Bad (book about) Science

I gave Bad Science by Ben Goldacre the old college try. I wanted to like this book, as the promise is quite interesting. That is, the discussion of the myriad of bad surveys and data used to sell untold amounts of goods to the consumer public. The inner secrets of the data behind miracle weight-loss pills, exercise gadgets that promise fabulous results, and homeopathic remedy effectiveness all laid bare, their sciencey underpinnings meticulously analyzed so that we, the reader, can learn to see through their tricks and ask the right questions to become better and more informed consumers.

It sounds great. I made it a few chapters in and just couldn't bring myself to finish.

The problem for me was the tone the author set. It's not enough to discuss the pseudo-science behind a lot of these ideas. The author seemingly had bought into his own awesomeness, and the writing reflects it. Every example read as "wow, would you get a load of these idiots." I found this negative tone rather unappealing, and wish he could've just stuck to the science. Others seem to have liked it though, your mileage may vary.