Amazon.com: Weird Science and Bizarre Beliefs: Mysterious Creatures, Lost Worlds and Amazing Inventions (9781845117566): Gregory L. Reece: Books


or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime Free Trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn More
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Weird Science and Bizarre Beliefs: Mysterious Creatures, Lost Worlds and Amazing Inventions
 
See larger image
 
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Weird Science and Bizarre Beliefs: Mysterious Creatures, Lost Worlds and Amazing Inventions [Paperback]

Gregory L. Reece (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Price: $18.95 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).
Want it delivered Friday, February 24? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Book Description

December 9, 2008

What really lies at the earth's core? Is there truly a beautiful princess in the fiery land of Pellucidar waiting to be rescued from evil winged creatures? Enchanted from his early boyhood by the gripping tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs, H G Wells and others, Greg Reece takes us on an epic journey into the bowels of the earth, and beyond, in search of fantasy's deepest and darkest imaginings. Yet, as Reece shows, fantasy and reality have increasingly blurred, and the obsession that so many people now have with the uncanny and unnatural is itself a mystery.

Drinking deep from the wells of esoteric knowledge, the author undertakes a heroic quest for answers. Braving the darkest recesses of cult belief, he stalks the twilight borderlands of contemporary culture, where, at the outer edges of mainstream thought, things become downright freaky and outlandish. Taking his life in both hands, the author explores a subterranean cavern reputed to be the home of elusive blue-skinned troglodytes; goes hiking in the backwoods for a glimpse of Bigfoot; investigates the truth of Alternative Archaeology in search of Atlantis; and tests for himself the time-travel and anti-gravity theories of famed inventor Nikola Tesla. Unashamedly revelling in the unexplained, Weird Science and Bizarre Beliefs is both a penetrating analysis of the hidden underbelly of science, pseudo-science and religion, and an unforgettable journey into the innermost depths of the fantastic and the peculiar.


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Editorial Reviews

Review

“A wide-ranging and surprising account of some of the wilder and woollier areas of human belief and the outer limits of credulity.” --Louis Theroux
 

About the Author

Gregory L. Reece is an independent writer and scholar based in Montevallo, Alabama, whose research and publishing interests include philosophy of religion and the study of new religious movements. His previous books were Elvis Religion: The Cult of the King (2006) and UFO Religion: Inside Flying Saucer Cults and Culture (2007), both published by I.B.Tauris.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: I. B. Tauris; 1st edition (December 9, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1845117565
  • ISBN-13: 978-1845117566
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,862,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

1 Review
5 star:    (0)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Folklore of the Fringe, March 29, 2009
This review is from: Weird Science and Bizarre Beliefs: Mysterious Creatures, Lost Worlds and Amazing Inventions (Paperback)
"Weird Science" is a sympathetic and interesting book about "mysterious creatures, lost worlds and amazing inventions, and about the people for whom they are real" (p. 4). Although Dr. Reece admits to be being fairly skeptical in his own world view, his book is not about critical thinking. Instead, he takes "an appreciative look" (p. 5) at the wilder and woolier frontiers of human belief.

And what a world it is! Reece begins with a discussion of the hunt for Yeti, Bigfoot, and other creatures that might (but probably don't) exist in the real world. As eccentric as such hunts can sometimes be, they seem positively down to earth compared to what follows. After recapping some of the iconic milestones of big primate cryptozoology, Reece sets off for stranger shores, examining beliefs that Bigfoot and other creatures are supernatural, interdimensional or otherwise inexplicable beings. Having separated from terra firma, the sky's the limit: the rest of the book discusses some of the very odd and even odder beliefs about Atlantis, Mu, Lemuria, the Hollow Earth, ancient wisdom, the chariots of the gods, Tesla coils, death rays and perpetual motion machines.

There are times when you can almost see Reece's eyes rolling at what he is reporting, but he does a fair job of being sympathetic to his subjects. All in all, the book makes an entertaining case for Reece's argument that "[t]he kind of diverse and idiosyncratic beliefs and theories in this book are, oddly enough, a good thing for mainstream science. It is only in a competitive marketplace of ideas that science is is forced to really make its case" (p.224). I'm not sure I buy that thesis--there are plenty examples of cults like Aum Shinrikyo whose bizarre beliefs involve trying to destroy the world or at least kill a lot of people--but the idea that science can tolerate and even benefit from a bit of odd, creative dissent is appealing.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums



So You'd Like to...



Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject