Killing Us Softly: The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine

A medical expert – the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia – offers a scathing expose of the alternative medicine industry, revealing how its popular therapies are ineffective, expensive and even deadly.A half a century ago, acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy, Chinese herbs, Christian exorcisms, dietary supplements, chiropractic manipulations and traditional Indian remedies were once considered on the fringe of medicine. Now, these practices—known as alternative, complementary, holistic, and integrative medicine—have become mainstream, used by those seeking to burn fat, detoxify livers, shrink prostates, alleviate colds, s…