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. 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. "Who knew that a book about evidence and the ways we use it-or sometimes fail to do so-could be so fascinating? Well, Helen Pearson, obviously, and her book, Beyond Belief, is such a wonderfully told, factual exploration of human history, culture and knowledge that it really should not be missed."-Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century
"A captivating account of the struggle to move medicine and policy from flimsy hunches to hard evidence. Full of astonishing stories and remarkable insights across all aspects of life, from clinical care to crime and climate change, Beyond Belief will change your outlook on what it means for something to be effective."-Adam Kucharski, author of Proof: The Art and Science of Certainty
"We all must lead our neighbors and policymakers to recognize the power of evidence, and critically, to get and apply evidence that is both solid and useful. With many well-chosen examples from medicine, conservation, policing, and family life, Pearson shows you how it is done."-Rush D. Holt, former US Representative from New Jersey
"Helen Pearson writes about evidence with warmth and rare clarity, making its history accessible and its revolution feel real. She embraces the messy, uncertain nature of evidence while showing why it remains deeply relevant. In today's world of AI and geopolitical tension, this book gently but firmly reminds us why evidence still matters for decision making."-Karla Soares-Weiser, CEO of Cochrane Collaboration
"A very readable and interesting book that addresses a topic of both current interest and importance, taking a strong stand in favour of evidence-based policy and practice."-Nancy Cartwright, coauthor of The Tangle of Science
"This timely examination of the rise of 'evidence-based' approaches, which have spread across a host of decision-making disciplines affecting all of us, is characterized by excellent writing combined with a wealth of interviews that enrich the narrative. In a
