An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural by James Randi (PDF)

Description

Covers illusions, psychics, mystics, clairvoyants, and frauds

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Amazon.com Review James Randi, professional magician and skeptic, has put together an encyclopedia with something for everyone. Yes, no matter who you are, unless you’re a thoroughgoing atheist, Randi is bound to offend your beliefs at one point or another. As Arthur C. Clarke says in his introduction, the book “should be issued with a mental health warning, as many readers–if they are brave enough to face unwelcome facts–will find some of their cherished beliefs totally demolished.” Randi is dryly sarcastic about hundreds of topics, including Catholic relics, speaking in tongues, Jehovah’s Witnesses, yoga, the origins of Mormonism, dowsing, magnetic hills, UFOs, and every spiritualist of the past several centuries. A typical entry defines a nymph as: “in the real world, the immature form of the dragonfly and certain other insects, or a young woman with robust sexual interests. Take your choice.” Comprehensive, exasperating and exasperated, witty, and unsparing, Randi’s encyclopedia provides more debunking per page than any other resource. –Mary Ellen Curtin Review Truth is separated from fiction in this guide to skeptical definitions of alternative realities. The encyclopedia form charts both individuals and false systems of analysis and representation, and lends to both leisure browsing and light research. — Midwest Book Review

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Liked the endorsement of this book by Arthur C Clarke, the visionary science fiction writer who predicted, among other things the now ubiquitous satellites for communication, GPS mapping, etc. Randi is opposed by various industries such as the supplement foods “holistic/homeopathic/alternative medicine” scam mongers (99% of these products are hyped marketing of snake oil based on fabricated claims, and only1% is evidence based), and similar scam mongering of books and self-help and cancer cure courses based on occult and supernatural. Not that anyone cannot believe what they wish, but harm is done when seriously ill persons spend fortunes on these hoaxes in place of evidence based science which may have cured them. IMHO, as for the paranormal, it does not exist, but like voodoo, works by hypnotic suggestion on the human mind. The value of the latter in health and healing is better availed through clinical hypnosis by trained and qualified persons.

⭐I wasn’t going to post a review because there didn’t seem to be much to add to the other reviews already written, but then I hit upon a series of 3 star or lower reviews that shared a common tone and similar phraseology and sentence structure…The sentiment of those reviews was that Randi was a fraud and didn’t know his material, or that more information could be found using a search engine or YouTube than using a hard copy of an “outdated” encyclopedia.While much is readily available via a good internet search, what I found enjoyable about this encyclopedia is the ready, portable access to material (via Kindle) at a fair price, regardless of internet availability (such as inside a steel building without public wi-fi). Additionally, Randi uses a rapier, tongue- in-cheek, witty sarcasm at times that is often lacking in a Wikipedia article or search engine.His exposure of some of the “woo woo” surrounding occult and paranormal activity like UFO’s and ESP in a single volume is also a great starting point for when one is once again connected to the world wide web.For each of these reasons this book has value and provides a level of enjoyment not to be as easily found elsewhere on the same topics.Why not five stars? I’m not sure, maybe I’ll change my mind and bump it up to five now that I think about it…

⭐James Randi’s encyclopedia is a fun, fun read. It’s virtually a history of superstitious beliefs, as well as an overview of conjuring (“the art of seeming to perform genuine magic”) and the basics of applying logic to illogical claims. The entries range from “Nessie” to “crop circles” to “thoughtography,” and they are often peppered with hilarious asides. The entry on “om,” for example, cites the Hindu notion that “whoever knows this syllable obtains whatever he wishes.” “Well, now YOU know it, too,” writes Randi. “Good luck.” To be sure, the volume gets a bit tedious at times, but this has much more to do with the silly and unsubstantial nature of the subject matter than with Randi. In fact, it’s almost a miracle that anyone can so entertainingly present material so inherently dry and silly. I say “almost” because, of course, miracles don’t really exist. Oh, and Randi provides the best explanation of “parsimony” I have ever read. This perpetually maligned concept, better known as “Occam’s razor,” is here defined with clarity and completeness. Those who take this concept to mind and heart will have a kind of real-life talisman against irrational nonsense. The concept describes precisely what credulous believers in the occult do NOT do.Rest assured that James Randi’s curmudgeon persona is purely an act. A couple years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting this charming and gracious man in person, and I’m happy to say that a good amount of that charm finds its way into the entries. Very highly recommended!

⭐Let me state from the beginning that I am a real Randi fan. Every week I can’t wait to read his update…and I absolutely agree with all of his skeptic positions.Yet, as I read this book, I was seriously annoyed about the over-sarcastic tone he uses so often. Many times it’s like he’s trying to go for overkill with a “witty remark”, but doing so he really adds nothing to the book. Worse than that, he comes off as a rabid, sometime overemotional basher of irrationalists everywhere. This really backfires when one wants to show this book to some delusional folk to help him/her get a grip on reality – haters aren’t really good teachers.Also, the book is poorly edited. Typos abound, and Randi couldn’t get right an Italian name/word if his life depended on it. Being Italian myself, I might be partial about this, but traits like those don’t belong to serious research as he is actually doing.

⭐It would be fascinating to read whatever Randi’s opinion of Donald Trump and QAnon is, as both are totally fraudulent hoaxes.

⭐For anyone who has ever been interested in seeing how far back charlatans have been scamming the public, this is the book to read. Mr. Randi has an extensive knowledge, and it shows in this encyclopaedia. While I haven’t heard of most of the names in the book, it is a fascinating process to read about them, how they arose and sometimes how they fell as they were exposed.There are also a lot of sarcastic remarks thrown in for good measure, yet they never feel out of place. One can’t help but snort in agreement at what Mr. Randi has said, especially during some of the more bizarre claims he debunks.Well worth the time to read.

⭐James Randi exposed a lot of paranormal claims as fraudulent. But somehow he did it in a way that was never mean-spirited. He simply told the truth, without the kind of militant “fundamentalist atheism” characteristic of thinkers like Richard Dawkins. As a child, Randi had been enthralled by stage magicians and later became one himself. This makes me think he understood that imagination is a defining feature of higher brain function and by extension human intelligence, and it wasn’t something to suppress. He just didn’t like to see con artists swindling the public with claims of paranormal abilities.If you’re someone who can’t bear to have your beliefs questioned, steer clear of James Randi’s work. But if you’re a seeker of truth, you can’t go wrong with James Randi.

⭐The Kindle version is disappointing. It literally is an encyclopedia with names listed from A to Z, and bare facts about people and events, nothing more.Kindle reader can’t easily and quickly flick through the pages like you would with a paper copy so I gave up after 5 minutes.

⭐could do with a decent index. it’s a fascinating read. a whole book about the stuff people through the ages make up or simply lie about

⭐Good but with cool humour

⭐Very informative and interesting, but why no Contents pages?

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