Book details

Hype

A Doctor's Guide to Medical Myths, Exaggerated Claims, and Bad Advice - How to Tell What's Real and What's Not

Author: Nina Shapiro, M.D., with Kristin Loberg

Hype

Hype

About This Book

A straightforward appraisal of why health myths exist, dispelling many of them, and teaching readers how to navigate the labyrinth of health advice and the science and misinformation behind it. Hype is Dr. Nina Shapiro’s engaging and informative look at the real science behind our most common beliefs and assumptions in the health sphere.
Page Count
288
Genre
On Sale
05/01/2018

Book Details

A Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 2018

A straightforward appraisal of why health myths exist, dispelling many of them, and teaching readers how to navigate the labyrinth of health advice and the science and misinformation behind it.


Hype
is Dr. Nina Shapiro's engaging and informative look at the real science behind our most common beliefs and assumptions in the health sphere.

There is a lot of misinformation thrown around these days, especially online. Headlines tell us to do this, not that—all in the name of living longer, better, thinner, younger. Dr. Shapiro wants to distinguish between the falsehoods and the evidence-backed truth. In her work at Harvard and UCLA, with more than twenty years of experience in both clinical and academic medicine, she helps patients make important health decisions every day. She's bringing those lessons to life here with a blend of personal storytelling and science to discuss her dramatic new definition of “a healthy life.”

Hype covers everything from exercise to supplements, alternative medicine to vaccines, and medical testing to media coverage. Shapiro tackles popular misconceptions such as toxic sugar and the importance of drinking eight glasses of water a day. She provides simple solutions anyone can implement, such as drinking 2% milk instead of fat free and using SPF 30 sunscreen instead of SPF 100. This book is as much for single individuals in the prime of their lives as it is for parents with young children and the elderly.

Never has there been a greater need for this reassuring, and scientifically backed reality check.

Imprint Publisher

St. Martin's Press

ISBN

9781250149312

In The News

"Written with a surgeon's incisiveness and clarity, Dr. Nina Shapiro 'cuts' through the clutter of confusion when it comes to the best advice for your health. In an age of information overload, it has become increasingly challenging to find trusted voices, which is why Hype could not come at a better time. As a top-doctor but also as a mom, wife and friend, Shapiro knows what matters most to her readers. She also knows how to skillfully blend knowledge with engaging and entertaining stories. Every home should have a copy of Hype."—Sanjay Gupta, MD, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent and New York Times bestselling author

"In Hype, Nina Shapiro leads us carefully along the frontier between medical knowledge and uncertainty. She is one of the best doctors I know, and now her wisdom and bedside manner are available to everyone, at book length. If you want to remain sane while facing some of life's greatest challenges—read this book."—Sam Harris, New York Times bestselling author of The End of Faith, The Moral Landscape, and Waking Up

"If you’re tired of reading competing, confusing headlines in the health sphere or wondering if the latest 'clinically-proven' trend is worthy advice, then Hype is a must-read book. In this clear, concise, no-nonsense guide to understanding what’s truly good for you—and not—Dr. Nina Shapiro inoculates you with the data-driven truth. Filled with knowledge and engaging stories, this book reveals facts that will surprise you, all of which will empower you for total well-being." —David B. Agus, MD, New York Times bestselling author of The End of Illness, Professor of Medicine and Engineering, University of Southern California, and
Founding Director and CEO, Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine

"Hype is an indispensable book packed with history, research, and personal anecdotes. It is the antidote to overwhelming internet searches, floods of health information, and endless tips from friends or family members who are not trained in health care. Nina Shapiro has become the expert at cutting through spin and guiding freaked out patients off the ledge. Since unsolicited advice isn’t going away, the best next step is to arm yourself with the information in this book. This should be mandatory reading."—Cara Natterson, MD, New York Times bestselling author of The Care and Keeping of You Series

"In these times, the lines have blurred between real and fake news. Likewise, in healthcare, there are abundant false claims, fictions, and fabrications. In HYPE, Dr. Nina Shapiro, a medical truth–seeker and master explainer, takes us on a path of scrutiny and veracity."—Eric Topol MD, Professor, Scripps Research Institute, and author of The Patient Will See You Now

"In Hype, Nina Shapiro and Kristin Loberg guide us through the dense thicket of seductive medical advice offered by the media, celebrities, activists, and health hucksters. Unlike most skeptics, however, they aren’t simply naysayers, but instead willing to tell us what works and what doesn’t. Some of their advice, no doubt, will surprise you."—Paul A. Offit, MD, author of Pandora's Lab and Autism's False Prophets

"[A] feisty, fact-filled diatribe. [Shapiro's] skeptical, no-nonsense approach and probing assessment of fact versus fiction make for lively reading that is likely to help readers make better health and medical choices."—Publishers Weekly

"An extremely useful, easy-to-read handbook."—Booklist

About the Creators

Hype

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