Pandora's Lab examines seven scientific breakthroughs that ultimately lead us in the wrong direction, and considers what lessons we might learn from them so that we don't make the same mistakes again.
On the one hand, this is a fascinating and thought-provoking book. One of the highlights for me was the chapter about opioid addiction. Offit manages to succinctly describe the history of this class of drugs, starting from the opium poppy plant to its recent chemical formulations that have led to a staggering addiction crisis. This chapter puts into perspective and helped me understand this drug, its allure, addictive properties, and chemical evolution in a way that multiple standalone books in the past have not done.
Another chapter I really enjoyed is the one on margarine. I appreciated Offit's straightforward, scientific writing and the way he broke down the differences between the fats. In particular, he made it easy to understand what is so special and dangerous about trans fat, and what to watch out for when grocery shopping.
In general, I found most of the seven stories to be insightful, but the chapter on DDT was a huge exception. Offit argues that Rachel Carson, through her book Silent Spring, called forth a revolution against DDT that led to its eventual ban in the US and around the world. He harps on the fact that this anti-DDT movement was not backed at all by science. This surprised me, so I looked into it, and every article I found of reputable origin agrees that DDT does harm humans and animals, acting as an endocrine disruptor and thinning the eggshells of birds. The author didn't mention any of this, and it's clear he cherry-picked the data he included so that it supports his narrative. This chapter reads more like Offit's personal rant instead of the calm, scientific exploration it should have been.
Another part of the book that disappointed me was the epilogue. In it, the author attempts to argue that e-cigarettes are not harmful because they don't cause cancer as traditional cigarettes do (since they don't have tar). I'm really surprised to read that a scientist would take such a narrow point of view on what's considered harmful, especially when he should have known that nicotine addiction is a huge issue and should not be brushed aside so lightly.
Overall, this book is a mixed bag. There are some extremely informative and thought-provoking passages in here, and I learned a lot from reading this book. But at times, Offit commits the same sin he is writing about, where he lets his scientific expertise cloud his judgement and presents his personal views instead of what the data and science really shows.
Readaroo Rating: 3 stars
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