The Stickler’s Guide to Science in the Age of Misinformation is an excellent little foray into how to dig deeper than the headlines, which means a lot of people should read it. It’s a little pedantic at times, but since science is all about the details and the pursuit of “hmm, what else?” this makes sense.
I don’t want to write an in depth review on this, in part because I’m feeling lazy and in part because the point of reading a book like this is for you, dear reader, to learn what it’s trying to impart. The book is organized into 13 chapters, each one detailing something about which modern discourse is trying to dumb us down. Each chapter begins with a story from Bouchard’s life in which he talks about something he thought through, that then goes into the information, and ends by tying everything back together in the story. It’s charming and informative.
My favorite piece of trivia I learned from this is that with the exception of smallpox, nearly every single infectious virus on earth originates in animals and crosses the species barrier to infect humans. Coronaviruses, which include the common cold, SAARS, and of course COVID-19, all originate within bats. Influenzas originate in either pigs or birds, which makes sense because dug, swine flu and bird flu. The initial crossing of the species barrier is an especial risk when multiple animals are kept together in unsanitary conditions and there are lots of chances for cross-contamination before a second mutation jumps it to humans. This is why wet markets are so risky and such a breeding ground for infection.
It’s not revelatory, but it’s fun and informative, especially if you do not often dip into pop-science yourself. A strong recommend.