FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Laura Czaja
Public Relations Manager
laura.czaja@pearson.com
212.641.6627
February 5, 2009 (New York, NY) – Are antioxidants good or bad for you? Is global warming real—and if so, why it is happening? Do scientists really now think that sun exposure prevents cancer? Is organic food healthier? Do antidepressants trigger suicides? Every day, the media is packed with stories about health and science: stories that can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. Which of these stories really matter? Non-scientists desperately need tools for telling the difference between real science and misleading science. Now, one book brings together all those tools: everything non-scientists (and even scientists) need to think critically, ferret out dishonesty, and make smarter choices.
Lies, Damned Lies, and Science: How to Sort through the Noise around Global Warming, the Latest Health Claims, and Other Scientific Controversies (FT Press, ISBN 13: 9780137155224, $24.99, 224 pps, hardcover, February 2009, www.ftpress.com/science) helps readers sort out today's noisiest scientific debates—and gives them common-sense techniques for evaluating any health or scientific claim. Sherry Seethaler, a science writer and educator at University of California, San Diego, works with scientists to explain their discoveries to the public. Seethaler holds an M.S. and Master of Philosophy in biology from Yale, and a Ph.D. in science and math education from UC Berkeley.
In Lies, Damned Lies, and Science, Dr. Sherry Seethaler helps readers:
- Make more intelligent decisions about health and science -- both in their personal lives and as citizens
- Understand how science really works, and why scientists sometimes disagree
- Uncover scientific bias—and the tricks that biased "experts" use to mislead people
- Tell good research from bad research
- Determine when news articles make claims that the evidence doesn’t support
- Recognize the difference between cause and coincidence
- Intelligently assess tradeoffs that news articles often ignore or gloss over
- Find the most trustworthy sources of science and health information
Nobody knows what tomorrow's health and science controversies will be. But, whatever they are, citizens and consumers will have to think critically about those controversies: their lives may depend upon it. Fortunately, says Seethaler, it's not hard to do so—if they know how. Seethaler says, "Those who promote incorrect information, either because they are trying to manipulate you, or because they themselves have been duped or are simply misinformed, rarely have more knowledge about science than you do. What they have are skills at using information to suit their purposes."
To request a copy of Lies, Damned Lies, and Science, or request an interview with the author, please contact Laura Czaja at 212-641-6627 or laura.czaja@pearson.com.
Please click on the link below to view this book on ftpress.com.
http://www.ftpress.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=9780137155224
About the Author
Sherry Seethaler, a science writer and educator at University of California, San Diego, works with scientists to explain their discoveries to the public. She writes a column for the San Diego Union Tribune in which she answers readers' questions about science. Seethaler holds an M.S. and Master of Philosophy in biology from Yale, and a Ph.D. in science and math education from UC Berkeley. Her dissertation examined how students make sense of scientific controversy. She designed and taught the innovative university course Teaching Contemporary Scientific Controversies and helped design UCSD's California Teach program, which prepares science and math students to teach.
About FT Press Science
The life sciences revolution is transforming our world as profoundly as the industrial and information revolutions did in the last two centuries. FT Press Science (www.ftpress.com/science) is the newest imprint from Pearson, and is committed to publishing scientific and health related books that discuss issues sometimes deemed controversial, ranging from genetics to global warming. FT Press Science captures the excitement and promise of the new life sciences, bringing breakthrough knowledge to every professional and interested citizen. We publish tomorrow’s indispensable work in genetics, evolution, neuroscience, medicine, biotech, environmental science, and emerging scientific fields. We hope to help you make sense of the future, so you can live it, profit from it, and lead it.
About Pearson
Pearson (NYSE:PSO), the global leader in education and education technology, reaches and engages today's digital natives with effective and personalized learning, as well as dedicated professional development for their teachers. This commitment is demonstrated in the company's investment in innovative print and digital education materials for preK through professional learning, student information systems and learning management systems, teacher development, career certification programs, and testing and assessment products that set the standard for the industry. The company's respected brands include Scott Foresman, Prentice Hall, Addison Wesley, Benjamin Cummings, the Stanford Achievement Test, the Wechsler family of assessments, SuccessNet, MyLabs, PowerSchool, SuccessMaker, and many others. Pearson's comprehensive offerings help inform targeted instruction and intervention so that success is within reach of every student at every level of education. Pearson's commitment to education for all is supported by the global charitable giving initiatives of the Pearson Foundation. Pearson's other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group. For more information, go to www.pearson.com.
Lies, Damned Lies, and Science: How to Sort through the Noise around Global Warming, the Latest Health Claims, and Other Scientific Controversies
Sherry Seethaler
February 2009
$24.99
224 pp
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-715522-4
