Merchants of Doubt

How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming

Naomi Oreskes

Recommended By

Book Synopsis

"Merchants of Doubt" by Naomi Oreskes is a captivating and eye-opening exploration of the strategies employed by a group of influential scientists to cast doubt on pressing issues, such as climate change and the harmful effects of tobacco smoking.

Drawing on extensive research and interviews, Oreskes exposes the disturbing tactics utilized by these scientists to manipulate public opinion and delay necessary action. She reveals their connections to powerful industries and think tanks, which provide them with resources and platforms to spread their misleading narratives.

By delving into the historical context and examining case studies, the author reveals a pattern of scientists trading their expertise for personal gain, in an effort to undermine scientific consensus and perpetuate doubt. Oreskes sheds light on how this manipulation contributed to the delay in implementing effective policies, resulting in dire consequences for public health and the environment.

Through her meticulous analysis, Oreskes challenges readers to question the sources of information they encounter, and emphasizes the importance of recognizing and confronting the intentional spread of misinformation. She encourages a more critical approach to evaluating scientific knowledge and understanding the broader societal implications of doubting established facts.

"Merchants of Doubt" serves as a wake-up call, urging individuals, policymakers, and society as a whole to confront and reject the manipulation of scientific knowledge for personal and corporate interests. Oreskes empowers readers to recognize the dangers of doubt manipulation and take action, emphasizing the importance of supporting evidence-based decision-making in addressing pressing global challenges.

Explore More Books

See All
The Course of Love
Battlegrounds
The Immateriality of the Material
The Rise of the Rest
Ask The Dust
Ready Player One
American Exceptionalism
The Professor in the Cage
Epic Measures
What's Our Problem?
Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Guns, Germs, and Steel
Thinking and Deciding
Sun Rises in the Evening
Win Your Inner Battles
The Statistical Mechanics of Financial Markets
René Girard's Mimetic Theory
The 10,000 Year Explosion
The Big Short
The Coaching Habit
Setting The Table
Tragedy and Hope
Musashi
The World We Have Lost
The Columbian Exchange
Idoru
Adult Children of Alcoholics
Mathematician's Delight
Exhalation
The Lessons of History
I am Benjamin Franklin
The Bias That Divides Us
Thinking In Bets
A Life
A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things
Cold Calling Techniques
Limitless
The Idealist
The Politics Industry
Triggered
The Moment of Lift
Man's Search for Meaning
Things Never To Tell Children
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Turtles All The Way Down
Mountains Beyond Mountains
Powernomics
The Madness of Crowds
Spiritual Warfare
Imaginable
Accidental Presidents
A Father First
The Making of the President 1960
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Tomorrow's Table
Whole Earth Discipline
The Paris Architect
Boom
The Power of Habit
Essays and Lectures
Natural Born Heroes
Diaminds
Algorithms to Live By
Fast Food Nation
The Last Days of Night
Spiritually Incorrect Enlightenment
War Nerd
Talking to Strangers
Eating to Extinction
American Prison
The Warrior Ethos
The Jungle Grows Back
The Hustler
String Theory
The Big Test
Where Wizards Stay Up Late
Life After Power
Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius
A World-Class Education
Soon I Will Be Invincible
Insanely Simple
The Little Book of Investing Like the Pros
The Forgotten Man
At Play in the Fields of the Lord
The Eden Project
The Art of Seduction
I, Robot
Prelude to Foundation
Business Adventures
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
Meditations
Rise of the Dungeon Master
Dealing with Darwin
Play Anything
One Up
Mindfulness in Plain English
Cradle to Cradle
History Has Begun
We Were Soldiers Once... And Young
Undaunted Courage