Customer Reviews

The Truth About Uri Geller

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

It is our weakness to blame the messenger. James Randi, a professional magician, extremely intelligent and honest writer, and an extremely cinical skeptic, is usually the target of "believers" of the paranormal (as you will notice on the "reviews" of his books). Clearly, it is hard to accept that at some time or another, our leg has been pulled, and Randi is the first to let you know, in the most blunt way possible.

This book is not really about demonstrating that Geller is a fraud. Randi simply demonstrate that all the paranormal feats of the famous psychic can be duplicated (Randi himself has done them in TV and personal appearances). That people decide to believe the most fantastical explanation is another different issue.

Another thing worth mentioning is that this book includes excerpts from articles from magazines and newspaper, which shows that Randi was not alone in his skepticism.

A final notice is that if you enjoy this book, you will find more information on "Flim-Flam!", by the same author. There he presents new information, including his meeting with one of Geller's helpers, who confesses to having participated in the tricks, sometimes throwing things for apparent "materializations".

But, if you feel comfortable with "wishful thinking", and don't want to be confronted with facts and more credible alternate explanations, then don't try Randi.

Personally I found this book very interesting and it's also interesting to read through all the reviews here also. I am amazed at the number of people who willingly believe in such phenomenon as spoon-bending or ESP despite the fact that evidence to the contrary might exist! Can't you have an open mind either way? (I admit now that I lean towards skepticism - but I am always willing to listen to both sides providing accurate evidence exists.)

I also find it preposterous that so many people think that Randi is jealous of Geller or anything like that. If you've read this book and have that attitude then you've missed one of the key points of the book completely. Randi doesn't object to Geller's tricks - just his attitude in doing them. Magicians do tricks - and admit that they're tricks even if they don't reveal exactly how they're done. But when a man like Geller performs tricks, claims they're genuine and in doing this, deceives right-minded and otherwise right-thinking people, then this gives cause for concern. By all means, Geller can be (and is!) a showman - but there's no need to lie to people in that manner. That helps nobody and that is all Randi really objects to.

...promotes magical thinking. And Randi is not in need of work ...he has a thriving second career helping people understand how to keep from being flummoxed - which in this day and age is sorely needed. This is vintage skepticism, by a crack charlatan himself (I mean that in a good way). I have hosted a live TV appearance by Randi, and he has made my jaw drop from some of the very same things Geller claims are done by psychic powers. My wonder is in the ability of some to manipulate the perceptions of others. The difference is that James is trying to draw a line which people can use to distinguish the truly marvelous from the merely farcical. Uri should aspire to so much. If he has such powers as he claims - why would he squander them on the wanton destruction of flatware? On it goes, to others' claims of increased crop yields, to telepathy (so go make a fortune at the poker table!)... I would be deliriously happy to find someone who could read my students' minds - it would shave YEARS off the education process alone <grin>. But alas, we are left with wholly unremarkable examples of allegedly earth-shattering powers. And it makes people think that magic will change or save them. It is magical thinking that degrades individuals' trust in their own true abilities, and it was magical thinking (unabashed finger-crossing) that killed seven brave astronauts in 1986. Enough is enough, Bravo Randi - and touche' Geller. Read it, then decide. *JP*

Skepticism, it seems to me, should be at the core of every intelligent person's thinking processes. The history of mankind illustrates quite clearly that the world is full of frauds who will promise anything that will part people from their money, or reel them into a destructive belief system. That is how cults come to be. Scepticism is our only defense in such a world.

Unfortunately, many, and it often seems, most, people are so hungry for "meaning" that they put their critical thinking processes on hold. They forget that they are taking things on faith and come to feel that they are believing in bedrock truth.

That's where science comes in. Science provides the rigor that helps prevent us from succumbing to frauds and even our own delusions. It exposes Korean doctors who have made extraordinary claims about genetic research. And it exposes frauds who claim psychic abilities but can only deliver them when they aren't under scrutiny.

I'd like to remind you of a couple scientific principles.

First: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. If I claim to do something psychically that thousands of magicians can do through sleight of hand, I should be expected to prove it.

Second: Occam's razor, one of the oldest principles in science, which states that in the presence of alternative explanations for a phenomenon, give preference to the simplest. It's simpler to believe that if a magician can do the trick, rather than requiring psychic powers. This isn't an infallible rule. Einstein isn't simpler than Newton. But Einstein has been subjected to rigorous testing, and Einstein explains things Newton doesn't. Uri Geller can make no such claims.

It's telling that not a single replicated scientific study has entered the literature. And it's telling that none of the many lucrative prizes awaiting the first person to demonstrate true psychic ability has ever been claimed.

James Randi has performed a valuable service over the years. It's unfortunate that frauds still find a ready market for their wares. Still, we owe him a vote of thanks.

It's always interesting to analyze the patterns involving timing, word selection, writing style, and (of course) ANONYMITY that accompanies many (or most) reviews that try either to entirely praise a given book (or movie, etc.) or completely criticize another one.

Here, for instance, are just some of the patterns involving the 35 previously submitted reviews of James Randi's The Truth About Uri Geller -- which were submitted between 2 Feb 1997 and 29 Aug 2005:

On being ANONYMOUS:

1) 1-Star -- 9 of 10 (90%)
2) 2-Star -- There were none.
3) 3-Star -- 1 of 3 (33%)
4) 4-Star -- 3 of 3 (100%)
5) 5-Star -- 4 of 19 (21%)

On Timing of Submission:

1) 8 of the 10 (80%) 1-Star reviews were submitted between 2 Aug 1998 and 3 Sep 2000.
2) 7 of the 10 (70%) 1-Star reviews were submitted between 2 Aug 1998 and 8 Feb 1999.

