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Old 07-14-2021, 12:22 AM   #30156
gmw
cacoethes scribendi
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The Woman Who Fooled the World by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano. The non-fiction story of Belle Gibson, who convinced the world she had healed herself of terminal brain cancer by eating a healthy diet. Realistically, the people most likely to pick this up probably won't be surprised by much that they read here.

That said, I still found this to be an interesting book, not just for the story behind Belle Gibson, but also for the deeper look into problems surrounding the incestuous "wellness" industry. There is some exploration of the why Belle Gibson was believed, and why so many offering effectively the same sorts of unsubstantiated advice continue to thrive online, and it touches on the difficulties in verifying medical claims. The book includes some interviews with cancer patients and experts in the treatment of cancer.

The few attempts at balance in the reporting feel somewhat half-hearted, but there are some rather revealing (almost comical) interviews with her parents, and it does raise questions about how much responsibility should be carried by those that promoted Belle, and shared her story, without ever trying to check the facts.

A bit of a stretch maybe, but I'm giving this 4/5 ... because I'll be boring friends and family with quotes from it for some time.

Last edited by gmw; 07-14-2021 at 12:26 AM.
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