From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-Mildly skeptical general overviews of controversial topics. In Tutankhamen, descriptions of the strange circumstances surrounding the death of Lord Carnarvon and the tragic ends of at least six people closely or remotely connected with the discovery of the tomb build a fair case for the curse theory. Yet other possible causes, plus the fact that other principals lived long, healthy lives, make a curse seem doubtful. Nearly every book about this great archaeological find, including Nicholas Reeves's lavishly illustrated Into the Mummy's Tomb (Scholastic, 1993), alludes to "the mummy's curse," yet few offer as many alternate explanations as Landau. ESP begins with experiences of two women whose prophetic dreams and special abilities seem to confirm the existence of the elusive "psi" or "sixth sense." Clairvoyance, telepathy, and precognition are illustrated by famous cases from history. A few additional types of psychic phenomena and traditional methods that have been used to discover and measure them complete the presentation. Similar in scope to Daniel Cohen's ESP (Messner, 1986; o.p.) and Aaron E. Klein's Beyond Time and Matter (Doubleday, 1973; o.p.), Landau's book is more cursory. Of the three titles, Fortune Telling is the slightest. Crystal-ball reading; palmistry; and the use of tarot cards, dice, coins, and tea leaves are touched upon. There is no list for further reading. Margaret Baldwin's Fortune Telling (Messner, 1984; o.p.) gives clear instructions, especially for tarot card reading. All three of these series titles contain enough full-color and black-and-white photographs and reproductions to create an inviting format.
Ann G. Brouse, Steele Memorial Library, Elmira, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Ann G. Brouse, Steele Memorial Library, Elmira, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
