recommend me one book?

[kukalakana]

I was wondering.

I find the topic of paranormal very fascinating, and I was wondering does anyone know of one good book to get a broad introduction to this topic? For someone who likes reading, but does not have a lot of time nor money~~ particularly money? Although it has to be something that would be readily available from a New Zealand bookstore or online site, because having been screwed over by several US based sites, I'm afraid to say I don't trust internet shopping from America any more. And if possible, a book with a balanced viewpoint (more informational than opinionated.)

Cheers.
~kuka.
8)

 

[tyder001]

I haven't read it but I hear that "Spooks" by Mary Roach which takes a skeptical but willing to research approach is good. Even though I don't agree with her ultimate conclusion the fact is that if we survive death then 1000 skeptics dancing on the head of a pin won't change it. If we don't then 1000 Hail Marys won't change it. The "truth" has no fear. I also, have perused it and find one thing she says to at least be honest and in my mind I totally agree with her. Bad paraphrase follows: "It is more fun and hopeful for the believers to be right than the skeptics" Anyway, she says something to that effect. However, she ends up on the skeptical side.

The other book I highly reccommend having read it myself is "Ghost" by Katherine Ramsland. It is written in a very compelling style and she actually does all the spooky seances and EVP's and artifacts and hangs out with various characters. She comes away with a more "somthings going on but I don't know for sure what it is" opinion than Ms. Roach does.

As for ufo's I really don't know for sure but I'm sure there are other posters here who can point you in the right direction.

Also, Occult by Colin Wilson is excellent as a tool to dive into the subjects discussed around the web.

Peace.
Steve.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

Read "The Demon Haunted World" by Carl Sagan. A good, science based introduction into the world of the paranormal.

 

[trainedobserver]

I think one of the best books I have read on the subject in some time is The UFO Phenomenon: Fact, Fantasy and Disinformation by John Greer.

 

[J.T.]

I just got a copy of Steve Volk's Fringe-ology, which I've only started reading but it appears to cover a lot of ground, is up-to-date, and doesn't fall into either a debunker or a believer camp. So far it's well written, engaging, and as it's brand spanking new (out this Tuesday), probably fairly easy to acquire.

“A sharply written, intelligently argued book that should appeal equally to believers and skeptics.” (Booklist )

 

[Sean Elifritz]

Allagash Abductions by Ray Fowler

Captured! by Stanton Friedman and Kathleen Marden

Encounter by Kelly Cahill (Basically impossible to find. I haven't gotten to read it myself)

Those are all abduction books. Anyone that has been around this forum for a while probably knows I've gotten to be EXTREMELY skeptical as of late. For the past year I've been struggling with the realization that I might have wasted 20 years of my life with complete foolishness. I mention those 3 books because they're about close encounter cases that I can't explain. I've now written off about 99% of abduction claims (Once a believer I've since decided that the stuff from Hopkins and Jacobs probably can't be trusted) but those 3 cases still irk me. Some might be thinking, "Why abduction cases?" Because I find those claims to be much more interesting than lights in the sky. A light in the sky could be ANYTHING. Very easy for an honest person to make a mistake with those. But with close encounters it probably actually happened, or the person is a liar, a hopeless flake, or a nutjob. Kinda' hard to innocently misidentify a bug-eyed alien anal probing you if you're a reasonably sane, intelligent person. In other words close encounters seem less subjective to me.

 

[tyder001]

I heard about the Volk book and also read an interview with him and by him. He really comes across as somebody who puts the "truth" above knee jerk ideology. I'll have to try this one myself.

---------- Post added at 04:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:06 PM ----------

A light in the sky could be ANYTHING. Very easy for an honest person to make a mistake with those. But with close encounters it probably actually happened, or the person is a liar, a hopeless flake, or a nutjob. Kinda' hard to innocently misidentify a bug-eyed alien anal probing you if you're a reasonably sane, intelligent person. In other words close encounters seem less subjective to me.

Good points. I"ve also tried to find the Cahill book. Can't even find a digital or bootleg copy. Just doens't seem to be one out there floating around within easy reach.

 

[Sean Elifritz]

I heard about the Volk book and also read an interview with him and by him. He really comes across as somebody who puts the "truth" above knee jerk ideology. I'll have to try this one myself.

---------- Post added at 04:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:06 PM ----------



Good points. I"ve also tried to find the Cahill book. Can't even find a digital or bootleg copy. Just doens't seem to be one out there floating around within easy reach.

I'll go ahead and say it: If I could find a copy, even from a library (I've looked. No copies in my area) I'd scan it and put it on the net. I very much doubt a single cent will ever be made on it again anyway.

 

[J.T.]

I heard about the Volk book and also read an interview with him and by him. He really comes across as somebody who puts the "truth" above knee jerk ideology. I'll have to try this one myself. .

Yeah, anyone who listens to Skeptiko will have heard him doing a few recent interviews. A really good podcast, though a bit heavy on NDEs.

And I'll second The Occult. It was the first book I ever read on these subjects, and I've always liked Wilson's take on things that go bump in the night. I haven't read it in 25 years though, so I'm hesitant to recommend it (it was published a few months after I was born, so perhaps it's a bit out-of-date... just like me).

