9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A somewhat different ghost book, July 23, 2006
This review is from: The Case for Ghosts: An Objective Look at the Paranormal (Paperback)
This was a strange experience. Because The Case for Ghosts is not your everyday ghost book. And that is, actually, both good and bad.
What J. Allan Danelek attempts to do, and in many cases successfully so, is paint a complete a picture of the ghost phenomenon. Well, perhaps not complete in the sense that every single ghost sighting ever recorded or every single location known to be haunted is included in his book. But what he does do is discussing the phenomenon in itself, from the approach that there actually are such things as ghosts: what are the different types of ghosts that have been sighted, how come some people change into ghosts after their deaths, what methods and equipment do ghost hunters use in their work, what are the different ways people have tried to make contact with the world of the spirits, and so on.
So it's really not a traditional ghost book in the normal sense of the word. Especially not since it's almost completely devoid of case descriptions, even though Danelek repeatedly mentions case after case where the ghost has had a certain quality or where the circumstances have been especially interesting. But mentions them is all he does, you'll never learn of any details, and this is quite frankly extremely frustrating. And the fact that Danelek has a tendency to go to great lengths telling the reader how important the case in question is doesn't help one bit.
On the good side, Danelek makes sure to approach the subject from the perspective of a believer as well as a skeptic, and throughout the entire book he explains how even the tiniest aspect of the phenomenon can be interpreted in different ways. Nothing can be proven scientifically, but at the same time, nor can you disprove any of his ideas. And that's the reason why nothing should be dismissed out of hand, because after all, Danelek says, what if the ideas indeed turn out to be the truth...
It's very obvious that Danelek is emotionally invested in this. He's very, very honest when it comes to his own feelings and experiences, to a point at the end of the book where it almost becomes a little too personal.
Scepticism is key when dealing with the paranormal. Danelek is well aware of this and tells the reader about this on almost every page. But at the same time he also appears willing to accept such un-scientific concepts as God with nothing to back it up except pure feeling. Weird, indeed.
I mentioned in the beginning that this is not your everyday ghost book. Well, that's because a very large part of it never deals with ghosts per se. Instead he writes extensively about such things as different inhabitants of the spirit world, whether or not human intelligence is able to continue living on after the physical death of the body, and spirit communication through séances and Ouija boards. He chooses this approach since he believes that by understanding these things you'll get a both wider and deeper understanding of the ghost phenomenon. This is true, but hardcore skeptics are sure to get upset, to put in mildly. Personally, however, I found it tremendously refreshing to read all his non-scientific explanations, written in a cool and collected, and most importantly, reasonable way.
However, the complete lack of information about all those instances where especially fascinating ghost phenomena have been recorded is such a bummer that the final verdict for The Case of Ghosts is average only. Despite the fact that is has a great deal of very readable discussions about the question whether or not there's life after death.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Read with care..., March 2, 2008
This review is from: The Case for Ghosts: An Objective Look at the Paranormal (Paperback)
I picked up this book for fun, because I've been watching things about ghosts on TV and wanted some reading on the topic. The book seemed to cover a range of topics, so I thought it was a good choice.
It's not bad reading, as long as you keep in mind that in the introduction, while Danelek lays out what he's doing, he doesn't ever say why he, in particular, is qualified to lay out these arguments. His brief two-page bibliography doesn't include anything from the history of philosophy, psychology, or religion to back up his rather user-friendly notions of consciousness, etc. Not to mention he doesn't even question the idea of objectivity on which the book is supposedly based. He says he's not a ghost hunter. I would actually give him more weight if he was one.
It's entertaining reading as long as you don't take it too seriously. Danelek has an easy tone as a writer and comes off as authoritative, though a discerning reader will question that authority. The book is entertaining, can spark discussion, and is quickly consumed -- but don't swallow it whole.
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great paranormal read, January 22, 2007
This review is from: The Case for Ghosts: An Objective Look at the Paranormal (Paperback)
Thought provoking and insightful, Danelek offers the reader a glimpse into the world of ghost and other paranormal related subjects. This is not your typical ghost book where you see pages and pages of case history and documentation, rather he presents an objective look as he educates and entertains.
I see this book being used as a tool by many paranormal groups, I know as the founder of my own group we will encorporate it into our basic training.
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