Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to search

Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules

Separating Fact from Fiction, and the Science of Everyday Life

by (author) Joe Schwarcz

read by Garrett Goodison

Publisher
ECW Press
Initial publish date
Jul 2020
Subjects
General, Questions & Answers, Applied Sciences, General

Library Ordering Options

Description

A healthy dose of scientific skepticism in the information age, from bestselling author Dr. Joe Schwarz

The internet is a powerful beast; no matter what question you may have, the answer is just a few keystrokes away. But with so many sources available, and so many conflicting answers, how do you know what information is reliable? In Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules, Dr. Joe Schwarcz takes a critical look at how scientific facts are misconstrued in the media, debunking myths surrounding canned food, artificial dyes, SPF, homeopathy, cancer, chemicals, and much more. Unafraid to expose the sheer nonsense people are led to believe about health, food, drugs, and our environment, Dr. Joe confronts pseudoscience and convincingly and entertainingly advocates for a scientific approach to everyday life.

About the authors

Joe Schwarcz is Director of the McGill Office for Science and Society. He is well known for his informative and entertaining public lectures on topics ranging from the chemistry of love to the science of aging. Dr. Joe has received numerous awards for teaching chemistry and for interpreting science for the public and is the only non-American ever to win the American Chemical Society’s prestigious Grady-Stack Award for demystifying chemistry. He hosts "The Dr. Joe Show" on Montreal's CJAD and has appeared hundreds of times on The Discovery Channel, CTV, CBC, TV Ontario and Global Television. He is also an amateur conjurer and often spices up his presentations with a little magic. Dr. Joe also writes a newspaper column entitled “The Right Chemistry” and has authored a number of books including best-sellers, Radar, Hula Hoops and Playful PigsThe Genie in the BottleThe Right ChemistryAn Apple a Day, Is That a Fact?, and Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules.  Dr. Joe was awarded the 2010 Montreal Medal, the Canadian Chemical Institute’s premier prize recognizing lifetime contributions to chemistry in Canada. In 2015 he was named winner of the Balles Prize for critical thinking by the US based Committee for Skeptical Inquiry in recognition of his 2014 book, Is That A Fact?

Joe Schwarcz's profile page

Garrett Goodison's profile page

Awards

  • Short-listed, Vine Awards for Canadian Jewish Literature

Editorial Reviews

“Ultimately, the author successfully demonstrates how claims should be queried and analyzed before they are accepted … Recommended for readers of health, nutrition, and popular science.” — Library Journal

“The book is chock-full of captivating anecdotes … The author engages readers with his wit and wisdom.” — The Canadian Jewish News