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by R.J. Carter Published: June 2, 2007 Re-published: June 9, 2007
I'm still intrigued by the concept of the paranormal, but I'm a lot more skeptical these days and a lot more critical of the way writers present their statistics and accounts. So I found myself very impressed with Loren Coleman's reissuance of Mysterious America. Somehow this was a title that had escaped my library when it was initially released, so those bits which the author has updated are just as new to me as are the original passages. I liked Coleman's book for a number of reasons. First and foremost, Coleman takes a Fortean approach in his presentation: no overblown, overhyped claims here; just a straightforward representation of what was reported, when it was reported, where it was reported, and how the story compares and differs to and from similar stories told at different times and places. In fact, where many cryptozoological titles tend to "poo-poo" the skeptics and scientists who disagree with their presumptions, Coleman can be seen to instead lament how certain stories don't get followed up with enough thoroughness because of the sensationalist bent given by some of the overzealous wanna-believers. Secondly, I found several chapters to be completely fascinating insofar as they were documenting critters and spooks which I had never heard of before. Sure, there's talk in here of Bigfoot and the potential for North American apes. But how often do you hear about phantom panthers? Or of the Mad Gasser of Mattoon? Did you know that there are mysterious appearances and disappearances of clowns in vans reportedly trying to abscond with children, all across the country? That's just a taste of the bizarre goodness to be found in Mysterious America. Thirdly -- and of keen interest to travelers -- are the appendices. Plan your vacation stops in areas where teleporting alligators, lake monsters, phantom ships or spook lights have been spotted. Just look up the state, then go down the list of items. In fact, you can forego the travelling and just look up your home -- odds are you'll be surprised to find that something weird has happened right near you, and probably not that long ago. I know that it's got me watching the skies for swooping thunderbirds! Mysterious America probably isn't the kind of book you'll read from cover to cover. It's more the kind that you'll pick up, thumb through, and stop on the first interesting chapter for a bit -- or you'll dogear the pages regarding sightings in places you're familiar with. It's a fun bit of reference that will make for interesting conversation. |
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