Author: Joe Schwarcz Publisher: ECW Press ISBN: 1770905286 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 202
Book Description
The bestselling “quackbuster” and “tireless tub-thumper against pseudoscience” fishes for the facts in a flood of misinformation (Maclean’s). Eat this and live to 100. Don’t, and die. Today, hyperboles dominate the media, which makes parsing science from fiction an arduous task when deciding what to eat, what chemicals to avoid, and what’s best for the environment. In Is That a Fact?, bestselling author Dr. Joe Schwarcz carefully navigates through the storm of misinformation to help us separate fact from folly and shrewdness from foolishness. Are GMOs really harmful? Or could they help developing countries? Which “miracle weight-loss foods” gained popularity through exuberant data dredging? Is BPA dangerous or just a victim of unforgiving media hype? Is organic better? Schwarcz questions the reliability and motives of “experts” in this “easy-to-understand yet critical look at what’s fact and what’s plain nonsense. “Takes its readers through the carnival of pseudoscience, the morass of half-truths and, finally, the relatively safe road of reproducible scientific knowledge. This journey is made all the more enjoyable by Dr. Schwarcz’s surgical use of words and his mastery of public writing . . . [He] can always be counted on to write about the chemistry of the world in a way that is both entertaining and educational.” —Cracked Science “Written with a light touch and refreshing humor, this book provides a solid, authoritative starting point for anyone beginning to look at the world with a skeptical eye and a refresher for those further along that path.” —Library Journal
Author: John D'Agata Publisher: Hachette UK ISBN: 1529404630 Category : Language Arts & Disciplines Languages : en Pages : 128
Book Description
NOW A BROADWAY PLAY STARRING DANIEL RADCLIFFE 'Provocative, maddening and compulsively readable' Maggie Nelson In 2003, American essayist John D'Agata wrote a piece for Harper's about Las Vegas's alarmingly high suicide rate, after a sixteen-year-old boy had thrown himself from the top of the Stratosphere Tower. The article he delivered, 'What Happens There', was rejected by the magazine for inaccuracies. But it was soon picked up by another, who assigned it a fact checker: their fresh-faced intern, and recent Harvard graduate, Jim Fingal. What resulted from that assignment, and beyond the essay's eventual publication in the magazine, was seven years of arguments, negotiations, and revisions as D'Agata and Fingal struggled to navigate the boundaries of literary nonfiction. This book includes an early draft of D'Agata's essay, along with D'Agata and Fingal's extensive discussion around the text. The Lifespan of a Fact is a brilliant and eye-opening meditation on the relationship between 'truth' and 'accuracy', and a penetrating conversation about whether it is appropriate for a writer to substitute one for the other. 'A fascinating and dramatic power struggle over the intriguing question of what nonfiction should, or can, be' Lydia Davis
Author: Mark Battersby Publisher: Broadview Press ISBN: 1770485988 Category : Philosophy Languages : en Pages : 306
Book Description
How much should we trust the polls on the latest electoral campaign? When a physician tells us that a diagnosis of cancer is 90% certain or a nutritionist tells us what is healthy to eat, what should we believe? Questions such as these are greatly important, yet many of us have only a vague sense of how to answer them. In Is That a Fact?, Mark Battersby aims not only to explain how to identify misleading statistics and research, but also to give readers the understanding necessary to evaluate and use statistical information in their own decision making. This second edition is revised and updated throughout and includes a new chapter on weighing risk in personal and public decision making.
Author: Mark Battersby Publisher: Broadview Press ISBN: 1554811325 Category : Philosophy Languages : en Pages : 252
Book Description
We are inundated by scientific and statistical information, but what should we believe? How much should we trust the polls on the latest electoral campaign? When a physician tells us that a diagnosis of cancer is 90% certain or a scientist informs us that recent studies support global warming, what should we conclude? How can we acquire reliable statistical information? Once we have it, how do we evaluate it? Despite the importance of these questions to our lives, many of us have only a vague idea of how to answer them. In this admirably clear and engaging book, Mark Battersby provides a practical guide to thinking critically about scientific and statistical information. The goal of the book is not only to explain how to identify misleading statistical information, but also to give readers the understanding necessary to evaluate and use statistical and statistically based scientific information in their own decision making.
