anachroneironaut t1_j9efm47 wrote
Blatant misinformation that is directed to vulnerable people can be very harmful. Predatory books by health gurus directed towards ill people and their loved ones.
I have worked in healthcare with cancer patients and their close ones who were given false hope by some alternative medicine books and gurus selling books and supplements/lifestyle advice. Seeing the patients suffering and refuse treatment (even for pain) and slowly slip away, all the time blaming themselves for not responding better to the woo-woo prayers/substances/positive thinking/particular diet/supplements… Seeing them hurting and SO confused and hurt about why they are becoming worse and not better… Some of them even perished from things that a surgical procedure would likely have cured. All of it while lining the pockets of some sociopath with a degree and a book deal.
If it was tough for me to witness, I can only imagine how it was for them and their families living it.
Traditional medicine does not work all the time either. Refusing treatment of any kind is definitely within anyones right! I am not looking for a debate on this. My point here is not about the science being right or wrong, it is about predatory guru-like authors (sometimes using their educational credentials in traditional sciences) using cancer patients to sell books and branded supplements and putting the blame on the patients when the particular “treatment” does not work.
In theory, I would like to burn these books. In practice, I realise and accept that it would be impossible to do in a reasonable way. Also, there is the danger of the slippery slope, controlling free speech and all. But I still want to see those particular books burn.
RhiRead t1_j9ewwxo wrote
Have you ever listened to the podcast If Books Could Kill? Highly recommend it, they pick different ‘airport books’ each week (non-fiction fad books, often woo woo themed) and discuss them and the impact they had.
On the episode about The Secret, they say that the book influenced a woman to give up chemotherapy because she really thought that asking the universe to cure her would work.
I guess burning books like this would be harmful at this point because we need to use them as examples of exactly how junk science can be harmful, but i can’t help but think how many people might have been harmed unnecessarily by books like The Secret.
lucia-pacciola t1_j9f409i wrote
I asked the universe to cure my cancer, and the universe was all like, "I gotchu fam. Check out this chemo shit I cooked up."
isthenameofauser t1_j9fb1nu wrote
Scientists are made by the universe, after all.
anachroneironaut t1_j9eygwx wrote
Yep, that is one of the books I saw influence someone to make decisions that led to their premature death.
I agree with not burning them, definitely. No literal burning of books for me. But figuratively, I want to burn them.
Thing is, I do agree that adults need to take responsibility for their choices, for the information they consume and make decisions from. And information wants to be free. But having seen the chaos and desperation that some illnesses bring, the people profiting from this makes me sick. I have not heard about the podcast, will check it out.
Amphy64 t1_j9g1cwm wrote
I think a further problem is that these books aren't just impacting individual patients who choose to read them, the views spread, they can promote/justify ableism, and it's difficult to get an ableist to take responsibility for the harmful impact of their views/actions.
I'm a victim of medical negligence and have every reason to distrust the medical system itself, but more scientific understanding is definitely the answer, not less. It's not even just the most obvious crystal healing stuff, psychology as a field is horrific for woo, and still, despite a history of medical abuse, holds the influence to be more widely harmful. Having a bunch of misplaced pins through my spinal canal, possibly splitting the cord, and severe life-altering neuropathic pain incl intense burning, I'd at least be tempted to watch the writers of some of these books be added to the pyre and sweetly ask them 'Have you considered that pain is all in your head?'.
boysen_bean t1_j9gbi0r wrote
If Books Could Kill is one of my favorites. I haven’t read any of the books they talk about but its still very interesting. I was in elementary school when the internet was becoming more common. Teachers were so big on “can’t believe whats on the internet, use books instead.” Misinformation is everywhere; something existing in print doesn’t mean it’s true.
leafshaker t1_j9ex6hp wrote
I totally agree. I'm an organic farmer and naturalist, so I'm pretty open about this stuff. That said, I have several friends who have really bought into this stuff. It's so hard to talk them out of it without pushing them further away.
The appeal to nature fallacy is a strong one. It's so sad to see people gamble with their health, and infuriating that publishers are profiting off this. I'm sure some of these authors are genuine, but some must be writing in bad faith, especially those with scientific training.
anachroneironaut t1_j9ezrdu wrote
There is a lot of interesting research and experience about how positive thinking and holistic views and also some treatments influence disease progress and prognosis. It can work well together with traditional/conventional medicine. Or by all means, solely in some cases. But it needs to be an informed decision not influenced by the profit hunger of someone else.
I think following the money can be very elucidating. Cui bono? Just like personal finance books written by people who only got rich writing personal finance books. Adding cancer to it just makes it even more heartbreaking.
leafshaker t1_j9f2jpc wrote
Absolutely! It's a shame that so many boosters for alternative medicine pair it with distrust of conventional medicine. They are often preying on people's bad experiences with the medical industry, and neglect to mention that some of these alternatives are also billion dollar industries!
In the theme of this thread, all those books written in bad faith would be my nomination, though it's impossible to screen for that.
anachroneironaut t1_j9f7yzc wrote
Despite some bad experiences, many people I encounter seem to reason like you and I. This is very good, I think.
“In bad faith” was a good and succinct collective descriptor for books I think deserve to be burnt (though as you conclude, impossible to screen for). I know the expression well, though I did not think of it (English as second language).
spotted-cat t1_j9ffz42 wrote
I’m a Pagan witch and run a blog on Tumblr, and I see posts about stuff like this so often it makes me sick. Not even alternative medicine — stupid things like putting straight up poisonous rocks in your water bottle cause they look pretty. Personally, I practice some herbalism and various aspects of mindfulness but I also take meds daily for mental health issues and I go to therapy, and I go to doctors when nothing else works.
What people don’t understand is that herbalism and witchcraft or whatever is just a supplement that’s meant to be used in conjunction with modern medicine. Witchcraft itself started out as science — herbalism, midwifery, and dream interpretation which is rooted in psychology and symbolism. The rest of it is basically asking for advice and hoping for the best.
I’m really sorry for all the hardship you’ve experienced and I’m really sorry about all the assholes in the Pagan and New Age communities that made these thing happen.
anachroneironaut t1_j9fk3tx wrote
Ah, thank you for your words, reflections and the sympathy! I am still in healthcare but nowadays with less patient contact of that particular kind. I am also what could most closely be described as a hedge druid with some organised training, so you could say I do stand with a leg in each camp. It sometimes makes it easier, but sometimes not. Let us all help each other to the best of our abilities.
Crawgdor t1_j9ewqnn wrote
Those were the only ones that came to mind for me as well, although I think that burning or banning them would provoke a Streisand effect and they would become more widely read for it
anachroneironaut t1_j9eym8v wrote
I think in many countries it is already forbidden to make “health claims“ of a more specific kind. But it seems easy to get around it by insinuation and such. I agree about the Streisand effect.
ThrowawayCult-ure t1_j9excyj wrote
Id say that books that are intentionally predatory/intended as scams should definately go. A raving looney talking about their astral projections fine, but if they dont even believe it? cya.
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