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1) David Gorski's nasty comment to me warrants an explanation. Some 3 decades ago I wrote an encyclopedic expose of quackery published by Prometheus Books & edited by pioneer quack buster Dr. Stephen Barrett. It received rave reviews by rationalists, but thumbs down by the media.
2) The major radio & TV talk shows gave endless hours of fawning coverage and promotional interviews to authors of the best-selling alternative medicine and hoax diet books, but, in spite of my publisher's best efforts essentially blackballed me. Frustrated and angry, I spent the
3) next several years studying & documenting the media's promotion of quackery. The worst culprits were the major broadcast networks, CNN, NPR & PBS. I then wrote a book titled "Lying for Fun and Profit; the Truth about the Media." I self-published a hundred copies and sent them
4) to the most active quack busters of the time, including Dr. Victor Herbert, Dr. Wallace Sampson, and Bill Jarvis, PhD, co-founder of the National Council Against Health Fraud (now run by Dr. Stephen Barrett). I invited them to use the material in their lectures and writings.
5) They all gave the book thumbs up and agreed to use the material. Dr. Sampson, then at Stanford Medical School, taught the first college class on health fraud in the country. He gave the book a full-page review in "Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine", calling it "a pearl
6) of a book" that should be read by all. Of course no one would publish it. Years later e-books were invented and I made "Lying..." available as a free e-book, which it still is: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/675547
7) Naturally, I wanted as many people as possible to learn about the dishonesty, cynicism and corruption of the media, and their alliance with the health fraud industries. So when I came across the Science Based Medicine blogs I brought the book to the attention of the editors
8) of the site, including Drs. Gorski, Novella and Hall. I was surprised and puzzled that they showed no interest at all. When I pressed them a bit for an explanation and pointed out that (the late) Dr. Sampson, one of the founders of the site, loved the book, Dr. Novella replied
9) that they had differences with Dr. Sampson and had changed their editorial approach since he died. Dr. Hall, who reviews more books than Siskel and Ebert reviewed movies, refused to review it and wouldn't explain why. I emailed other SBM editors and contributors, but none
10) would communicate with me. In other words, SMB bloggers, who I thought were my allies, had decided to shun me exactly as the mainstream media had always done. And none of them would explain why. It was frustrating and sad. It still baffles me. Why not review the book honestly
11) & say where they find it lacking? But they not only refuse to review it, they all refuse to give my tweets promoting it a single retweet. With their many followers 1 RT could help educate thousands of people about how the multi-millionaire media stars had helped indoctrinate
12) an entire generation into believing in alternative medicine and nutrition hoaxes. So why not RT and let the readers decide? Could the reason be as petty as my chiding them for allowing ads promoting brazen quackery to appear on their site? It's hard to believe, but I can't
13) think of any other reason. And Dr. Gorski's nastiness today suggests he still bears a powerful grudge, more powerful than any desire he might have to help expose the corrupt symbiosis between Big Media and Big Quackery.
14) In conclusion, I urge all rationalists & quack busters to download & read the book. If you think it's terrible, let me know by tweet. If you like it let me know. If you just think it's good food for thought, retweet the last tweet in this thread. Edzard Ernst did & it helped.
15) How did we get into this anti-vax, legalized quackery situation? The answer is in this free e-book. I am selling nothing. No one pays me. Please retweet. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/675547
