How to Talk to a Science Denier, Lee McIntyre
How to Talk to a Science Denier, Lee McIntyre
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

How to Talk to a Science Denier
Conversations with Flat Earthers, Climate Deniers, and Others Who Defy Reason

Author: Lee McIntyre

Narrator: Eric Michael Summerer

Unabridged: 8 hr 32 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 09/21/2021

Synopsis

"Climate change is a hoax—and so is coronavirus." "Vaccines are bad for you." These days, many of our fellow citizens reject scientific expertise and prefer ideology to facts. They are not merely uninformed—they are misinformed. They cite cherry-picked evidence, rely on fake experts, and believe conspiracy theories. How can we get them to change their minds and accept the facts when they don't believe in facts? In this book, Lee McIntyre shows that anyone can fight back against science deniers, and argues that it's important to do so. Science denial can kill.

Drawing on his own experience—including a visit to a Flat Earth convention—as well as academic research, McIntyre outlines the common themes of science denialism, present in misinformation campaigns ranging from tobacco companies' denial in the 1950s that smoking causes lung cancer to today's anti-vaxxers. He describes attempts to use his persuasive powers as a philosopher to convert Flat Earthers; surprising discussions with coal miners; and conversations with a scientist friend about genetically modified organisms in food. McIntyre offers tools and techniques for communicating the truth and values of science, emphasizing that the most important way to reach science deniers is to talk to them calmly and respectfully—to put ourselves out there, and meet them face to face.

About Lee McIntyre

Lee McIntyre is a Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and an Instructor in Ethics at Harvard Extension School. He is the author of Post-Truth and Dark Ages: The Case for a Science of Human Behavior.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kara

As Lee McIntyre reflects in the book, this topic seems even more relevant now than it did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have very effective vaccines that will help us mitigate the harms of COVID-19, yet a shocking proportion of people are hesitant to get vaccinated. A perhaps less-shocking prop......more

Goodreads review by Brian

Anyone who has friends in the US probably has at least one who could be described as a science denier. Lee McIntyre offers us the intriguing promise of delivering 'Conservations with flat earthers, climate deniers and others who defy reason.' There are certainly elements of this present, which is wh......more

Goodreads review by 8stitches 9lives

How to Talk to a Science Denier: Conversations with Flat Earthers, Climate Deniers and Others Who Defy Reason is a fascinating exploration of philosophy, in particular, epistemology and metaphysics, age-old science, history, politics and the phenomenon of fake news and the way in which they all inte......more

Goodreads review by Corvus

Painfully neoliberal at times, but there are good bits as well. The good: He discusses how science works and how that's very different from how much of the public is taught to view science (i.e. that it's either 100% proof or wrong rather than a process of testing, theorizing, discovering, and revis......more

Goodreads review by Rob

I had to change my rating from 4 to 5 stars. Initially I ranked it 4, not for content, but dryness. These types of books just tend to be dry. Only authors like Malcolm Gladwell and Oliver Sacks manage to make science-y topics utterly engaging. But then I realized that I had added two different quotes......more

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List