Book Review

Exposing the 20 Medical Myths: 

Why Everything You Know About Health Care is Wrong 
and How to Make It Right  

By: Arthur Garson Jr., MD and Ryan Holeywell  
(Rowman & Littlefield)

This is a concise, up-to-date, rigorously referenced analysis of twenty of the most troublesome “myths” that continue to misguide the American public’s views about health care. Most of the myths discussed are well-known by scholars, and have been “busted” by other previous works. Like other works within this “myth-busting” genre, this book often relies on a rigorous comparison between the health care systems in the US, Canada, and Europe. Of those 20 myths, the first and last are highly representative: Chapter 1. “US Health Care is the Best in the World.” And, Chapter 20. “There is No Health-Care System That Will Work for the United States.” Other US issues include: preventative care, doctor shortage, malpractice, and emergency room treatment. The authors argue that public acknowledgement these twenty myths is necessary for sustained long-term planning and reform. Critics might observe that the book omits many other important myths, especially a variety of “myths” related to the education of US health care professionals. Nevertheless, this is a highly recommended textbook for undergraduate and graduate students, health care policy scholars, the general public, and anyone who still believes that health care in the US is the best in the world.

Reviewed for Choice Magazine by: 

Ronald F. White, PhD

Mount St. Joseph University