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Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2010

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Book Brief

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Naomi Oreskes, Erik M. Conway

Merchants of Doubt

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2010
Book Details
Pages

368

Format

Book • Nonfiction

Setting

United States • Late 20th century

Publication Year

2010

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway reveals how a small group of politically motivated scientists, including Fred Seitz, Fred Singer, Bill Nierenberg, and Robert Jastrow, used their influence to create the illusion of scientific uncertainty on topics such as smoking, acid rain, ozone depletion, global warming, and pesticide use, in order to prevent government regulation. The book addresses the harmful effects of tobacco use and the misleading information that contributed to doubts about climate change, environmental pollution, and public health.

Informative

Mysterious

Unnerving

Challenging

Reviews & Readership

4.3

9,160 ratings

82%

Loved it

13%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway is praised for its thorough research and compelling narrative. It effectively exposes the strategies used by industries to mislead the public on scientific issues. Critics note a dense writing style and a potentially overwhelming amount of detail, but overall, it's a powerful, enlightening read.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Merchants of Doubt?

Readers who enjoy Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway are often interested in environmental science, history, and the politics of misinformation. Similar to those who appreciate Rachel Carson's Silent Spring or Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, they'll value the investigative approach to how scientific facts are manipulated to influence public opinion.

4.3

9,160 ratings

82%

Loved it

13%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

368

Format

Book • Nonfiction

Setting

United States • Late 20th century

Publication Year

2010

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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