being coolly objective.
This year most important book for environment-, health-, and safey people. September 23, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
"Doubt is their product" by David Michaelis, is one of those rare books you really try hard to convince people to read, and if they don't want to buy it - you give them the book. I'm working as an occupational hygienist in a Norwegian labor union. The book has been a tremendous help to understand how the product defence system works and how they are selling doubt. To me the book is the most important book I've read for a long time. The book should be required reading for all professionals and students within the environment, healt and safety domain.br /
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