Choice Review
The book's subtitle, How Sloppy Science Creates Worthless Cures, Crushes Hope, and Wastes Billions, best describes the main theme. Harris, a renowned science journalist, utilizes two types of sources of information--direct conversations with relevant sources and journal articles, which are presented in the work's "Notes" section. These journal articles serve as evidentiary support for statements the author makes throughout the text. Harris's explanation for the Rigor Mortis title is that it references the current and relative stagnation of three aspects of medical science: the speedy turnaround of research, which is often not reproducible; the lack of significant drug development; and the number of major diseases with no new drug treatments. The author's background as a science journalist helps him provide a strong overview of scientific developments, which are analyzed and presented well. The work is suitable for a wide-ranging audience, as no scientific background is required to comprehend the content. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. --Richard S. Kowalczyk, University of Michigan
Library Journal Review
Science journalist Harris investigates the research on research as he explores the highly competitive field of medical science. The author interviews scientists, doctors, patients, and administrators, covering the pitfalls that lead to faulty conclusions and retracted papers. Numerous studies have established that mistakes often come from issues with experimental design, comparison groups, randomization, and contamination. Seemingly small differences in methods and specimens can lead to invalid findings that cost millions and delay future studies. This book provides detailed insight into how scientific research is currently conducted, including how new drugs are discovered and tested and how diseases are studied. The author discusses possible improvements such as increasing transparency, data sharing, strengthening peer review, altering tenure requirements, and creating new funding structures. VERDICT This behind-the-scenes look at biomedical research will appeal to students and academics. A larger audience of impacted patients and taxpayers will also find this critical review fascinating and alarming. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries.-Catherine Lantz, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Lib. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
