http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Stop_killing_children_by_selling_Melanies_Marvelous_Measles/?kHVyIbb

I’ve started an online petition at the above url asking Amazon to stop selling the above mentioned book whose title I’ve modifed to make it a tad more accurate.  I’ve also used the online form on Amazon.com to suggest the title be changed to the above.

One encouraging thing about this fiasco is that the “positive” reviews of the book on Amazon are almost all ironic including the “most helpful” positive review.  Another encouraging development is that one Australian book seller has stopped selling this book in response to an Australian online petition. 

I’ve posted another review of the book on Amazon suggesting that all ironic positive reviewers adjust their rating of this screed to 1 star except for the “most helpful” positive review, so the casual searcher will see the book has a low rating and, if they examine the reviews, will also still see that the most helpful positive review agrees with the most helpful negative review.

I don’t know ulrich. I think the tongue in cheek 5 star reviews are actually quite effective. There is another book about vaccines sold on amazon by Dr Eisenstein which pretends to give parents the truth about vaccines but is actually a bunch of anti-vaccine propaganda. There are some people who have written positive reviews of the book and others ( myself included) who have blasted it. For true believers the reviews won’t change anything but there are some people who are on the fence. The sarcastic 5 star reviews of marvelous measles have done an excellent job of burying any positive reviews so that a casual observer will likely move on. Its an interesting and humorous approach.

I signed your petition, Ullrich. I also spent about 10 minuted reading the reviews of this atrocious book. Amazon should stop selling this book. I am a believer in free speech, but censorship applies to government agencies. Businesses have ethical duties, which many fail to meet, and Amazon has an ethical duty to remove this book from its catalog.

macgyver - 25 February 2013 05:33 AM

... The sarcastic 5 star reviews of marvelous measles have done an excellent job of burying any positive reviews so that a casual observer will likely move on. Its an interesting and humorous approach.

I agree, but only for the one which comes up as the “most useful positive” review.  The others should have just one star so that the overall stars the book has is as close to 1 as possible.  That way those who don’t look at reviews won’t get the impression that there might be something to it.

ullrich - 27 February 2013 09:26 AM

macgyver - 25 February 2013 05:33 AM

... The sarcastic 5 star reviews of marvelous measles have done an excellent job of burying any positive reviews so that a casual observer will likely move on. Its an interesting and humorous approach.

I agree, but only for the one which comes up as the “most useful positive” review.  The others should have just one star so that the overall stars the book has is as close to 1 as possible.  That way those who don’t look at reviews won’t get the impression that there might be something to it.

good point