Author: Tony Stead Publisher: Taylor & Francis ISBN: 1003843328 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 317
Book Description
The book you are about to read is destined to be the first, middle, and maybe even the last word on nonfiction writing for young, young children. It is certainly a text that you will return to over and over again as you do with a beloved cookbook. —from the Foreword by Tomie dePaola Over eighty- five percent of the reading and writing we do as adults is nonfiction, yet most of the reading and writing in K–3 classrooms is fiction or personal narrative. In Is That a Fact? Teaching Nonfiction Writing K-3, Tony Stead shows you how to open the door to the rich world of nonfiction writing that goes beyond what I did narratives and animal reports. And he convincingly demonstrates the importance of introducing nonfiction writing in the primary grades. Nonfiction inspires enthusiasm in young children because they can choose topics that are of interest to them personally. Is That a Fact? explores a variety of authentic purposes for writing nonfiction, such as describing, explaining, instructing, persuading, retelling, and exploring relationships with others. You will learn how to introduce each purpose using a variety of forms, including letters, reports, poetry, captions, directions, and interviews. Part One provides a complete overview of teaching nonfiction writing in the primary grades and includes: practical ways for organizing nonfiction resources within the classroom;how to assist children in collecting information for research;ideas for helping children keep their sense of voice when writing nonfiction;a chapter on spelling, with examples of how to guide students at each stage of spelling development;strategies for assessment and evaluation that guide teaching and learning engagements. Part Two provides five different explorations that were implemented in actual K–3 classrooms. Each focuses on a specific purpose for writing nonfiction and features:examples of whole-class, small-group, and independent instructional engagements;a comprehensive assessment rubric that will help teachers tailor instruction to the needs of all learners;an extensive resource section that includes lists of books in the exploration, grouped by readability levels;answers to the most commonly asked questions about teaching nonfiction writing. The appendixes include a self-assessment questionnaire, reproducible pages for exploring specific writing forms, and letters to parents. Children need to be introduced to the different purposes of nonfiction writing. They need to know how to plan, compose, revise, and publish nonfiction beyond narrative. Is That a Fact? guides you in achieving these goals with your students.
Author: Seema Yasmin Publisher: Simon and Schuster ISBN: 1665900059 Category : Young Adult Nonfiction Languages : en Pages : 368
Book Description
From acclaimed writer, journalist, and physician Dr. Seema Yasmin comes a “savvy, accessible, and critical” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) book about the importance of media literacy, fact-based reporting, and the ability to discern truth from lies. What is a fact? What are reliable sources? What is news? What is fake news? How can anyone make sense of it anymore? Well, we have to. As conspiracy theories and online hoaxes increasingly become a part of our national discourse and “truth” itself is being questioned, it has never been more vital to build the discernment necessary to tell fact from fiction, and media literacy has never been more important. In this accessible guide, Dr. Seema Yasmin, an award-winning journalist, scientist, medical professional, and professor, traces the spread of misinformation and disinformation through our fast-moving media landscape and teaches young readers the skills that will help them identify and counter poorly-sourced clickbait and misleading headlines.
Author: Jonah Winter Publisher: Schwartz & Wade ISBN: 0525581790 Category : Juvenile Fiction Languages : en Pages : 41
Book Description
A New York Times bestselling author and the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The Good Egg deliver a perfectly timed, funny read-aloud about the importance of telling the truth. There once was a fact who could not lie. But no one believed him. When the Authorities lock the sad little fact away, along with other facts, the world goes dark. But facts are stubborn things. With the help of a few skillful fact finders, they make a daring escape and bring truth back to brighten the world. Because after all, "a fact is a fact" and that's that! Truth be told, this spare, ingenious story reads like a modern-day parable. Bestselling author, Jonah Winter, and the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The Good Egg, Pete Oswald, pair together to remind us of the importance of honesty and truth during a time of lies and fake news.
Author: Everest Media, Publisher: Everest Media LLC ISBN: Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 38
Book Description
Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 We are constantly being bombarded with information, and it is up to us to separate sense from nonsense. We must learn how to scrutinize that information in the light of what we already know. #2 Scientific knowledge is gained through a distillation of the relevant peer-reviewed literature. And that literature is the altar at which scientists worship. But there is faith involved, and that faith cannot be blind. It must be tempered with a dose of skepticism. #3 The peer-review process is not perfect. It is possible for humans to be lazy, and results that do not seem to fit the curve may be deemed erroneous and ignored. #4 Peer review is not the end all, but it is the final stage in a scientific investigation that began with an observation that prompted a comment along the lines of that’s funny.
Author: Scott Bateman Publisher: Penguin ISBN: 1101608374 Category : Humor Languages : en Pages : 321
Book Description
Have you ever wanted to dazzle your friends with your command of history, science, and other important matters? No? Then this is the book for you. Ronald Reagan once famously said, “Facts are stupid things.” The book you hold in your hands will prove it. Did you know that Albuquerque’s population is 78% chupacabra and 22% victim? Do you know why civilization started in Mesopotamia, and not Boise? And did you know the reason you shouldn’t stare at the Sun is that it will probably shoot you and turn your skin into a rain poncho? Disalmanac is a handy compendium of false facts covering everything from world history and economics to pop culture, sports, and more. All of which are incorrect, but try not to be so judgy about it. But wait, there’s more. You’ll also discover a generous supply of Random Bonus Facts from the likes of Michael Ian Black, Neil Gaiman, Wil Wheaton, Weird Al Yankovic, and other luminaries who may or may not have a good grasp of the facts.
Author: Barbara J. Shapiro Publisher: Cornell University Press ISBN: 9780801488498 Category : Curiosities and wonders Languages : en Pages : 300
Book Description
Shapiro traces the genesis of the fact, a modern concept that originated not in natural science but in legal discourse. She follows the concept's evolution and diffusion across a variety of disciplines in early modern England.
Author: Joe Schwarcz
Author: John D'Agata
Author: Mark Battersby
Author: Mark Battersby
Author: Tony Stead
Author: Seema Yasmin
Author: Jonah Winter
Author: Everest Media,
Author: Scott Bateman
Author: Barbara J. Shapiro