There are many diet books, and workout programs you can find online, in magazines and at the book store. Many of the books on nutrition are very compelling to read and quite convincing. But just because a book sounds convincing that doesn’t make it factually correct.
The issue arises when people view a book or magazine the same as a piece of peer reviewed research. But the fact is that books and magazines do not go through a rigorous peer review process. Even if a book has research cited in the reference section it still hasn’t gone through the peer review process the way a scientific paper has.
Scientific papers go through a review process where experts in a given field review and critique research before it can be published. If the paper isn’t up to standard it may not be published. But a book can be full of incorrect information and easily be published.
And that is the big difference between real science and someone who writes a book that is supposed to seem like science.
In today’s podcast Dr. Geoff Dover explains the peer review process for you and why it makes a big difference between scientific papers, magazines and books.
John
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