This book investigates how communication strategies and the management of uncertainty shaped the public and medical discourse surrounding silicone breast implants. The authors, David H. Smith and Marsha L. Vanderford, utilize their expertise in communication studies to analyze the complex interaction between patients, medical professionals, and regulatory bodies. By examining the rhetoric used during the height of the silicone implant controversy, they argue that the framing of risk and scientific ambiguity significantly influenced public perception and policy decisions.

Experts in health communication identify this work as a significant study on the intersection of medical science and public perception. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous examination of how information is disseminated during health crises.