Book & podcast collection

Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works

byHelen Pearson

Science journalist Helen Pearson traces the movement to determine what truly works through controlled trials, systematic reviews, and other methods for comparing outcomes. She follows researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and reformers who challenged intuition, tradition, and authority by demanding better evidence. The book explains both the power and limits of evidence-based decision-making, including bias, poor measurement, selective reporting, and questions that numbers cannot settle alone. Pearson shows how disciplined testing has transformed medicine and public policy while arguing that reliable knowledge depends on transparency, humility, replication, and a willingness to change course.

Publisher

Princeton University Press

Publication date

2026-05-26

Format

Hardcover

Pages

368

ISBN

9780691207070