Not a Scientist: How Politicians Mistake, Misrepresent, and Utterly Mangle Science

by Dave Levitan

Overview

An eye-opening tour of the political tricks that subvert scientific progress.

The Butter-Up and Undercut. The Certain Uncertainty. The Straight-Up Fabrication. Dave Levitan dismantles all of these deceptive arguments, and many more, in this probing and hilarious examination of the ways our elected officials attack scientific findings that conflict with their political agendas. The next time you hear a politician say, "Well, I’m not a scientist, but…," you’ll be ready.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393353327
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	04/18/2017
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Dave Levitan is a journalist whose work has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Scientific American, Slate, and many other outlets. He lives near Philadelphia with his wife.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Introduction 1

1 The Oversimplification 9

2 The Cherry-Pick 28

3 The Butter-Up and Undercut 44

4 The Demonizer 60

5 The Blame the Blogger 73

6 The Ridicule and Dismiss 96

7 The Literal Nitpick 111

8 The Credit Snatch 124

9 The Certain Uncertainty 138

10 The Blind Eye to Follow-Up 155

11 The Lost in Translation 172

12 The Straight-Up Fabrication 186

Conclusion: The Conspicuous Silence 201

Notes 207

Index 241

Editorial Reviews

10/31/2016
In this breezy read, science journalist Levitan contends that when politicians talk about science, “they end up spewing misinformation and errors virtually at every step.” He goes on to argue that detecting these inaccuracies is fairly easy: “This book groups these rhetorical and logical errors into clear types to help you find them when they arise, and to cut through the misinformation once you’ve spotted them.” He focuses on 12 such types, including cherry-picking facts, ignoring follow-up studies that yield contrarian results, ridiculing scientific studies by ignoring the context in which they were performed, and simply fabricating results. Levitan presents a range of examples that demonstrate his point, including controversies over fracking and vaccination, but he devotes most of his time to climate change, using political statements about the topic to illustrate most of his 12 types of error. In each case, he presents a politician’s argument and then follows up with a readily understandable explication of the underlying science. The book is accessibly written but sarcasm-heavy, and it superficially flits from topic to topic. Levitan professes to focus on science, but his critique of politicians can be applied to virtually all disciplines and largely amounts to suggesting that constituents use critical thinking skills when listening to political speech. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"Read Dave Levitan’s bare-knuckled book for insight into the manipulations and distortions by anti-science politicians who have chosen to act as advocates for vested corporate interests rather than the people they’re supposed to represent."

Michael Mann

"Levitan’s anecdotes range from the ridiculous to the terrifying . . . If it were up to me, it would be required reading for all congressional staffers working on issues related to science, engineering, and technology."

Science - Sheril Kirshenbaum

"With this compelling and enjoyable book, Dave Levitan may have put the "I'm not a scientist" line out to pasture for good. While I expect politicians may not read it, the public should! Science issues will be at the heart of every important decision our new President makes."

Lawrence M. Krauss

"This deliciously mordant critique [is] a key handbook for an era of “alternative facts” and pressures on research."

Nature - Barbara Kiser

"A clever, timely guide to the sneaky ways sleazy politicians bamboozle us on climate change and other scientific issues. Ernest Hemingway said every good writer needs a built-in, shockproof BS detector, and now thanks to Dave Levitan we can all have one."

Dan Fagin

11/15/2016
Science journalist Levitan exposes the various ways that politicians have misused or dismissed scientific claims to further their agendas. The book lays out a taxonomy of rhetorical devices employed, devoting a chapter to each. From the outright untruths (often easily refuted) and use of scare tactics to games with attribution, such as hiding untrustworthy sources, taking credit for a predecessor's policies, or being selective in what facts are used to generalize about an issue, these tactics are laid open, and numerous examples are given. While the author covers the expected intersections of science and public policy, morality, or business interests (drug legalization, vaccination, abortion, climate change), sometimes the science is stretched to cover other fields, such as immigration being tied to public health. Though Levitan claims to be attempting a nonpartisan treatment, virtually all of the examples are Republican, and the few Democrat or leftist cases are minimized. The final message of this book is to be vigilant and skeptical about all scientific claims used to support a political agenda. VERDICT A valuable guide to spotting and dissecting obfuscating rhetoric from those in elected office.—Wade M. Lee, Univ. of Toledo Lib.

Library Journal

2017-02-19
A look at how trends in political rhetoric are used to undermine scientific evidence.In 1980, then presidential candidate Ronald Reagan uttered a now infamous preface to a statement disputing the amount of sulfur dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by cars: "I'm not a scientist…." Journalist Levitan highlights Reagan's succinct deflection as a precedent and entry point into the upside-down world of misinformation and science denial that would be parroted and paraphrased by succeeding generations of politicians through the present. The author organizes his chapters around strategies of misinformation highlighting the methods in which politicians, usually Republicans, manipulate data and public perception to cynically sow doubt in scientific fact. With chapter headings such as "The Oversimplification," "The Straight-Up Fabrication," "The Cherry-Pick," and "The Blame the Blogger," it's clear that Levitan doesn't think their tactics are subtle or terribly ingenious. However, as he shows, underestimating these brazen tactics overlooks their startling efficacy. Though the author's examples of political misinformation skew predominantly Republican, he qualifies this perceived bias by flat-out stating this majority is simply a reflection of the party's unfortunate abandonment of mainstream scientific values. The most obvious and discussed subject is climate science. As the most pressing scientific issue of the day, climate change is given ample pages for Levitan to work out the incredibly erroneous and egregious falsehoods peddled by the GOP to deny the overwhelming scientific evidence and community consensus that climate change is caused by human consumption of fossil fuels, among other things. Other subjects of discussion include the debate on embryonic life and the cutoff for abortion, the anti-vaccination movement, and genetically modified organisms. Levitan's levelheaded examination of these rhetorical gymnastics is a vital antidote to and warning against a dangerous, regressive future. A no-holds-barred takedown of political idiocy and the terrifying reality of science denial.

Kirkus Reviews