Customer Reviews

An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

James Randi's encyclopedia is a fun, fun read. It's virtually a history of superstitious beliefs, as well as an overview of conjuring ("the art of seeming to perform genuine magic") and the basics of applying logic to illogical claims. The entries range from "Nessie" to "crop circles" to "thoughtography," and they are often peppered with hilarious asides. The entry on "om," for example, cites the Hindu notion that "whoever knows this syllable obtains whatever he wishes." "Well, now YOU know it, too," writes Randi. "Good luck." To be sure, the volume gets a bit tedious at times, but this has much more to do with the silly and unsubstantial nature of the subject matter than with Randi. In fact, it's almost a miracle that anyone can so entertainingly present material so inherently dry and silly. I say "almost" because, of course, miracles don't really exist. Oh, and Randi provides the best explanation of "parsimony" I have ever read. This perpetually maligned concept, better known as "Occam's razor," is here defined with clarity and completeness. Those who take this concept to mind and heart will have a kind of real-life talisman against irrational nonsense. The concept describes precisely what credulous believers in the occult do NOT do.

Rest assured that James Randi's curmudgeon persona is purely an act. A couple years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting this charming and gracious man in person, and I'm happy to say that a good amount of that charm finds its way into the entries. Very highly recommended!

James "The Amazing" Randi does not have much good to say about the charlatans who pedal their supernatural wares before the public. Unlike the books written by the credible, Randi provides many valuable accounts of how famous seers and magicians have hoodwinked the public.

Randi's research is sometimes flawed and his accounts sketchy, which leads me to reduce the rating I give for this book. For example, he does not realize that the Necronomicon was a Twentieth Century invention of horror author H.P. Lovecraft and he falsely implicates Increase Mather as a proponent of the Salem Witchcraft trials. (Increase was off in England when the whole thing started and was shocked to find it underway upon his return.) He is also coy about revealing details of certain trade secrets used by stage magicians and bunko spiritualists. These flaws detract from an otherwise marvellous and valuable reference.

With all the mindless new age claims and so-called paranormal tripe being uncritically accepted by a naive public, James Randi has done a great service in writing this excellent and enjoyable book. While Randi is bound to upset some, this book is a first rate source of information about crop circles, channeling, Kirilan photorgaphy, dowsing, and other assorted tripe. I would recommend this as required reading for all interested in occult claims. My only complant is that many of the entries and too short and insufficiently developed. Greg Klebanoff, Ph.D. philosophy

Let me state from the beginning that I am a real Randi fan. Every week I can't wait to read his update...and I absolutely agree with all of his skeptic positions.

Yet, as I read this book, I was seriously annoyed about the over-sarcastic tone he uses so often. Many times it's like he's trying to go for overkill with a "witty remark", but doing so he really adds nothing to the book. Worse than that, he comes off as a rabid, sometime overemotional basher of irrationalists everywhere. This really backfires when one wants to show this book to some delusional folk to help him/her get a grip on reality - haters aren't really good teachers.

Also, the book is poorly edited. Typos abound, and Randi couldn't get right an Italian name/word if his life depended on it. Being Italian myself, I might be partial about this, but traits like those don't belong to serious research as he is actually doing.

I've always been a fan of James Randi and he sure didn't let me down on this one! Randi looks at everything under the sun from UFO's to Crop circles and speaks about it in a way you'll enjoy, whether you agree or disagree this book is an enjoyable read. Cryptozoology (study of hidden animals) and Paranormal events often times find "evidence" via simple testimony, testimony that does not even require the telling of the sources real name, now thats a bit hard to swallow. Randi tells it like it is, much like Jerry D. Coleman's "Strange Highways" open honest, straight forward and logical!
"Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes" is a book you'll not only enjoy but keep going refering to!

I don't normally give five stars for a book, but James Randi has outdone himself again. This book is very funny as well as a great reference on quackeries.

I recommend it to anyone who needs a reference book of quackeries, both religious and secular. It has been a great help to my work as well as a great reading.

I have seen that some paranormalists have given bad grades for this book : however this book is a REFERENCE first of all and not for argumentation. If you really need help in understanding why your favorite brand of idiocy is in there, please take a Logic 101 class.

I was actually disappointed in this book, as it is almost strictly a glossary, not an encyclopedia. For the Randi completist only. For a better summary of Randi's skeptical debunking, read FLIM-FLAM or THE TRUTH ABOUT URI GELLAR.

James Randi is one of the most respected writers giving a skeptical view of claims of the paranormal. In this book, he covers a huge range of topics and hence cannot do any in detail. But there's enough on each topic so you have a single reference where you can do a quick check and then go to more detailed books (like some of Randi's others) for the topics about which you want more. This knowledge needs to get out - or people will go on believing the pseudoscience because there is a lack of alternative explanations. I hope Randi keeps writing and making a noise around the world on this crucial topic.

What is great about James Randi is his openness and desire to expose the fraud and deceit that exists in the world of psychics, horoscopes and faith healers. This collection is a general run down of the most common topics in the world of the paranormal. Most of them are right on the money (Exposing ... like Uri Geller, Edgar Cayce and Psychic Surgeons). Yet a few are kinda curious (I always thought the Nekronomicon was an invention of HP Lovecraft).

The subjects are setup like an excyclopedia and most items are very easy to find with great notes to locate other similar items. A gread read for all skeptics and believers.

Yes, some people get upset because Randi uses a sarcastic tone in his writing. But that is just part of the fun of reading his books. This Encyclopedia is an excellent book for starters in critical thinking. By explaining how crop circles are made, the secrets of Uri Geller, the Bermuda Triangle "phenomena" and other supernatural claims, you will be in touch with the information deprived from us by the media (just look how many times Fox-TV transmitted the "Alien autopsy", but they only transmitted once the program about how the hoax was made). Excellent reading. Highly recommended.