Is adding a disclaimer "This book is meant for the general public" what allows a free-for-all of the author to include wide speculations, nefarious ideology, and other unscientific mumbo-jumbo that he otherwise wouldn't be able to get away with?
Would it be wise of the general populace to avoid such books, and write them off as propagandish materials of ideological warfare?Do popular science books give the author an ideological platform he can't otherwise have?
We in the U.S.A. live in a free society. People can publish anything they like, freedom of speech is constitutionally guarenteed (there are a few restrictions, the "yelling FIRE in a movie theater" example). If an author can't get a publisher to do it for them, they can spend their own money and publish it themselves.
Scientific papers are peer reviewed (at least in all the reputable scientific journals) but publishing a book does not require any review at all. Anyone with the money and the desire could publish a million copies of their book and distribute them for free.
As far as school text books, in many school systems, the School Board has authority to review all the text books and School Board members are elected so, if people elect School Board members who believe in "unscientific mumbo-jumbo" then "unscientific mumbo-jumbo" can be taught in schools.
All of us have free will to choose the books we read. The internet (including Yahoo community) provides a forum for discussion of these type of issues.
Personally, I think it would be wise for everyone to avoid "unscientific mumbo-jumbo" in books, in the media, and, particularly, in the class room but it is not up to me.
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