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Weekend read: The vitamin myth

I take a multivitamin on a daily basis. I do this despite knowing that the evidence shows that it’s unlikely to do me any good, though I’m healthily sceptical of the evidence that suggests it’s actively harmful (I think that this effect might reasonably be explained by confounders). I suppose my own behaviour is more of a habit than anything.

With that in mind, I was delighted to come across an article discussing this very topic in The Atlantic, written by none other than Professor Paul Offit, a well-respected paediatrician. In fact, as it turns out, the article is an extract from his book. In the extract, he gives a little of the history of the vitamin supplement history, and sets out the research evidence on the topic. But, more than that, he tells a truly engaging story, and leads one through it almost by hand. It’s a really great read!

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Weekend read: The undertaker’s racket

My recommended read this weekend is “The Undertaker’s Racket” written by Jessica Mitford and published in The Atlantic.tic. It’s a very well-written article describing the funeral business in the United States. It’s fascinating, shocking, and intriguing all at once, without ever being ghoulish.

It wasn’t until after I’d finished the article that I realised the date on top of it – this was originally published in 1963. It was written to promote the release of Mitford’s book, The American Way of Death, an exposé of the industry’s practices which caused a huge stir when it was published.

At over fifty years old, I think this may be least timely article I’ve chosen in this series to date, but it’s most definitely worth a read this weekend.

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Weekend read: Medical emergencies at 40,000 feet

My recommended read for this weekend is an article from The Atlantic about in-flight medical emergencies. I have read quite widely around this subject over the years as it’s something I find interesting. Yet despite the fact that I didn’t feel that I learned an awful lot that was new from Celine Gounder’s article, I found it very absorbing – and not a little shocking in parts. It’s well worth a read.

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