Overkill

When Modern Medicine Goes Too Far

By: Paul A. Offit

Narrated by: Tim H. Dixon

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

An acclaimed medical expert and patient advocate offers an eye-opening look at many common and widely used medical interventions that have been shown to be far more harmful than helpful. Yet, surprisingly, despite clear evidence to the contrary, most doctors continue to recommend them.

Modern medicine has significantly advanced in the last few decades as more informed practices, thorough research, and incredible breakthroughs have made it possible to successfully treat and even eradicate many serious ailments. Illnesses that once were a death sentence, such as HIV and certain forms of cancer, can now be managed, allowing those affected to live longer, healthier lives. Because of these advances, we now live 30 years longer than we did 100 years ago.

But while we have learned much in the preceding decades that has changed our outlook and practices, we still rely on medical interventions that are vastly out of date and can adversely affect our health. We all know that finishing the course of antibiotics prevents the recurrence of illness, that sunscreens block harmful UV rays that cause skin cancer, and that all cancer-screening programs save lives. But do scientific studies really back this up? 

In this game-changing book, Dr. Paul A. Offit debunks 15 common medical interventions that have long been considered gospel despite mounting evidence of their adverse effects, from vitamins, sunscreen, fever-reducing medicines, and eyedrops for pink eye to more serious procedures like heart stents and knee surgery. Analyzing how these practices came to be, the biology of what makes them so ineffective and harmful, and the medical culture that continues to promote them, Overkill informs patients to help them advocate for their health. By educating ourselves, we can ask better questions about some of the drugs and surgeries that are all too readily available - and all too heavily promoted.

©2020 Paul A. Offit (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

fascinating

Excellent information, well written, and researched. Complex ideas were explained in easy terms. Gave compelling arguments against commonly accepted medical practices. I completely enjoyed this very informative and helpful book.

Easy to understand explanation of medical misuse

Dr Offit’s writing is always excellent. This book continues this tradition. Dr Offit gives a clear and evidence based explanation of things we are doing in modern medicine that we should not be doing. The writing is always clear (unlike most medical writing). The book is interesting all the way through.

Ignores contrary research

The author ignores a large amount of research that is contrary to his points and conclusions.

Excellent: Review of medical issues

The best review of medical issues that involve cognitive fallacies and the harm on medical care and cost. From low T, vitamin D, etc. and various other popular myths. I recommend it highly!

Fantastic, objective, and current

Great book. Audiobook was well-done. Very useful information, and very up-to-date. Perfect for the lay-person interested in healthcare, but I even learned some things from my own specialty that I wasn’t totally clear on.

But that's the way we've always done it…

(As posted in Goodreads)
Patients and doctors are both get so convinced of what they believe is the appropriate choice, because they think it should be right or it just "makes sense" that they are unwilling to accept that "making sense" is not enough, and actual studies have proved that although it seems right, the longtime tradition and "sensible beliefs" are just not the way to treat medicine. We believe in things because we hope that we can improve the results by acting a particular way. After all, many doctors have always done it that way, and studies are simply superfluous to RESULTS! Nevermind that anecdotal results are basically worthless to individual situations, and go far from explaining the entire story.
Clearly, this is not to say that medicine, overall, is worthless. But Dr. Offit helps to illustrate how personal gains and greed, as well as trust in what's always been done, are running and ruining our current medical system.
And we trust in the totally wrong people/treatments! For entirely the wrong reasons! "Well, Linus Pauling DID win two Nobel prizes! He's clearly a smart guy, so we all ought to follow him about vitamin C, nevermind that that's unrelated to his prizes." AND, "there's a blockage in my artery, so we need to stint it. Examining what else might be going on or why is stupid and a waste of time!"
We have been counting on random decisions for years. Paul Offit points out that there has been lots of research done – and lots of pushback against it. Neither physicians nor patients want to believe anything else!

An eye opening experience

A well written, thoughtful, well researched and thoroughly engrossing book, Dr. Offit doesn't hold back. I was surprised by how many common bits of household wisdom are not only wrong but dangerously wrong in some cases.
And while this book is a very sobering look at modern medicine, it does provide a path forward for us, and encourages communication between doctor and patient about the actual benefits and risks of care.
Well done.

Wow!

If it weren’t for the volume of quality studies cited, I would hardly believe many of the author’s claims. But, the arguments are presented logically, with high-quality supporting evidence. I prefer non-fiction author’s reading their own books, but otherwise this was astounding.

Required reading.

I am a physician, and I found this book to be enlightening. I feel like this should be required reading for all medical students. It’s also a great book for consumers of healthcare.

Mind Blown

Everyone needs to read this book. This is real science with true, independent, medical research.