Pandora’s Lab

Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong

By: Paul A. Offit MD

Narrated by: Greg Tremblay

Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

What happens when ideas presented as science lead us in the wrong direction? History is filled with brilliant ideas that gave rise to disaster, and this book explores the most fascinating - and significant - missteps.

Pandora's Lab takes us from opium's heyday as the pain reliever of choice to recognition of opioids as a major cause of death in the United States; from the rise of trans fats as the golden ingredient for tastier, cheaper food to the heart disease epidemic that followed; and from the cries to ban DDT for the sake of the environment to an epidemic-level rise in world malaria.

These are today's sins of science - as deplorable as mistaken ideas from the past such as advocating racial purity or using lobotomies as a cure for mental illness. These unwitting errors add up to seven lessons both cautionary and profound, explained by renowned author and speaker Paul A. Offit. Offit uses these lessons to investigate how we can separate good science from bad, using as case studies some of today's most controversial creations: e-cigarettes, GMOs, and drug treatments for ADHD.

For every "Aha!" moment that should have been an "Oh no", this book is an engrossing account of how science has been misused disastrously - and how we can learn to use its power for good.

©2017 Paul A. Offit (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Very very interesting, and challenges you to think for yourself

I am one of the most curious people I know - curious and a bit of a skeptic because so much information is skewed by perspective. But, Dr. Offit gives you the tools to come to your own conclusions. He doesn’t just give you information, but tells you how to discern between what’s a current media fad, what’s really going on, and what to be cautious about.

My only criticism is: during the chapter about nitrogen, Dr. Offit doesn’t mention that, while the phenomenon he discusses was a key element, it was Mao’s attempted Great Leap Forward that led to the atrocities that occurred there. A fantastic book about this time in recent history is The Fall and Rise of China.

Great format and approach that loses its way

It did start out much like a James Burch "Connections" show which I REALLY liked. These first few chapters followed this script and made my experience comfortable and I couldn't help but anticipate the next facts coming around the corner.

Unfortunately, the author decided to take the scientific facts, which were the stars of his show, and have them take a back seat to his political stance and I had to suffer opinion and a stray from the scientific path he had so well planned for the previous chapters. After that detour, although I was still just as drawn in by the story he presented, we never quite got back on that original "path" of describing a seemingly benign discovery and how it ultimately led to a horrific or tragic outcome. I think those items were still presented, just not as elegantly.

This is still a fantastic book and I thoroughly enjoyed the facts and story that surrounded the history. I learned a lot. Regardless of your political slant, I believe you'll find his addition of a political charge as a distraction and a bit indulgent.

Very good narrator

Nice book informative concerning the latest problems of our era and the dangers that exist due to bad science.

Disturbing

It goes to show we aren't as smart, as a species, as we like to think we are. Today's miracle cure is tomorrow's quack cure or even killer.

Amazing!

A very informative and enlightening listen. It truly opened my eyes to many things I took for truth

An absolute gem.

Lovely reading. Full of interesting and credible stories. The narrator is great and clear.

Timely: Use, misuse, and abuse of science.

Some very important lessons from high profile episodes in science. Although I don't quite believe every word of it, that's kind of the point.

Thinking Book

Think before you judge and maybe don't make your judgement final. That's what I would call the underlying theme. That and data should impact your judgement more often than feelings. It's got great examples of when science became no longer science and how it effects society.

Interesting and thought provoking

I really enjoyed the narrative style that explained the invention followed by the unintended consequences.

Essential reading

This book is essential reading/listening for anyone interested in health and wellness. There is so much misinformation out there, and this book is an excellent review of critical thinking and scientific method in determining what is beneficial and what is pseudoscience.