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45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good job, Jerome!, April 25, 2000
Clark's new, expanded edition of "Unexplained!" is one of the finest overviews of paranormal mysteries available today. I have been a fan of Clark's since his "Creatures of the Outer Edge" of 1978 (co-authored with his occasional writing partner, the equally dependable Loren Coleman). Clark's clear and professional writing style has only improved over the years. A sly, very subtle wit frequently emerges ("perhaps wisely, he takes this vague idea no further"). Although it's evident Clark's mind is open to most of the phenomena explored in the book, for the most part he keeps his opinions to himself, opting instead to let his reader make his or her own judgement based on the information available.In scope and organization I found the book slightly similar to Janet and Colin Bord's excellent "Unexplained Mysteries of the 20th Century" of 1989, although that book also explores ghost and goblin-type phenomena whereas "Unexplained!" is concerned primarily with more tangible mysteries. Both are encyclopedic, objective tomes providing a detailed overview of a wide variety of topics. Especially welcome in this new edition of "Unexplained!" is the inclusion of the "Things That Are Not" section, highlighting previously believed legends such as the Bermuda Triangle and Cottingley Fairy Photographs. Also new are numerous "sidebar" discussions of select organizations and important figures in the Fortean world (i.e., Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans, Budd Hopkins, MUFON, CSICOP, etc.). Clark generously criticizes--in a professional manner--certain unreliable "experts" (Von Daniken, Berlitz) and hardcore debunkers, those "thinkers" who claim to be skeptics but instead are nothing more than vehemently closed minds. This book is a serious, carefully-researched study. Clark has always made it a point to clearly document his sources, which makes it easy for the reader to further pursue an intriguing topic. Another of Clark's strengths is the natural integration of the many witness accounts and narratives, however extreme some of them might be. The information is presented in a manner that encourages the reader to form his/her own deductions. When examining far-fetched phenomena like Fairies, Clark uses a cautionary approach that still manages to remain receptive to the nagging body of stories, accounts, and folklore. The presentation and layout of the book have been vastly improved over the 1993 edition. It's now much more serious and professional in its look, abandoning the Ripley's Believe It or Not-style cover of it's previous incarnation. The typeface and setting are also significantly improved and much more easily read. Instead of listing the entries in simple encyclopedic format as he did before, he now groups them together in intelligent sections. Considerably more photos and illustrations exist in the present version (although there can never be enough!). I can recommend this book without hesitation to anyone with a serious interest in these phenomena. Clark is now one of the most dependable, scholarly, and professional voices in the Fortean world. I trust him.
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by Colin Wilson
by Corrine Kenner
