Very interesting discussions of a wide range of scientific topics, containing lots of information but in an accessible and conversational style as though chatting with a friend. Starts with the Covid-19 pandemic, but also covers a wide range of other areas, drawing historical comparisons and dispelling myths and fake news.

Despite this being a book on science, this author thinks it is necessary to discuss racism. That is not science, that is his opinion on what is occurring in the world. Then, he goes on to discuss the "science" of covid. I say "science' because his science is out dated and not at all current with the guidelines and science that is known today. True, this was written in 2020, but you should try to have the most accurate information and the "science" in this book is not always correct even for 2020. It was so bad that I couldn't finish the book.

As popular science books go this is a very easy read, well within the grasp of second level chemistry students and even those who may not have much scientific knowledge at all. A nice collection of stories but in reality nothing that isn’t already fairly common knowledge. The first section devotes itself to covid related issues and the rest is referred to as life outside covid and in many ways this is the downfall of the book as it dates it immediately. Not entirely the fault of the author as it was very difficult to foresee the pace at which this pandemic has developed.
I opted for the audio book but I feel that was a mistake. The narrator did not seem comfortable with a lot of the language used and was overly careful with pronunciation which made for slightly uncomfortable listening. American pronunciations can be gotten used to and expected but some words were simply pronounced incorrectly to my ear.
I can certain recommend it as an easy read which shows the interesting parts of science and I’m sure most readers will come away with a useful piece of knowledge and I may indeed pick it up again as the written version.

Thanks to NetGallery and the publishers for this audio ARC

Covid has impacted our view of science and its application to the medical field. Schwarcz has written a book that looks at the science and pseudo-science behind the personal and social treatments of the virus, as well as a few other common products. Each chapter is digestible alone, though they are related. Some have nothing to do with Covid, but they do generally flow one into another.

The author is a doctor and scientist who popularizes science by writing of it in ways that are easy for most non-scientists to understand. Here he includes the history of the science being examined, snapshots of the people who collected and interpreted the data, and how it was applied. Without realizing he has done so, Schwarcz repeatedly illustrates that science itself doesn’t say anything, but scientists do.

This audiobook was not as engaging as many I have heard. The subtitle reads “Captivating Accounts of Science in Everyday Life” but these stories are not captivating, though they are interesting. Attempts at humor fall flat and the material is politicized. This is more a collection of semi-related essays than anything else.

Three stars. My thanks to ECW Press Audio via NetGalley.

#ECWPressAudio #NetGalley #ArcturusPublishing #ScienceGoesViral #catsandbookstagram #catsandbooks #booksandcatstagram #booksandcats #ifcatscouldread

This was an odd one. I love science in all its forms, whether it's speculative in a sci-fi novel or the real thing explaining how our world works. The only time I don't like it is when it's misrepresented in social media, something that's been happening a lot in recent years, and people use those misrepresentations to justify their selfish or otherwise harmful actions. Here we got some nice juicy bits of science, some explanations of how they might have been (mis)represented when disseminated to us, and a lot of commentary to tie it all together. It was a timely and welcomed read, because it came from a trustworthy source.

I have to say Science Goes Viral: Captivating Accounts of Science in Everyday Life was a worthy read, but would also stress that Joe Schwarcz not quit his day job of science-ing. He's great at making the facts easy to understand, approachable and even interesting, but his attempts at humor mostly fizzled and died.

Science goes Viral by Dr. Joe Schwarcz is a must read! Interestingly enough, Dr. Schwarcz is part of McGill University’s “Office for Science and Society” whose mission of separating sense from nonsense- very fitting when considering this book.

This book was so informative and filled with current research which I love! The side comments and humor insert just made the book so much more “human” and easier to digest. I find it hilarious when an academic uses humor, maybe because I’m currently being subjected to my professor’s humor, but it was great!

I found that Dr. Schwarcz managed to hit on a lot of interesting and current topics, including COVID, which is phenomenal. Science in general is very confusing so having difficult and controversial topics broken down was very helpful.

