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Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS



Books About the Medical and Big Pharma Industries

Cover art for OVERTREATED
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 1, 2007
Kirkus Star OVERTREATED: WHY TOO MUCH MEDICINE IS MAKING US SICKER AND POORER
by Shannon Brownlee
"A bombshell of a book: must reading for consumers, their political representatives and all those White House contenders."
Journalist Brownlee blames America's sky-high healthcare costs on expensive treatments imposed by doctors on patients all too ready to accept or even demand them. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE BILLION-DOLLAR MOLECULE
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 1, 1994
THE BILLION-DOLLAR MOLECULE: ONE COMPANY'S QUEST FOR THE PERFECT DRUG
by Barry Werth
"Colorful, packed with facts and delivering a clear message: that the risks of investing in biotechnology aren't just high--they're stratospheric."
A you-are-there account of the turbulent early days of Vertex, a high-tech, high-risk biotechnology firm. Read full book review >
Cover art for BAD SCIENCE
NONFICTION
Released: Oct. 19, 2010
BAD SCIENCE: QUACKS, HACKS, AND BIG PHARMA FLACKS
by Ben Goldacre
"The author's attacks on alternative medicine are often misguided, but he provides a valuable service in exposing the countless examples of bad science being perpetrated throughout the medical community and in the press."
British National Health Service physician Goldacre shoots down what he considers to be quackery. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE INVISIBLE CURE
NONFICTION
Released: May 1, 2007
THE INVISIBLE CURE: AIDS IN AFRICA
by Helen Epstein
"Critical analysis of a dire situation and a compelling argument for the power of social mobilization."
Public-health specialist Epstein (Where She Came From, 1997, etc.) takes a stark yet hopeful look at the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE PANIC VIRUS
NONFICTION
Released: Jan. 11, 2011
THE PANIC VIRUS: A TRUE STORY OF MEDICINE, SCIENCE, AND FEAR
by Seth Mnookin
"A solid work of popular science, and sure to court controversy."
Does vaccinating a child cause autism? In the face of a considerable lobby arguing in the affirmative, Vanity Fair contributor Mnookin (Feeding the Monster: How Money, Smarts, and Nerve Took a Team to the Top, 2006, etc.) replies with a resounding no. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE HEALING OF AMERICA
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 1, 2009
Kirkus Star THE HEALING OF AMERICA: A GLOBAL QUEST FOR BETTER, CHEAPER, AND FAIRER HEALTH CARE
by T.R. Reid
"A reasoned, well-balanced, highly readable account, especially welcome as the national debate over health care gets underway."
A timely survey--filled with important lessons for the United States--of how other nations have created systems that provide universal health care for their citizens. Read full book review >