Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works
Apr 2026 · Princeton University Press
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The remarkable story of the global movement championing the idea that evidence, not opinions, should guide our decisions
Today, more and more people around the globe are using scientific evidence to figure out what works—in health, government and business as well as conservation, schools and parenting. This wasn’t always the case. This book tells the story of the evidence revolution—a worldwide movement that promotes evidence-based thinking—and shows how it can help us all, especially in an age of alternative facts.
For many years, most medical advice was based on doctors’ opinions and conventional wisdom, not solid science. Helen Pearson describes how evidence-based medicine swept the world in the 1990s—becoming the predominant form of medicine practiced today—and how the idea that evidence should guide decisions is quietly transforming a host of other fields as well. Do police patrols reduce crime? Do performance appraisals boost job performance? Do welfare programs help the poor? Do smaller classes aid learning? Do smartphones harm teenagers? At a time when science is under attack and questionable claims run rampant, Pearson underscores the importance of evidence in all facets of our lives, empowering each of us to sift fact from falsehood and misinformation from the truth.
Essential reading for the rational-minded, Beyond Belief is an engaging portrait of the mavericks, visionaries and rebels who share the simple belief that decisions based on evidence make the world a better place.
Today, more and more people around the globe are using scientific evidence to figure out what works—in health, government and business as well as conservation, schools and parenting. This wasn’t always the case. This book tells the story of the evidence revolution—a worldwide movement that promotes evidence-based thinking—and shows how it can help us all, especially in an age of alternative facts.
For many years, most medical advice was based on doctors’ opinions and conventional wisdom, not solid science. Helen Pearson describes how evidence-based medicine swept the world in the 1990s—becoming the predominant form of medicine practiced today—and how the idea that evidence should guide decisions is quietly transforming a host of other fields as well. Do police patrols reduce crime? Do performance appraisals boost job performance? Do welfare programs help the poor? Do smaller classes aid learning? Do smartphones harm teenagers? At a time when science is under attack and questionable claims run rampant, Pearson underscores the importance of evidence in all facets of our lives, empowering each of us to sift fact from falsehood and misinformation from the truth.
Essential reading for the rational-minded, Beyond Belief is an engaging portrait of the mavericks, visionaries and rebels who share the simple belief that decisions based on evidence make the world a better place.
The remarkable story of the global movement championing the idea that evidence, not opinions, should guide our decisions
Today, more and more people around the globe are using scientific evidence to figure out what works—in health, government and business as well as conservation, schools and par...
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Ratings and reviews
1 review
Mohammad Qardan
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May 26, 2026
Excellent read.
About the author
Helen Pearson is an award-winning journalist and editor for Nature and a TED speaker. Named European Science Journalist of the Year (2025), she is an honorary professor at University College London, where she teaches science writing, and the author of The Life Project: The Extraordinary Story of 70,000 Ordinary Lives.
Helen Pearson is an award-winning journalist and editor for Nature and a TED speaker. Named European Science Journalist of the Year (2025), she is an honorary professor at University College London, where she teaches science writing, and the author of The Life Project: The Extraordinary Story of ...
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