I went into this book with good faith, pity the authors couldn't do the same. Pro-tip: If you're trying to convince people of a conspiracy, an out-there premise, or absolutely bonkers, debunked "medical" BS; at least make it an interesting read. This lacked scientific rigor, sound research, or even entertainment value. It's not worth anyone's time and especially not their money. Please stop giving anti-vaxxers with an agenda a platform to spread their pseudoscience and misinformation. I got this book for free from NetGalley, and the price was still far too high.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this book. It's supposedly about the corruption that takes place in big pharma as it relates to medical research and politics, but winds up pointing to the authors passion project, the anti-vax argument. The actual reading is very dense. There is a lot of detailed medical information and research findings that Mikovits shares to try to substantiate her claims, and there is so much to absorb, both in those studies, but also the stories she tells about how she was persecuted by her industry for some of the conclusions she comes to. She talks about colleagues winding up dead surrounded by mysterious circumstances, her own run-in with authorities and eventual arrest and expulsion from her field, and it all seems far-fetched. The book reads like fiction. Honestly, at the end of it, I wasn't sure if any of it really happened or if she was just a disgruntled employee. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This book really should have employed a ghost writer. While the author's story is compelling, it's written in a way that's hard to follow and amateur. I would have appreciated much more of the science and much less of the personal stuff, which honestly read as something that seemed hard to believe was actually fact. It may be, but it was so confusing and odd that I couldn't recommend this to others. I have seen the author in interviews and she seems really qualified and brilliant when she's talking science. That is lost in the writing here, which is a shame.

SYNOPSIS

Heckenlively and Mikovits have produced an excellent primer for anyone who seeks the truth of corruption in Big Pharma.

Dr. Judy Mikovits is an extraordinary polymath and an incredibly accomplished medical researcher. She made her mark in the scientific community with her findings that led to changes in the treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection (HIV), and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Dr. Mikovits is a recognized leading scientist.

Problems began for Dr. Mikovits when she challenged the use of animal tissue in medical research that was producing diseases in their human patients.

Dr. Mikovits tells her story of almost 40 years of experience in the research science field. She describes her professional association over three decades with the one of the co-founders of the discipline of Human Retrovirology, Dr. F. Ruscetti.

CONCLUSION

It is a rare thing indeed for a doctor to endanger her integrity, professional standing, and reputation to champion a cause. Dr. Mikovits had much to lose and yet her morals demanded that she reveal the truth. I genuinely sympathize with her precarious position and admire her commitment to science.

This manuscript does possess its detractors, and I have seen some extreme reviews that based their views on partial information. In my opinion this was a book that was required to correct the current situation in Medicine and the Pharmaceutical Industries. I heartily recommend this work to you, if you are willing to suspend your disbelief.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My sincere thanks go to: Kent Heckenlively and Judy Mikovit (Authors), NetGalley, and the Publisher Skyhorse for affording me the opportunity to review Plague of Corruption.

*I received a free galley of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I dislike being one of the first to review a book, but here goes.

I wanted to rate this five stars due to the amount of research & data within, but unfortunately it is written in a way that makes little sense. These are scientists, not writers, so I'm not all that put off by it, but it could have benefitted from an editor to organize the timeline and data so that it didn't jump all over the place in a way that was difficult to follow. Be prepared to be confused by the authors' way of hopping back and forth in time and subject. My other quibble with this book is the way Dr. Mikovitz sometimes made comments about other scientists or systems that came off as childish and petty. I understand that she's been wronged, but I didn't see these comments as necessary. Give me the data and let me make my own conclusions, thank you.

That aside, this book is full of science that will blow your mind. Dr. Mikovitz has done her homework and I liked how she doesn't just through a study at you and expect you to decipher it on your own, but gives you the excerpt and then restates it in plain terms that are easier to understand. Her story is one that will confound and anger you simply because of the injustice. I came into it already aware that there is corruption between our healthcare and our government, so I wasn't surprised, but the average person reading this with an open mind will be shocked.

I do want to add that to those of you who will discount her testimony simply because she includes information of vaccines that contradicts the mainstream narrative, please ask yourself what she could have to gain. She's lost everything because of what she speaks out about. She wouldn't have if she hadn't strayed from the narrative. What could compel a scientist to risk everything with no gain?

Definitely worth the read.

From the description of this book, I was lead to believe this was about a brilliant scientist, her career, finding cures and destroying the patriarchy all the while.

Instead, this ended up being a bitter woman talking about being persecuted by the medical community for believing that vaccines cause autism.

Besides that glaring ignorance, the writing in this is quite awful. It jumps all over the place, it’s clunky and has no rhythm or style which makes it a huge chore to read.

And because of the author’s belief that vaccines cause Autism, I have a very hard time believing any information about autoimmune illnesses/diseases and ME/CFS- how do I know you aren’t biased or pushing an agenda.

Not impressed at all.
1 star.
DNF @ 30%
ARC provided by Skyhorse Publishing via NetGalley

This book is simply dreadful. It is not worth anyone's time or money. This tome is the story of the "anti-vaxxers" and their ongoing fight with medical science. government agencies and everyone in general. What the authors forget is that if you innoculate one million kids some are going to have negative outcomes and for a small number the result may be very tragic, indeed. But one must balance these few sad outcomes with the reality that hundreds of thousands of kids are spared the possibility of contracting polio, whooping cough or some other deadly malady..