I highly recommend everyone pick up this book as it gives you a great break down of science in an easy to digest manner.


Thank You to Dr. Joe Schwarcz and ECW Press Audio for the audio-digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Science goes Viral by Dr. Joe Schwarcz is a pop science book for the masses. Schwarcz is Director of McGill University’s “Office for Science and Society” which has the mission of separating sense from nonsense. He is well known for his informative and entertaining public lectures on topics ranging from the chemistry of food to the connection between the body and the mind. Recently the Office has focused on trying to unravel the mysteries of COVID-19.

Schwarcz covers two areas in this book. The first section exhaustively covers COVID19 and examines the science and disinformation that has spread with the virus from vaccines to home remedies. Schwarcz uses the Spanish Flu for a comparison and shows similar reactions of the general public. His tone and demeaner are straight forward and in a way the successful popular pop science "stars." There is a bit of Bill Nye, James Burke (Connections), and bit of "dad" in the form of his jokes ending each chapter.

The remainder of the book goes into modern science, disinformation, and old wives' tales. The topics range from ginger ale, Plexiglas, selenium, Red Die #2, tobacco, and essential oils. All topics are easy to understand by the non-science reader. Some topics come from the recent news like the woman who mistook Gorilla Glue for hair spray to the more historical like Red Dye #2 which many my age will remember. There is even the unexpected story like how an American became a Hero of the Russian Republic and the Andromeda Strain.

Science goes Viral is easy to understand and listen to. The narrator, Raoul Bhaneja, does an excellent job at reading. He is confident and comfortable in his delivery, so much so, that I kept thinking the narrator's voice was the author's voice. A listener can tell when the narrator is unfamiliar in the subject he or she is reading. The author and narrator compliment each other well in Science Goes Viral. Well worth the read for those with an interest in science, but not necessarily the background.

This audiobook is an entertaining listen full of loosely connected science and medicinal trivia. Highly engaging vignettes make for easy listening and just right for short stints of listening or for a long, enlightening listen. Most stories revolve around the science related to memes, news topics, and events during the 2020-2021 years.

Thanks to the publisher for advance access to this audiobook. Absolutely fascinating examination of the pandemic. Most importantly, the author acknowledges the pandemic of systemic racism at the beginning of the book.

Science has somewhat been thrust into the public domain over the last few years, with covid in the news and at the forefront of many lives. Science goes viral was an amazing example of fantastic science communication and it was so informative, easy to listen to and the content was great.

The book started with not just a viral plague but the plague of discrimination and racism which was a nice inclusion, before going into the science of pandemics and science beyond covid.

It was really well written and split into subsections to make the information easier to digest.

From the starts of the disappearance of toilet paper and the science behind that (who could have known the science behind toilet paper could be so interesting! I was enthralled), to the history of medicine, why hand washing works, history of vaccines and how covid vaccines work, why ginger eases nausea, the science behind plexiglass , intermittent fasting, supplements and plant based burgers? just to name a few. There was a lot of great content included in here.

I learnt so much and it was delivered in such a down to earth, none complicated way, it’s perfect for every reader or listener, whether you’re a avid science reader or never really read science before. As a scientist, there was plenty for me that really engaged my brain but its amazing and so well suited to non scientists too.

This is a book that I’d love to have on my shelf, as it’s one that you can go back to again and again for a re read.

This is a book that could come with a guarantee to make the 'average Joe' just that bit smarter! It starts by separating the truth from fiction, regarding that hot topic on everyones lips.... covid 19 (of course!) The information I learnt from this was fascinating, and on the basis of this alone I would recommend a listen! However the wonder of this audiobook doesn't end there as we are taken through a whole host of other 'sciencey' stuff! I feel like I have had a decent eduction through this book alone and now have some interesting facts to imparts to anyone who will listen making me just that little bit more interesting!!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.