Medical Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths: What We Think We Know May Be Hurting Us

By: Steven Novella, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Steven Novella

Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

True or false: Eight glasses of water a day are mandatory for staying hydrated. Vitamin C protects you from catching a cold. Natural foods are always better for you.

What do these nuggets of so-called medical wisdom have in common? They're not true. They're myths, half-truths, and misconceptions - pieces of information so familiar we take them for granted without truly considering the scientific truth behind them.

In today's information age, such medical myths are all around us. And using them to make decisions about your own health can be harmful. Even deadly. That's why it's critical to understand the accuracy of medical information and discover the truth about everyday health and well-being.

That's the core of this important series of 24 eye-opening lectures from an acclaimed neurologist, educator, and science broadcaster. Dr. Novella will give you evidence-based guidelines for good health, enhance your ability to be better informed about common medical myths, and strengthen your skills at assessing medical information and advice.

An essential aid for any home, the lecture series is divided into three sections that focus on specific aspects of health. "You Are What You Eat and Drink": Get pointed looks at proper hydration, the routine use of multivitamins, natural foods and probiotics, antioxidants, and more. "Fighting Diseases": Sort out truth from fiction regarding vaccines, the supposed link between vaccination and autism, chronic diseases, and other subjects. "Exploring the Alternatives": Investigate the claims behind herbal medicines, homeopathy, acupuncture, and other alternatives that aren't as worthwhile as they claim to be.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2010 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2010 The Great Courses

Great information

What did you love best about Medical Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths: What We Think We Know May Be Hurting Us?

This is a rapid overview of the field, well argued and with a well judged level of detail.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Medical Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths: What We Think We Know May Be Hurting Us?

The section on how vaccines work is particularly good, as is the section discussing vitamin metabolism.

Any additional comments?

My only criticism is that it's a bit frenetic: a slightly slower pace with more examples would be preferable.

Outstanding coverage of medical myths

This lector does an outstanding job of addressing many of the common medical/physical myths and misconceptions.

Cuts through the BS

Dr. Novella debunks all sorts of nonsense such as mega doses of vitamins being healthy, that watching a TV up close will ruin your eyes, or that homeopathy is valid. The lectures were clear and effective, and it promotes empiricism and critical thinking.

Really interesting read that challenges long-held myths

I really enjoyed learning which medical myths were actually true, and which were completely wrong. I especially enjoyed learning about which “superfoods” are useless.

nice tone, lacking in evidence

Would you try another book from The Great Courses and/or Professor Steven Novella?

I really enjoyed the professors tone, it was effortless to follow along with and engaging. I was disappointed with the lack of evidence given for the claims. The professor did a great job at explaining the main points but gave little mention of the specific studies or scientific literature behind them. I was hoping to leave the course with some working knowledge of what makes certain claims mythical rather than just understanding what the myths are.

Has Medical Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths: What We Think We Know May Be Hurting Us turned you off from other books in this genre?

no

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the tips given on how to spot non-credible sources of information

If it sounds too good to be true…

(As posted on GoodReads)
I admit that I went in expecting to like this book, partly because I knew that I was familiar with the general ideas, and I was looking forward to – oh I don't know – confirmation. Although that was generally true, I also learned a fair amount from the book! I learned the sources of some of the ridiculous beliefs that people have, and I learned some extensions of what I already knew. Also, I had some confirmation on ideas that I had no proof or real reason. I do know several people who could stand to hear some of this, because I get tired of some of the nonsense that comes from them… I tend to be a skeptic, even about my skepticism! Most of it was confirmed, although I admittedly flat-out doubted some things that I probably shouldn't have. Even skepticism does need to be checked sometimes!

Well done.

lots of good info here. Myths we all grew up with are explained away in this lecture.

Showed me how I was misinformed

Easy to understand and listen to lessons about medical myths and misinformation.
I learned quite a few new things listening to the lectures!

A bit repetitive but worth a casual listen

What did you like best about Medical Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths: What We Think We Know May Be Hurting Us? What did you like least?

No breakthrough here. If you already listened to Your Deceptive Mind, don't bother with this book unless you know medical basic knowledge. The author threaded carefully at certain junctions--which I almost found deceptive for an educator. His statements of "there is no evidence of support [assertion]" were used to fill in for "there is no basis for [assertion]," which any careful listener knows is misleading. Better say, we don't know a whole lot, but here is what we know; as to the things we don't know, they may or may not be true. To refute anything based on the fact that we don't have any evidence to support it is a fallacy.

Would you be willing to try another book from The Great Courses? Why or why not?

Yes. How about a lecture on bio ethics, the differing views about doctor-patient relationships (e.g. UK vs US), informed consent and its limits, funding for research and its influence on what we know--and don't know, defensive medicine, and last but not least, challenges that arise from conflict of interest between doctor and patient. Thank you--Prof Novella is a great narrator.

Comprehensive Debunking of Medical Myths

I had no idea of how myths and folklore concerning medicine and cures could lumped the category of snake oil hype