On Word Selection and Writing Style:

The 1-Star reviews overwhelmingly revert to either ad hominem verbal attacks against Randi or flat-out putdowns of his book -- rather than attempting to "prove" Geller's abilities or disprove Randi's findings. Examples include, "[the book is] a joke," "useless and ridiculous," "[Randi is] a SAD SAD man," "a BITTER and AWFUL book," "unreadable," "RANDI IS A JEALOUS NASTY UNHAPPY MAN," "narrow-mindedness, "The book is claptrap," and "Appalling".

When reading the 1-Star (lowest possible at Amazon) reviews, I was impressed by the remarkable similarity in writing style and tone that most of them displayed.

CONCLUSION:

I would venture that Uri Geller wrote between 7-9 of the 9 ANONYMOUS 1-Star reviews -- in an early effort to dissuade Amazon customers from buying or reading this book. This is not an unknown phenomenon at Amazon: case in point is a movie entitled "H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds," which was apparently timed for DVD release and sale (Jun 2005) just as Spielberg's WOTW was hitting (or soon to hit) the movie theaters. Several very credible Amazon reviewers noted the amazing similarity of the large number and percentage of POSITIVE reviews for this poorly produced movie -- speculating that the backers of this "rip-off" movie were simply trying to counterbalance the overwheming negative reviews of the DVD. If you have the time, check it out -- as it makes for some interesting reading.

Anyone who denies Randi's logic or disputes his facts hasn't fully read or fully understood the book. Randi expresses a great respect for Geller's methods as a magician even calling himself one of Geller's "greatest fans". Especially telling is how Geller refuses to perform any of his so-called miracles in the presence of a competent magician. Those who continue to believe in Geller as their evidence in the paranormal should take their heads out of the sand.

Who better than James Randi? If anyone deserved to have their credibility destroyed, it's Uri Geller. Still Geller continues his act and millions still believe. What's that saying about a fool and his money?

Wow, all these serious and angry reviews fighting over a fun book
and a silly man who is its subject! Rather than add to the noise,
I shall point out my favorite chapter: the response to Randi's expose
by other magicians, who knew exactly what Geller was doing and how
he did it. Some of them were outraged by the apparent breaking of
the magician's code, which prohibits one from explaining another's
tricks. Other practitioners defended Randi, on the grounds that
Geller did claim his tricks were evidence of supernatural powers,
and encouraged a dangerous guilibilty in mass audiences. A letter
from an Indian describing how a "holy man" in his country was using
simple slight of hand to manipulate his followers was particularly
memorable.

If you are a true believer who wants to continue to believe, don't
read this book; but if you have an open mind, and want both a
powerful debunking and a really fun story, give it a try. I preferred
the original title: "The Magic of Uri Geller."

I remember Uri Geller appearing on the TV many years ago around 1974. I was only 8 years old at the time. We were told that this man could bend spoons and make watches start, even if they were put in front of the TV! My brother and I were so scared, we hid all the spoons in the house before to show started. So, Uri Geller spooked a couple of kids in Australia. The point is, we did not know better. It's a pity that he was able to the same to adults would really should know better. He's still out there, bending spoons.... Thank you Mr. Randi for a great book. Time for an update?

Are there people out there who still believe that Uri Geller - the famous Israeli spoon-bender and mindreader - possesses some sort of paranormal abilities and that the entire scientific community is flabbergasted each time he performs some of his trademark oddities?

Well, unfortunately yes. Because, apparently, not all have had the pleasure of reading James Randi's book The Truth About Uri Geller. Because after you've done that you don't have too many reasons left to believe Geller is some sort of paranormal guru. Now this is not the first book I've read written by a skeptic and published by Prometheus Books, but I doubt that I've ever read a book that more efficiently exposes so-called paranormal claims. Randi, a professional magician and illusionist, shows just as effectively as humorously (yes, he has a great sense of humor, especially when he turns sarcastic) how Geller isn't any different from traditional magicians and illusionists, except that he claims to do it the paranormal way. In other words, whatever Geller does has been done before, and the bending of spoons and reading of minds happens every day for your average magician. The difference is that Geller refuses to change his mind about his paranormal abilities. Randi willingly admits that there's nothing paranormal at all in his work, and he's able to duplicate every single act that Geller does.

Geller is very skilled at his trade, no question about it, and if tens of thousands of people all over the world are amused by his performances, then why criticize him? Well, just like Randi says again and again, there's a huge difference between being an ordinary magician and perform mysterious - but honest - feats and making large sums of money by claiming to be something you're not. Magic, as done by Randi et.al, is all about fooling people, that's true, but what Geller does is exploiting peoples' gullibility to the extreme. And there's nothing honest in fooling people into believing things that have proven to be untrue.

One of the highlights of the book comes on page 151, where an article from Hebrew magazine Haloam Hazeh is published in its entirety. This article, which has never before been available in English, clearly shows how Geller has been a hoaxer from the start. It's a real eye-opener.

It's quite fascinating to see how the phenomenon Uri Geller has been treated by the media, especially in the West. Randi gives numerous examples of how magazines have refused to publish negative and exposing articles about Geller, and it's clearly shown how people think and act in a certain way that confirms their already made up minds. People have a tendency to see what they want and expect to see, and rarely has this been demonstrated better than in The Truth About Uri Geller.

The only negative thing about the book is the truly worthless quality of the photographs. This is extremely unfortunate, since they are there to demonstrate how Geller performs his so-called "paranormal" feats. It boggles my mind that not more effort was put into this.