I just smoked through, "Autism's False Prophets. Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure" by Paul A. Offit
It is a work exposing almost legendary (at this point) bullshit schemes in the public eye, by one doctor who has spent much of his career debunking improper science and trying to get people to see autism differently from the "curable disease" scenario with which most outsiders view the phenomenon that is our way of being.
I had only briefly read of his work before this book.
From the "Forward" text of this book:
"Children with autism have been placed on stringent diets, subjected to high-temperature saunas, bathed in magnetic clay, asked to swallow digestive enzymes and activated charcoal, and injected with various combinations of vitamins, minerals, and acids. Instead of helping, these therapies can hurt those who are most vulnerable, and particularly in the case of autism, they undermine childhood vaccination programs that have saved millions of lives. An overwhelming body of scientific evidence clearly shows that childhood vaccines are safe and does not cause autism. Yet widespread fear of vaccines on the part of parents persists.
In this book, Paul A. Offit, a national expert on vaccines, challenges the modern-day false prophets who have so egregiously misled the public and exposes the opportunism of the lawyers, journalists, celebrities, and politicians who support them. Offit recounts the history of autism research and the exploitation of this tragic condition by advocates and zealots. He considers the manipulation of science in the popular media and the courtroom, and he explores why society is susceptible to the bad science and risky therapies put forward by many antivaccination activists."
Sorry if I seem obsessed, but I still have homework to do.