Not a general book on the subject, and not for beginners, dogmatics, catmatics, those easily offended or otherwise straight-laced, but I also really liked "Doc" Shiels' MONSTRUM. (see review here: Monstrum!: A Wizards Tale)

 

[Angel of Ioren]

Allagash Abductions by Ray Fowler

Captured! by Stanton Friedman and Kathleen Marden

Encounter by Kelly Cahill (Basically impossible to find. I haven't gotten to read it myself)

Those are all abduction books. Anyone that has been around this forum for a while probably knows I've gotten to be EXTREMELY skeptical as of late. For the past year I've been struggling with the realization that I might have wasted 20 years of my life with complete foolishness. I mention those 3 books because they're about close encounter cases that I can't explain. I've now written off about 99% of abduction claims (Once a believer I've since decided that the stuff from Hopkins and Jacobs probably can't be trusted) but those 3 cases still irk me. Some might be thinking, "Why abduction cases?" Because I find those claims to be much more interesting than lights in the sky. A light in the sky could be ANYTHING. Very easy for an honest person to make a mistake with those. But with close encounters it probably actually happened, or the person is a liar, a hopeless flake, or a nutjob. Kinda' hard to innocently misidentify a bug-eyed alien anal probing you if you're a reasonably sane, intelligent person. In other words close encounters seem less subjective to me.

I've been there Wickerman. I remember coming to the realization that most, if not all of this stuff was more interesting from a cultural point of view than an actual scientific one. I was even sort of religious up until a few years ago and then I realized all that was pretty useless as well.

 

[tyder001]

Not a general book on the subject, and not for beginners, dogmatics, catmatics, those easily offended or otherwise straight-laced, but I also really liked "Doc" Shiels' MONSTRUM. (see review here: Monstrum!: A Wizards Tale)

J.T. that sounds interesting. I like the notion that the artist might be as well equipped as the dogmatic scientist when it comes to these types of subjects. I have a friend who just never reads at all. I honestly don't see how anybody comes to any intelligent conluscion at all about the universe who doens't read. But, that sounds kind of snobbish I guess.

 

[J.T.]

Absolutely. And the more widely you read the better. You can't draw conclusions for yourself from reading just one side of any subject. Much as I like Colin Wilson, I think it's equally important to read Sagan and Dawkins and everybody in between to at least be able to grasp at the vastness of the subject and its possible interpretations.

Of course, after I read Colin Wilson, I go and read what the skeptics say about his wild and crazy ideas. And after I read Dawkins, I go to Skeptical Investigations and find out what they think is wrong with his one-sided approach. And after that my head hurts, so I grab a Robert Anton Wilson book and share a laugh snobbishly at the preposterousness of it all, while holding a one third full fine twin stem waterford glass of two-buck chuck.

 

[tyder001]

Robert Anton Wilson does seem to be able to put both extreme camps in their places.

 

[Randall]

The USI website has an excellent selection and is affiliated with Amazon books, one of the largest and most trusted online stores in the world. USI also has some in-house stock and has shipped to New Zealand in the past. We have never had a problem with people receiving items. When I posted this response USI was also still giving away free stickers and ID cards with their free membership. If you are just getting into the paranormal ( PSI ), make sure you get a balance of investigative, encyclopedic and skeptical works. Just look under the Catalog tab where it says "Paranormal Books".

www.ufopages.com

J.R.
USI Calgary

Here are some titles to look for:

https://www.theparacast.com/../Amazon/Books/FS_DT_StalkingTricksters-01a.htm

PS: There is also an older Time Life series that is very good if you can still find it.
<A href="http://astore.amazon.com/ufostore-20/detail/0312151195">

 

[Angel of Ioren]

I remember that time life series. I used to see the commercials during GI Joe after school. I remember one of the examples in the commercials was of someone having a dream about not getting on an airplane and the plane crashing.
We had a series of books on UFOs and Ghosts in my elementary school library. I knew what Project Blue Book was when I was in grade three.

 

[bitfiend]

I remember that time life series. I used to see the commercials during GI Joe after school. I remember one of the examples in the commercials was of someone having a dream about not getting on an airplane and the plane crashing.
We had a series of books on UFOs and Ghosts in my elementary school library. I knew what Project Blue Book was when I was in grade three.

I did the same thing when I was a kid, but the selection probably wasn't as good since it was the 70's and I went to a small private school. Speaking of GI Joe- Here's a remixed surreal 1980's GI Joe PSA for you:
[video]http://youtu.be/Flf7ZtDvMew[/video]

 

[Angel of Ioren]

I did the same thing when I was a kid, but the selection probably wasn't as good since it was the 70's and I went to a small private school. Speaking of GI Joe- Here's a remixed surreal 1980's GI Joe PSA for you:
[video]http://youtu.be/Flf7ZtDvMew[/video]

I was born in 1977, so it was the eighties.

 

[bitfiend]

I figured it was since you mentioned watching GI Joe. Unless you were one of those guys that was much too old to watch cartoons but watched them anyhow because daytime television in the 80's was horrible. Like uh, a friend of mine.:redface:

 

[exo_doc]

Hey I've got a bunch of those Time Life "Mysteries of the Unknown" books, on UFO's and Psychic stuff and mysterious places. Not really loaded with info, but neat to look at anyway. My kids like them anyway.

"Above Top Secret" by Tomthy Good
"Wonder in the Sky" by Jacques Vallee
"UFO's: Generals, Pilots and Government Officials Go On Record" by Leslie Kane (or Kean....?)
"Unexplained" by Jerome Clark (for general weirdness)

I have more books on UFO's than I do about things like Forteanna, Bigfoot, Bermuda Triangle and such. Although I do have books like "Forbidden Archeology", but that one is a lot to plow through.

 

[HotSoup]

Check out Childhoods End. Arthur C Clark, as penitent as any paranormal novel.