Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong

This book was disappointing. It's also factually misleading. The first couple chapters I didn't have any particular qualms with, Fritz Haber's demise, good fats vs bad fats, etc, the misleading white paper that led to the Opioid crisis. However, the chapter about DDT felt like a Rachel Carson hit piece. The tone was so specifically angry it felt completely out of place in a pop science book. And then to quote Michael Crichton of all people in this chapter. Michael Crichton, known hater of science and liberal ideology. Woof.

As a person who just graduated college with a biology degree this was an interesting book to read. To me it amazed me how willing some scientists and people were to a catch-all diagnosis and tag lines. I feel that the saying “if it's too good to be true, it probably is” applies to many of these experiments that went wrong. Reading this book has emphasized to me how important reproducibility and peer-reviewing articles are. I am glad that I read this book right before I start my career in the biology/chemistry field. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in science and even reading for the interest of knowing which seven experiments Dr. Offit talks about.