Exceptional!

This is an essential guide to understanding science, the nature of medicine, the dangers of pseudoscience and all the questions you may have regarding any of these. This will help you make better decisions for your health and well being while avoiding those who seek to con you out of your money.

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Enjoyable

I found this to be an interesting lecture series, but the series assumed that the listener was well-educated and had a science background. The lecturer used a lot of science-language that normal people don’t use. I can’t help but think that people who would best understand this lecture series don’t really need it.

Still, I had a lot of ideas that I held about health challenged in this lecture. It turns out that a lot of what I know about medicine isn’t true.

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Great Listen for Anyone!

Would you listen to Medical Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths: What We Think We Know May Be Hurting Us again? Why?

Yes. Because I do not necessarily catch every detail in real time. Often I fall a bit behind because the preceding point still has my attention. Some points I wish to commit to memory. The lectures by Dr Steven Novella are AMAZING. Exciting, informative, fun.... He is a great teacher with a fluent vocabulary. I want to remember to again use some of those words. And I want to have my myths clear! Sure I will be arguing regarding some of them that are so entrenched.

Have you listened to any of Professor Steven Novella’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes and this one was very worthwhile yet lighter. No regrets!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes and repeated many "lectures/chapters".

Any additional comments?

Audible!! Obtain content rights for more books featuring lectures on any topic by this man!!! Amazing .... This one the lighter & easier to review of the two I have. NO ONE should be intimidated to go with this book of lectures. No dense scientific or biological knowledge is required to take away an excellent experience with information we all can use!

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30 people found this helpful

Very well done and extremely informative

Any additional comments?

Professor Steven Novella presents an entertaining and informative talk about our health. It is broken up into short chapters. Professor Steven Novella is a great speaker and has a good sense of humor. His medical knowledge and confident speaking style makes this an excellent audio book.

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8 people found this helpful

A Bit Out-Dated

The lectures were interesting contained little information new to me, but the subjects were explained clearly and put into context. The main issue I have with this series is that it was produced in 2010, nine years ago. For some of the material that didn't matter, but much has been learned in developing area of science and medicine. That fact had to be considered while listening to these lectures.

However, I found the information valuable and well-presented, as are most of the offerings from Great Courses.

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1 person found this helpful

Informative until about the halfway point

I enjoy this lecturer and his podcasts (Skeptics Guide); however, this course lost its allure about halfway through. I felt as though there could have been more content than was given and less time focused on things that are more commonly known as "half-truths". I ended up tuning out near the end.

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Great for those of us with really short attention span's

Very interesting! I drive two hours a day in the car and this took up that time and made it flyby! Really interesting and well performed. He is an excellent lecture rest and explained words that those of us in the medical field did not know and will never know. I highly recommend this for everyone, no matter what your type of fiction preference is.

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Excellent course

I throughly enjoyed these lectures. They are informative, delving into the history and the science and /or the lack thereof.

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Shot alternative medicine full holes.

I have tried many things using alternative medicine in the past namely red yeast rice and some vitamins to lower cholesterol for my high LDL. Then I had a heart attack that almost killed me, and I found none of the natural things worked. I appreciated the thoroughness of Dr. Novella debunking many of the homeopaths and natural medicine folks out there. I have also suffered from cancer and have learned that those who try to go natural are dead. like my nurse said everybody goes natural with treatment till they get to chemo. I would warn everyone doing the natural thing to use caution, it could kill you

I enjoyed this very much as with all great courses they mostly do a great job.

I found the chapters very informative as they shot down many of the false theories I have heard about from family members.

I wish there was more about chiropractic medicine and its value.

I would recommend this to anyone who has an open mind about alternatives medicine. but I find most of this lot to be closed minded and insistent that snake oil works.

Narration was great

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Debunk Everything

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The course was interesting. Novella is an engaging speaker and easy to listen to. He goes through almost every form of alternative medicine you can think of and punches holes in them. Some of what he says I already knew, some of it was completely new to me. For example, I didn't know the origin of acupuncture and this story is fascinating. Now that I do know I don't have any curiosity about whether or not it will work and I have to laugh when I see people going for it. There were one or two places where I didn't completely agree with what he said and felt that he was promoting the POV of established medicine without questioning the resources too closely. You need to listen with a critical mind and use your logic. It was reassuring that his ideas about vitamins and certain herbs matched my own decisions about them, long established. I have to admit that it was disappointing that there are no unexplored medical miracles available through alternative medicine, but deep in our hearts we already knew that, didn't we?

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

Yes, The Great Courses are almost always worth the time and effort. Many members of my family invest in the Great Courses regularly.

Have you listened to any of Professor Steven Novella’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, this was the first one.

Did Medical Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths: What We Think We Know May Be Hurting Us inspire you to do anything?

No. I was already doing everything right, but it was good to have the reassurance.

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10 people found this helpful