Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming by Naomi Oreskes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Merchants of Doubt is an extremely well-written, well-documented history of the shenanigans employed by those who, in an attempt to avoid unfavorable legislation or the potential loss of profit, attempt to discredit the science rather than accept reality and come up with an appropriate solution to the problems of the world.
The history lesson runs the gamut, including cigarette smoking, acid rain, ozone depletion, second-hand smoke, DDT, and of course global warming. The authors lay out their case with heavily documented precision, showing what the actual science indicated and how it was distorted and misrepresented by those who feared the repercussions. The book shows how disinformation and fear-mongering were used to mislead the public about what the actual scientific evidence showed and what degree of certainty the research scientists had reached.
It’s a sad statement about the lengths to which some will go for their ideology.