They Look All Innocent But They'll Hurt You

"There's a horror story sitting on my desk. It's right in the middle of Ben Goldacre's updated version of Bad Science.

On the front cover, there's a quote from the Observer newspaper, which calls this the book of the year and adds: 'You'll laugh your head off, then throw all those expensive health foods in the bin.'

But Bad Science is not funny. Yes, the doctor, writer and broadcaster lambasts detox treatments, ear candles, nutritionists, homeopathy, brain gym, a fish-oil 'trial', bad statistics and the anti- vaccination movement. He does it in a cheeky and challenging way - but keep reading. By the time you get to Chapter 10, titled The Doctor Will Sue You Now, you won't be chuckling. Highly likely, you'll be chilled and even outraged to learn how and why the Aids epidemic occurred in South Africa. This chapter didn't appear in the first version of the book because Goldacre and The Guardian, which he writes a column for, were fighting a libel suit from vitamin- pill entrepreneur Matthias Rath.

Goldacre feels so strongly about this story he's put the entire chapter on the internet, telling people to share it, copy it and repost it, all for free. Click here to view online."

-- Virginia Winder, who better get back to appreciating NewAge mumbo-jumbo before somebody finds out and she winds up divorced, or sued, or fired and Stuff.