Short Synopsis
The author of Bad Science reveals the shocking truth about the pharmaceutical industry and the state of medicine today.

Full Synopsis
Medicine is broken. We like to imagine that it's based on evidence and the results of fair tests. In reality, those tests are often profoundly flawed. We like to imagine that doctors are familiar with the research literature surrounding a drug, when in reality much of the research is hidden from them by drug companies. We like to imagine that doctors are impartially educated, when in reality much of their education is funded by industry. We like to imagine that regulators let only effective drugs onto the market, when in reality they approve hopeless drugs, with data on side effects casually withheld from doctors and patients.

All these problems have been protected from public scrutiny because they're too complex to capture in a sound bite. But Dr. Ben Goldacre shows that the true scale of this murderous disaster fully reveals itself only when the details are untangled. He believes we should all be able to understand precisely how data manipulation works and how research misconduct on a global scale affects us. In his own words, "the tricks and distortions documented in these pages are beautiful, intricate, and fascinating in their details." With Goldacre's characteristic flair and a forensic attention to detail, Bad Pharma reveals a shockingly broken system and calls for something to be done. This is the pharmaceutical industry as it has never been seen before.

"Narrator Jonathan Cowley handles the author's academic style with ease, never missing a beat. His precise annunciation matches the seriousness of the issues at hand, and he successfully balances the shifting tones of the narrative." ---Publishers Weekly Audio Review

"The author is a popular lecturer and Internet blogger, and narrator Jonathan Cowley channels his emphatic tone and English accent." ---AudioFile

"Goldacre supports his opinions with interesting anecdotes and carefully selected metadata studies." ---Library Journal Audio Review

"A useful guide for policymakers, doctors and the patients who need protection against deliberate disinformation."" ---Kirkus

"Goldacre's essential expos' will prompt [listeners] to ask more questions before automatically popping a doctor-prescribed pill." ---Booklist