Everyone knows the
seemingly silly lessons you learn from your mother and doctors for tricks to
staying healthy, curing ailments, and eating right. Dr. Aaron Carroll and Dr.
Rachel Vreeman politely attack these misconceptions in their book Don’t Swallow Your Gum! To explain why each of these tips is a
myth or half-truth Carroll and Vreeman use statistics and humor, while proving
mothers wrong.
To falsify these
often accepted medical deceptions strong research and facts are provided.
Carroll and Vreeman site famous experiments and begin explaining simple
background information and terms for their readers. In the introduction they
define causation and association and relate back to this information throughout
the chapters. By highlighting the difference between these two terms
explanations for the tricks becomes clearer why they are actually false. With
every myth some kind of scientific research supports Carroll and Vreeman claim.
Providing this important information gives the argument more credibility and
allows the reader to understand these ideas as a misconception even if they
were recommendations from their doctor.
Using humor in
their writing is another way Carroll and Vreeman show the invalidity of these
medical myths. Filled with anecdotes of embarrassing stories of each other they
use this device to make the writing entertaining. While supplying facts that demonstrate
that urine will not heal a jellyfish sting, Carroll shares of when Vreeman’s
husband wanted to pee on her sting. The book becomes relevant when real life examples
are given. The humor in them makes science pleasant and exciting. Not only is
the entire book written to prove their mothers wrong, Carroll and Vreeman go to
any measure to embarrass the each other.
The
balance of facts and jokes make Don’t
Swallow Your Gum! Interesting,
informative, and enjoyable for any reader.
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