Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's (Charles Piller)

The field of medical research has been subject to increased scrutiny from a number of places. Whether that scrutiny comes from other researchers or from journalists, medical theories that are heralded originally as “breakthroughs” are increasingly turning out to not be real or are seriously flawed. Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer’s by Charles Piller is a deeply unsettling and meticulously researched exposé that casts a harsh light on the integrity of Alzheimer's disease research. 

Piller's investigative journalism pulls back the layers of scientific fraud, manipulated data, and entrenched biases that have permeated one particular hypothesis. Doctored focuses on the history of "amyloid hypothesis," a dominant part of Alzheimer's research, and reveals how potentially falsified data has propped up this hypothesis for years. Piller skillfully weaves together a narrative that exposes some self-serving interests (private sector forces wanting money), academic pressures (universities wanting grants to do research), and institutional failures that have been a part of some areas of Alzheimer's research. He highlights the crucial work of whistleblowers who dared to challenge the established narrative, often at great personal and professional risk.

Beyond a tale of scientific malpractice, Doctored offers a review of the systems that govern scientific research. Piller raises vital questions about the influence of funding, the role of prestigious journals, and the accountability of researchers. The book serves as a stark reminder that even in the most noble of pursuits, human fallibility and systemic flaws can have devastating consequences.

Doctored is essential reading for anyone concerned about the reliability of medical scientific research. It serves as a healthy and needed reminder that science can be respected but also needs some level of grounded and factual skepticism to help ensure that good research is taking place.

MY RATING: 5

Employment Is Dead: How Disruptive Technologies Are Revolutionizing the Way We Work (Deborah Perry Piscione and Josh Drean)

The evolution of technology and the pace of change are increasing rapidly. Artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain, to name two technologies, are rapidly changing the way companies operate and the way many people live. Adapting to technological evolution is harder to do given the pace and scale of these changes, but it is necessary for companies who want to grow and maintain their success.

In Employment Is Dead: How Disruptive Technologies Are Revolutionizing the Way We Work, authors Deborah Perry Piscione and Josh Drean offer a refreshing and compelling take on tbe changing relationship between workers and companies. They advocate for a decentralized workforce where workers have more control over decision-making and operating their companies, for the flexibility of gig work, and the ability to work wherever, whenever. Flexible work arrangements may be a tougher nut to crack given larger corporations are slowly lassoing their workforces back into the office four to five days per week. However, Piscione and Drean both believe that such flexibility is helpful for worker engagement and performance.

Employment Is Dead argues that a less hierarchical, more agile company which empowers its workers to perform and embrace AI and other innovative technologies will likely have better chances to be successful in the decades to come. Given the “return to office” movement is picking up steam, this book is a strong counter to the current pulling unhappy workers back in.

MY RATING: 4.5