Deceived Wisdom: Why What You Thought Was Right Is Wrong
By: David Bradley
Did your mother remind you to take off your coat when inside or you won’t ‘feel the benefit’ when you leave? Have you ever been informed that what you need to cool down is a nice cup of tea? And are you bored of being told that you have to let that red wine breathe first to improve its taste?
If so then Deceived Wisdom is the book for you. Organised into easy-to-read standalone sections, it looks at the facts we all think we know and examines why we don’t know them at all. David Bradley’s clear and witty writing examines the science behind the statements to reveal the truth behind many popular myths. Entries include:
– Why urinating on a jellyfish sting does not help (in fact it can make things worse and is at best rather embarrassing for the stingee)
– Why recycling aluminium cans is not a waste of time
– Why drinking diet cola will not make you blind
– Why cats are not smarter than dogs
– Why the 10,000 hour practice rule is not what it seems
– Why your mobile phone won’t give you cancer
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At last, a book that blows away many of the urban myths that we’ve come to accept without questioning. Well written and engrossing
- Dr John Emsley, author of Nature's Building Blocks -
Let it be announced from the rooftops that David Bradley has compiled this charming book, Deceived Wisdom, showing that some of the popular Old Wives Tales and things you could have sworn were true because you heard them down the pub are, with the appliance of science, just another charabanc of retired shoe manufacturers … Good things come in small packages, and I read it in a single session. It’s a book you can dip into, one of those things that no well-stocked shelf in the Smallest Room should be without … if you want a stocking-filler for the geek in your life, especially if they are teenagers and mightn’t have come across these before, then this has to be it
- Henry Gee, Occam's Typewriter -
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Not only is it entertaining, but it is also extremely informative, smart, and thorough. While Bradley discusses some complex topics, his clear writing makes reading about these brainteasers a breeze
- Kim Lacey, Guru Magazine -
This is a brilliant book, which presents some really pertinent information in a fun and enjoyable manner … Bradley reinforces what science is really all about: questioning what you know and never accepting something just because somebody else tells you it’s true
- Paul Blakely, www.unpopularscience.co.uk