Superfoods, Silkworms, and Spandex

In this new collection of bite-size pop science essays, bestselling author, chemistry professor, and radio broadcaster Dr. Joe Schwarcz shows that you can find science virtually anywhere you look. And the closer you look, the more fascinating it becomes. In this volume, we look through our magnifying glass at maraschino cherries, frizzy hair, duct tape, pickle juice, yellow school buses, aphrodisiacs, dental implants, and bull testes. If those don’t tickle your fancy, how about aconite murders, shot towers, book smells, Swarovski crystals, French wines, bees, or head transplants? You can also learn about the scientific escapades of James Bond, California’s confusing Proposition 65, the problems with oxygen on Mars, Valentine’s Meat Juice, the benefits of pasteurization, the pros and cons of red light therapy, the controversy swirling around perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), why English cucumbers are wrapped in plastic, and how probiotics may have seeded Hitler’s downfall. Superfoods, Silkworms, and Spandex answers all your burning questions about the science of everyday life, like:why “superfood” is a marketing term, not a scientific one;why plastic wrap is sometimes the environmental choice;why supplements to reduce inflammation may just reduce your bank account;how maraschino cherries went from a luxury good to a cheap sundae topper;what’s behind “old book smell”;how margarine became a hot item for bootleggers;why duct tape is useful, but not on ducts; andhow onstage accidents led to fireproof fabrics.

AUTHOR

Dr. Joe Schwarcz

Dr. Joe Schwarcz is director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society, dedicated to demystifying science and separating sense from nonsense. He is a popular lecturer, both to students and to the larger public. He hosts The Dr. Joe Show on Montreal radio and is the author of over a dozen bestselling titles. Dr. Joe lives in Montreal, Quebec.

Reviews

“This highly informative, authoritative title makes solid science accessible and entertaining, and it keeps alive the author’s tradition of clearly differentiating pseudoscience and quackery from empirical science. Schwarz’s fans will love this latest book, and he’ll likely gain a new following as well.” — STARRED REVIEW Library Journal
“Dr. Joe gets it right once again! Using fascinating stories that merge the joy of discovery with the history of chemistry, he asks the simplest of questions about the objects that surround us in our everyday environment — questions that we rarely ask ourselves but the answers to which explain everything from pheromones to phlegm and from vampires to vaccines.” — Patricia Brubaker, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
“In Superfoods, Silkworms, and Spandex, Joe Schwarcz continues to make science and discovery both entertaining and educational. In his unique style, he teaches the reader about the origin of everyday items we take for granted and the personalities and times of the people who made them possible.” — David S. Rosenblatt, MD, Professor, Departments of Human Genetics, Medicine, Pediatrics, and Biology, McGill University
“If you’re intrigued by the distinction between science and pseudoscience, Superfoods, Silkworms, and Spandex is your compass through the maze. An indispensable guide to the chemistry of everyday life, this book weaves scientific facts and evidence-based knowledge into a captivating tapestry that readers of all ages will enjoy.” — Michelle Epstein, MD, Allergist and Clinical Immunologist, Medical University of Vienna
“Even well-informed readers will be surprised by what lies beneath… With its bite-sized commentary and accessible language, Superfoods, Silkworms, and Spandex offers quick, navigable lessons on everything from pickles to head transplants.” — Bookworm, no. 30, Literary Review of Canada’s newsletter