Customer Reviews

The Rough Guide to Unexplained Phenomena 2 (Rough Guide Reference)

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Unexplained Phenomena is a collection of articles documenting some of the oddest and most wonderful anomalies of our world. This isn't just your standard ghost and sea monster book, although some of those occurences are certainly covered. Our writers delve into winged cats, Hindu statues that drink, teleportation, spontaneous combustion, man-eating trees, ice discs, rains of frogs, stigmata, and more. Each chapter is complemented by a number of photos and captions.
The book covers such a vast range of intersts that anyone can pick it up and be satisfied. My friends and family love to flip through this book and it's a great conversation piece. Articles are short enough to read casually, but long enough to provide you with decent information. In other words, it's better than an encyclopedia.
This is a fantastic primer of the curiosities around us that go so unnoticed. Anyone looking to delve into the paranormal or merely have a fun read should check out this book.

Fortean Times has been a great read since the first issues way back in the 1970's. It brings humor, a playful wit, and INTELLIGENCE to a subject that usually attracts writers lacking in one or more of these virtues. This volume was culled from the pages of the Times and is jam-packed with jaw-dropping pictures, and text that takes one out of oneself long enough to contemplate the "reality" of time slips and poltergeists and levitation and Kaspar Hauser--all in the spirited spirit of the American literary phenomenon who went by the name of Charles Fort.

The only criticism I have of the book is that, contrary to Fort who heavily documents his work--some of the most interesting material goes undocumented. For instance, I for one would like to know where that fossilized sandal-print (the one that appears to be stepping on a trilobite) is located.

Outside of this minor moan, the book is a gem worth collecting.

The "damned facts" detailed in this amazing book crack the glow light in the middle of anyone's brain. My favorite tidbits are on the tulpas, which the authors assure us, were seen by others when, for example, Alexandra David-Neel was forced to exorcise the malignant, malicious trickster -- her shadow self in physical projection! Usually the big foot-yeti sightings get dismissed fairly easily but this book keeps you wondering with the thought that possibly new types of missing apes lurk in the unreachable sanctuaries of Nature. Then there's those damned highly electromagnetic individuals -- with strong amperage (not just voltage) who create poltergeists or who refuse to decay after death or who project a beautific aura seen by many. These details are well-documented in this treasure trove of rare sightings of the true human potential. We get a strong emphasis on the Western saint tradition which is excellent considering the otherwise delegation of the bizarre to exotic cultures only entertained by the well-to-do.

Of course the Super Conspiracy of Nature being able to rejuvenate Herself despite the apocalyptic destruction of modern technology is what makes this book truly shine. Teleportation as the ultimate tool of ecological justice! Sounds too wacky to be real? The "damned facts" speak for themselves as the authors are all too willing to dismiss hoaxes and sift through a ream of alternative theories while only the unfathomable remains irresistable.

I've had this book for a few days now, and with much anticipation flipped through it and scanned it at first. There was certainly a lot of cases, and a good amount of pictures/drawings, but I was a bit disappointed in the lack of details for most cases. Most of the text spoke of interesting occurences, and was mainly "this person claimed they saw X...but then it never appeared again" descriptions. I was looking for more details, explanations, charts, drawings, and photos.

Enjoyed: Stories about the "dinosaur" cuaght by Japanese fisherman (with photo, determined later to be a basking shark); phantom ship stories (most notably the Flying Dutchman); and the lost animal stories--finding their way home over great distances.

Disappointed by: Excessive stories of alleged levitations and psychic movement of objects (complete with obviously staged photos); too many stories of alleged stigmata--again with photos that are easily spotted as fakes; and missing stories that should have been included (Oak Island treasure, missing colony of Roanoke Island, etc.).

For a basic reference it was quite good, albeit lacking detail in most instances. It makes for a good bathroom reader...

This book by the Fortean Times has it all when it comes to mysterious subjects. The range is from UFOs to cryptid critters, and quite surprisingly, there is a lot of information in it. It is filled with numerous illustrations and pictures throughout the book. The one problem is the number of subjects covered is at the same time a negative as there is so much out there.

Some of the subjects are given a skeptical treatment, such as the alleged picture of Jesus during a bomber run.

The subjects are all broken down into units with Chapters dedicated to major parts of the mysteries at hand. A unit on Monsters is broken down to chapters of Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster for example.

This does make for a great reference book for someone starting these topics, and would make them a great gift.

Whether you are a first time explorer into things that may or not be, or an avid follower of such subjects, then you will find this book to be somewhat in a class by itself. It is a highly objective analysis of unexplained phenomena and bizarre anomalies, divided into various categories, and which sets forth the reports and claims of same in a straight-forward fashion without passing judgment. While some possible explanations for some of the events or claims are provided (ie., public hysteria, folklore, teleportation, etc.), the authors leave it up to the reader to draw any final conclusions. While some treatises in the same vein are somewhat predictable as to their content (ie., bigfoot, nessie, ufos, etc.), this work draws on subjects that haven't been the usual subject of such works, such as man-eating trees, strange falls from the sky, incorruptible bodies of saints, human levitation, moving statues, rat-kings, talking dogs and cats, and other seldom discussed controversies. Whatever your point of reference or view on such subjects, they are contained in the various histories of the world, and constitute part of what credible people have attested to be true. My own peculiar fascination with this subject is not as an unconditional believer or a hardened skeptic, but is the fact that if even some of these incidents and events are true, then the world is certainly a more wondrous place than whatever description your particular ideology would want to characterize such claims as. Dare to be astounded, this work is lavishly illustrated by some intriguing photographs and drawings. First time readers into this neck of the dark forest would be enthralled by other more focused works in this vein, including "Unexplained!" by Jerome Clark (but warning, beware the Lizard Man!)and "The Unexplained" by noted cryptozoologist Karl P.N. Shuker. Keep an open mind and the night light on ...

This is a book that deserves to be left open and handy somewhere. When you can't sleep in the middle of the night, it is perfect for browsing and for making sure you really won't get back to sleep.

An incredible collection of facts, innuendo and wit, sure to amaze and enthrall anyone interested in 'the damned facts'

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