Cover of Doctored

Book · 2025 · Health & Fitness

Doctored

Fraud, Arrogance and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimers

by Charles Piller · Recommended by 1 person on 1 podcast

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The book that Charles Piller wrote is called Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's.
Stephen Dubner · Freakonomics Radio · Apr 2026

Why people recommend it

Doctored by Charles Piller is an investigative examination of fraud, arrogance, and tragedy within the scientific quest to cure Alzheimer's disease. On an episode of Freakonomics Radio, host Stephen Dubner brought up this compelling publication toward the end of the broadcast to analyze the systemic hurdles and institutional failures plaguing modern medical research. Dubner carefully stated the full title of Piller's book to his listening audience, emphasizing the gravity of the systemic issues exposed in the investigation. The discussion shed light on why progress has remained painfully slow in finding effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease, pointing to compromised data, institutional defensiveness, and misplaced confidence within the scientific establishment. By highlighting Piller's exhaustive reporting, the podcast offered listeners a sobering look at how academic corruption and unchecked ambition can derail critical breakthroughs in medical science, ultimately harming patients and stalling vital pharmaceutical developments for decades while researchers chase flawed hypotheses and protect flawed reputations.

Every mention

2 counted mentions · 2 passing or ad reads below
Stephen Dubner The book that Charles Piller wrote is called Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure A… 2
Discussed
“The full title of Piller's book is Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's.”
Recommended
“The book that Charles Piller wrote is called Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's.”
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
Plugged
“My name is Charles Piller. I am an investigative journalist with Science Magazine and author of the book Doctored.”
Plugged
“This is detailed in my book and also in the article that I wrote about it. And it was, I think, not that surprising in a way.”

Portraits from Wikimedia Commons: Stephen Dubner, Audrey S. Bernstein / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).