Download or read book The Powerful Placebo written by Arthur K. Shapiro and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2000-10-17 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Powerful Placebo" discusses the placebo effect over the centuries, reminding the reader how complex the issue is, from the very definition of a placebo and the success of dubious or fraudulent remedies to the modern worship of placebos as controls in clinical trials. The authors assert that "until recently, the history of medical treatment was essentially the history of placebo effect".