Wrong: Why Experts* Keep Failing Us--And How to Know When Not to Trust Them *Scientists, Finance Wizards, Doctors, Relationsh

by David H. Freedman

Book Overview

Our investments are devastated, obesity is epidemic, test scores are in decline, blue-chip companies circle the drain, and popular medications turn out to be ineffective and even dangerous. What happened? Didn't we listen to the scientists, economists and other experts who promised us that if we followed their advice all would be well?

Actually, those experts are a big reason we're in this mess. And, according to acclaimed business and science...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316023787
• ISBN13: 9780316023788
• Release Date: June 2010
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.6" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Asking the hard questions

Author David Freedman takes on the experts, and how they mislead us, if we let them. This original and common-sense critique of expert opinion traces how it gains credibility within a particular field, often spilling over to a much larger audience. It scrutinizes the many ways advice may take a wrong turn, even when it comes from one of the greats. The book is well researched with examples from medicine, science, business, consumer products and other facets of everyday ife where experts may weigh in accurately or not. With his many substantial contributions as a journalist covering these topics, Freedman has a wealth of case studies and anecdotes to draw upon. He is well equipped to take on the big ones, which he does with ease (Yes, even Albert Einstein was sometimes wrong). This is an excellent read, with much good humor, historical perspective, honest analysis and whimsy. An appendix describes how the book itself may be wrong. Freedman leaves us with a tip list of what to look for in deciding who to trust and who to ignore. I highly recommend this book - it will make you ask the hard questions before believing what passes as expert advice these days.

What's Right About "Wrong"

With insight and inventiveness, David H. Freedman synthesizes the latest research on not just why but how experts fail us. We live in a time of the search for the quick fix; Freedman gives the lie to the very concept and shows us how to get inside the studies and reports we rely on to actually benefit our lives. A must-read for every thinking person.

Wrong

This book confirms what I have suspected for a time--that many if not most studies have a conscious or unconscious bias. While I do not disregard all studies, I ask myself "who is conducting the study" and "how large is it."

Expert opinions are wrong in 2 out of 3 cases

There's a great routine which once appeared on the old Laugh In show where an interviewer asked Goldie Hawn how she felt about being so dumb. Not bad, she said, because it's the "smart" people who are always giving us the wrongheaded advice that gets us into real trouble. Who's responsible for the state of the economy? The "smart" people. Who's responsible for when we've gone to war? The "smart" people. Yep, the "smart" people, the experts themselves. And the humour of the routine turned on the same simple principle which guides this book: that we are never so misled as when we think our choices have been vetted by people who know better than us. According to author David Freedman, not only are we misled by our experts but it could actually occur in more than 2 out of 3 cases. He got this figure by watching findings from major scientific journals and then waiting months (or perhaps even years) to see if they were refuted. And guess what he found? They were refuted and at a rate of 2 out of 3 times. So assuming that minor scientific journals would be even greater in their error rate, he came to his sad opinion. As a witness to multiple wars, the Fen Fed debacle of the 90s and the recent economic meltdown, I found this book's findings very easy to believe. I also found his 11 point program for recognizing possible flaws in expert advice to be very helpful too...of course, in addition to the healthy dose of salt we must take when listening to what the "smart" people have to say. I highly recommend this book.

A book I can really use

Like a lot of people, I listen hard to what my doctor says, swallow whole the advice of a lawyer when I seek it, etc... Freedman's book is a wakeup call for me and the many people who tend to equate narrow expertise with reliable, and especially, knowledgeable advice. Oil industry engineers are only the latest experts to give us a false sense of security; who's next? This book offers great insights into the industry of expertise marketing.