RESPECTFUL INSOLENCE

"A statement of fact cannot be insolent." The miscellaneous ramblings of a surgeon/scientist on medicine, quackery, science, and pseudoscience (and anything else that interests him).

Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine News of the Weird Quackery

Images from New York, part 1: The unbearable lightness of fraud

Post author By Orac
Post date August 11, 2008
19 Comments on Images from New York, part 1: The unbearable lightness of fraud

Seen in a bookstore in the Delta terminal at LaGuardia:

It makes perfect sense. What’s left after fleecing millions of gullible readers selling books about “alternative” medicine and secret cures “they” don’t want you to know about? Fleecing millions of gullible readers by selling books rife financial scams, of course. (I wonder how many pyramid schemes–excuse me, multilevel marketing investment opportunites”–are within this new book.) Of course, Kevin Trudeau definitely knows about financial scams. After all, he did spend time in jail for swindling banks and another for bilking his customers through credit card fraud.

It would be really humorous if it weren’t for the fact that some credulous people will likely buy this book and fill Trudeau’s coffers yet again. I must be behind the times, too, as I later learned that this book was released last year. How on earth did I manage to miss it, and how can I do it again with the next book that slithers out of the mind of this master snake oil salesman?

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By Orac

Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.

That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)

DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.

To contact Orac: [email protected]

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