Customer Reviews

The Well-Read Witch

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

 

 

In this book Carl McColman has attempted to assemble a basic list of books which belong in the magickal library of every Wiccan or other modern witch. While he has included some books that I would have left out, and he has left out books that I would have included, on the whole, I would say that he has succeeded in his aim. I had always considered my personal magickal library to be fairly complete (absent those hard-to-locate or out-of-print books currently on my 'want' list,) but McColman's book suggested a number of other works I had not previously thought I needed to have on my shelves.

The book is divided into a number of sections and chapters. The initial section is introudctory: in it McColman discusses why he assembled the book, and how he perceives the importance of books to modern magickal practice. He also includes a chapter on how to read and think critically: a skill which these days seems to receive all too little emphasis in the Craft community. The meat of the book are the 31 chapters wherein McColman makes recommendations about specific books. The books he recommends are listed by title and by the author's name, and each listing is acompnied by one or two paragraphs explaining why McColman thinks the book important. The initial chapters cover introductory, intermediate, and advanced works on Wicca and paganism. These are then followed by chapters on a wide range of more specific topics. The last two chapters include a chapter on how to locate out-of-print books, and a chapter about useful Wiccan and pagan sites on the World-Wide Web. (In all honesty, it should be noted here that your reviewer is the High Priest of a coven whose Web site is listed in the book. Your reviewer discovered this fact only AFTER he had purchased the book.) The book ends with a complete listing of all of the books recommended, ordered alphabetically by author with full bibliographical information, and an index.

On the whole, I would recommend McColman's book as a good starting point for anyone seeking to assemble a serious magickal library.

first off i must be honest.....I have read this book (i have a funny ethical criteria that says i must read a book before i review it), i've not only read this book, i was honored to proofread the manuscript before it went to print. Carl McColman gives the reader a flavorful banquet of reading pleasures, all geared to furthering you along your pagan path. However, what i appreciated the most was his honesty that this book presents his opinions and his opinions only. He presents them to us, the readers, as his thoughts and views based on his many many years in the pagan movement, both as a practicioner and as one of its scholars. But he does not talk down to his readers, nor does he pretend to have more knowledge about which books are essential and which are not. He merely offers his opinion....and oh, what a joy to find someone with an educated opinion. This book will be a joy for you to read, engage with, disagree with, etcetc. In whatever way you engage with this book, you will walk away with more knowledge that you did before about what wonderful books are out there to help us on our paths.
one note of caution......after reading this, you will probably find yourself with a whole list of books that you'll want to run out and find! Not because he says you "have" to read "this one, or that one", but for no other reason that because you'll find books you didn't know existed and that will blend with where you are on your journey. Happy reading and traveling!

When I first came across this book I was actually going through an Amazon.com search covering most of the topics in McColman's book. So then I thought: "Great, I'll just buy this book and it'll save me all the work!" Or so I thought...

While the author does do a great job in creating a general outline of books on several topics worth reading, I also thought that there were a few books worth mentioning that he missed, and was surprised that he had missed.

Yes, everyone is entitled to their own opinions on what books are "essential" for the craft, but after buying this book, I think I have more luck just looking through search engines or browsing the New Age/Witchcraft section of the bookstore.

Save the money, or don't, it's really up to you. Sometimes I'm glad to have the intial reference of books to look out for, but most of the time I wish I would've saved the money to buy another book; usually one not included in this one.

The Well-Read Witch is a book I feel has been needed for decades, but especially now with the Pagan Community as a whole growing at the fastest pace in history. With literally thousands of occult, mysticism and magickal books on the market, this can get very confusing and expensive to the beginner and novice alike.

The Well-Read Witch is an ideal book written to use as reference material and who better to write it then Carl McColman, who holds many titles including product manager for the largest distributor of metaphysical books. Carl also sits on the board of the Atlantian Mystery School where he teaches.

Within The Well Read-Witch you will find 38 chapters of literally hundreds of titles with brief descriptions of each, including a chapter for tips on how to locate and purchase out-of-print books. I give The Well-Read Witch my highest recommendations for research, resource and reference material. Before you pick up several titles you will find disappointing be sure to pick up this one first!...

It is one of publishing's best kept secrets that authors make almost no money off their books unless they are lucky enough to be Stephen King. Most *successful* authors work day jobs. That makes it all the more kind of Carl to have written this book. Think of it: he read all those books for us and then wrote an opinion of each and every one! What a feat!

And as someone who worked at New Leaf Distribution, the largest metaphysical distributor in the world, he has his finger on the pulse of Wiccan publishing. Now add to the mix that he is an informed spiritual practitioner and teacher so has lotsa personal experience to draw on. He is *the* person qualified to write this book.

This is a great, easy to read, resource book. Surely no one can tell anyone what book is going to work for them personally, but having "The Well Read Witch" on your book shelf is like having a well-informed, caring pal with you at all times, letting you know what they thought about a book you are considering and which books might fill your specific needs. Thank you, Carl!!

I bought this book hoping to add lots of titles to my "must read" list. I was dissappointed to find that I have already read most of the books listed in the sections I am most interested in. Although, I should perhaps feel happy, as this would seem to make me "a well read witch"! But for those who are starting out, and haven't yet explored the many thousands of books that have been published on pagan topics, this book is a great place to start narrowing that nearly infinite list down.

This book has already turned me on too a few books I want to read as part of my magical studies. The book is easy to use and gives you every thing you need to find anything you might want to learn more about. A wide range of subjects like magic ritual, and even a kids section so you can find something for everyone....there are even some web addresses to check out too.

While this may be the perfect book for beginners, it is not a book for those who have been studying more than a year or so. If you consider yourself already well-read, or a bibliophile, this book is a waste of money. It didn't list half the books I already own or have read, and the ones it did mention were books I wouldn't recommend to anyone But a newbie, and then only if they were studying Wicca. Like most new Pagan books, there was an almost overwhelming bias toward Wicca over any other path.

This was an extreme disappointment, and I hope no one else will be taken in by the title.

i found this to be filled with possible books for me to read. i keep it by the computer as a quick reference before ordering used books from amazon.

Carl McColman is good at just giving enough information on the subject to you want to continue. Then he gives there reverences on where you can continue.

This book allows you to hit the deck running. While no book can be the end all be all book on a wide range of related subjects, the author does do a great job in creating a general outline of books and web sites on several topics worth reading.

I was able to find websites that lead to local shops in the neighborhood. This changes the theoretical into the practical.