First, please let me make clear that I am very pro-vaccination. But, I have friends who have adopted this ideology, and I want to try to understand them instead of dismissing them as kooks and idiots.

The first few chapters talk about anti vaccine movements throughout history. The one common thread is that people allow superstition and fear to override evidence. And when forced to vaccinate, there is violence. I am sympathetic to the feelings of people wanting body autonomy. But, I also believe that people’s fears shouldn’t endanger public health. Another common thread is that anti vaxxers often falsely claim that unspeakable atrocities are being performed in the service of vaccination, like having vaccines tested on orphans.

The next section goes over some of the more prominent scandals surrounding anti-vaxxers. These are the stories that a lot of anti-vaxxers cling to like a branch as they're falling off a cliff. There's no convincing your anti-vaxxer friends or family about these incidents being false.

The book then transitions to an analysis of why anti-vaxxers believe what they do. This is where the book starts to shine. Berman's conclusions are cogent. He then synthesizes all of his findings into a case study and shows us how we can maybe, just maybe, convince the anti-vaxxers in our families and friend groups to examine reliable information. I won't go into specifics, because it's important for people to read this section of the book.

I strongly recommend this book. It's one of the first books I've read that combines an analysis of media theory, behavioral science, and morality to explain why people believe in disproven ideas about vaccines. ( )