Essentially a lot of interesting trivia with a little too much dad humour. Guy sounds really friendly and a lot of those topics are important, making these almost PSAs, but in the end it's not going to rock your world view (I hope). ( )

Schwarcz goes through a litany of scientific and pseudo-scientific claims in this work which reads like a collection of blog posts (but that is not necessarily a bad thing.) Reminded me somewhat of Proofiness. ( )

Fun and quirky, this book debunked some beliefs of mine (DDT= unmitigated evil, for one), and told some riveting tales I'd never dreamt could be true. Direct and immediate writing style, big ol' sense of humor. ( )

Joe Schwarcz has done it again. This host of a science call-in show in Montreal and Toronto has put together another collection of his commentaries on the science of everyday life. All four of his previous books have been "Hal's Picks", and you can find all of them in the Index. As usual, most of the science is chemistry. In this collection, he again devotes a lot of space to issues of health and nutrition, favorite topics of his listeners. He dispels some myths about dangers associated with cooking in Teflon pans, and does an especially good job of discussing the pros and cons of DDT and DDE, including his confession that his opinion of Rachel Carson and "Silent Spring" has undergone drastic reversal in light of evidence. Alzheimer's disease is still largely shrouded in medical mystery, and I appreciated his frank remarks about what is known, and what might be true about this scourge. His description of the advice given freely (and worth every penny) by the clerks in "health food" stores is a cautionary tale. Schwarcz mixes good story-telling, accurate science,some history, and a sympathetic yet skeptical attitude to guide his readers to understanding the scientific world around them. ( )

A collection of articles on the science of everyday life - everything from the truth about DDT to quack medicine.- organised in 4 main categories; health, chemistry, history and baloney. This book is easy reading and with luck, a few nuggets of useful information may stick in your mind. ( )