Customer Reviews

Missing Pieces

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Though a rather old book now, this remains a good starting point for anyone interested in the skeptical (or scientific) investigation of claims of supernatural phenomena. The guiding principle is that extraordinary claims require at least pretty decent evidence. Additionally, there is a significant chance of fraud in these phenomena (that has historically been the case regardless of the merits of individual cases) and exploring and exposing such instances.

This really is invaluable to anyone interested in researching paranormal claims. Full of humor, references and suggestions, it's like a gigantic handbook, or operations manual for the paranormally inclined. Told from a skeptical point of view, the insight and commentary is enlightening. A must-have in the library of anyone who has an interest in all aspects of the supernatural.

Skeptics will cheer. Believers will boo. Anyone with an ounce of objectivity will scratch his or her head and wonder what these guys are talking about.

For example, the duo spent a fair amount of effort describing the "ideal investigator" in the Introduction - and then spent the rest of the book violating those ideals in every way. The "science" they quote or paraphrase (often inaccurately, inappropriately, or entirely out of context) are often obscure or even very obsolete even at the time their book was written (Maslow's hierarchy? Give me a break). There is very little in here that is actually about investigating anything.

There are probably some good advice and true moments in here, but unless you're willing to test its accuracy chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence, it's just not worth the investment of time and money. I was looking for good information on how to investigate unusual claims. What I found here was the Skeptical Party Line, and it's every bit as pseudoscientific as any Believer book.