Nickell investigates 47 "mysteries," including the Turin Shroud, spontaneous human combustion, crop circles, the Oak Island treasure, the Flatwoods UFO monster, the Roswell flying saucer crash and an assortment of hauntings, miracles and lake monsters. True believers be warned: Nickell concludes that each of these events can be explained rationally and without resort to space aliens or the supernatural.

Nickell has an agreeable style, although at times it's a bit academic. He doesn't talk down to his readers--he thinks that each mystery is worth investigating carefully and he is clearly having fun with his work. In his own words, "if we steer between the extremes of gullibility and dismissiveness--in other words, if our minds are neither too open nor too closed--we may learn more about our world and ourselves. We may even have some fun doing it" (p. 135). I'm a card-carrying skeptic, so I love this stuff, but I think that an open-minded "true believer" might enjoy this book as well.

If you like "Real-Life X-Files," I recommend any of Nickell's other books ("Secrets of the Supernatural," "Entities" and "Ambrose Bierce is Missing"), as will as Hogart and Hutchinson's "Bizarre Beliefs." Each tells the skeptic's side of the story, but each is open minded and entertaining.


Ok, But.....   February 7, 2002
 9 out of 11 found this review helpful

I would have to agree somewhat with the last reviewer.

I like to read both paranormal/strange occurence books and debunking/skeptical books to get both sides of the story.

Unfortunately for the Nickell, debunking camp, they always seem to be a bit more hysterical in their denials and more willing to bend the evidence to support their beliefs than the people they are trying to discredit.

Some of the mysteries that he investigates he does a pretty good job on and provides reasonable explanations for. Others, where he can't prove any clear fraud or provide a reasonable explanation for, he resorts to the old 'I don't think it could have happened, so it didn't' arguement, or provides explanations that couldn't possibly be true, such as the Doug/Dave claim to have produced hundreds of crop circles, rather than just saying the verdict is still out.

I love mysteries and I love more a good explanation for them. This is about 1/2 way there. There are some good explanations, excellent bibliography (for further studies) and a lot of arrogant, patronising statements which are there, seemingly, just to show Joe Nickells brillance and superiority to the poor benighted fools that might believe differently than him.

All in all, not a bad book, and the bibliographies at the chapter ends are worth the price alone.


Not a good book even if you don't believe in the paranormal   November 23, 2001
 8 out of 23 found this review helpful

I picked this book up at my local library on a whim, boy was I disappointed. While in some cases Mr. Nickell did appear to do a decent job of researching the selected subjects in some cases I think he let his own opinion take over. I don't require that a book find every, or even any, story to be true but I do want things to be approached in a respectful, thorough manner. In some of these things Nickell does a pretty good job of digging things out, in others he's more of an it doesn't seem likely type and doesn't dig enough for me. He can be pretty rough on his critics and his subjects (most of us would be) maybe even meaner than he says they are. I want an investigative book to look into things with an open careful attitude even if it doesn't give the result I want. You don't get that here, I think Mr. Nickelll went into it with an attitude of it's all fake and I WILL prove it so, that goes too far for me.


Author's answers for EVERYTHING paranormal. Don't believe.   February 28, 2005
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I should have been forewarned when this $27.50 hardback was on the Barnes & Nobel's Bargain Table for $4.99. The author attempts to explain "scientifically" forty-seven paranormal phenomena, ranging from Spontaneous Human Combustion to Stigmata wounds. Rather than rebuff each of Mr. Nickell's explanations, I sought to find the commonality of the reasons given for each event.

A old saying is that "If you cannot attack the argument, attack the character of the person making the argument." This is very true throughout the book. For example, his Roswell Legend explanation introduces Charles Fort as "the crank named Charles Fort." Repeatedly, the author disparages the character of writers with whom he disagrees.

In his explanation of Stigmata events, Nickell mentions the 1972 Baptist, ten-year-old girl stigmata. However, Nickell fails to mention the case was discussed at length in the referred, highly respected Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol 30, Feb 1974. In the scientific literature, stigmata events are defined as psychogenic purpura. And the journal concludes that "the occurrence of psychologically induced bleeding is conclusively demonstrated."

Finally, there are 528 references cited in the book chapters (yes, I counted!). Nickell references his own publications 55 times, or 10.4 % of the time. I would not recommend this book.



This book is worth your time   March 19, 2005
 6 out of 11 found this review helpful

If you don't believe in anything, you'll like this book. I like this book, because I don't believe in anything (not unless I can taste, touch, smell, hear, or see it). I don't know why, but a lot of people like to believe strange things, whether it's Santa Claus, Jesus, Buddha, psychic powers, UFOs, or monsters.

That being said, nobody has ever successfuly read my thoughts, I've never seen or heard Jesus, I've never been abducted or seen a UFO, I've never seen Bigfoot or Nessie, and I've certainly never heard or seen Buddha. So why do people continue to believe and preach this stuff? Because they're too frightened to believe nothing! If you believe nothing, like myself, then that means no comforting little stories about dying and going to heaven. It also means nobody can read your mind, or communicate with dead loved ones. But this is too much for people to handle, they can't live without their crutches. They HAVE to believe, otherwise their whole pathetic world will crumble down around them.

People have to believe in Roswell, although the only first-hand evidence is the testimony of Mac Brazel, who said it was simply sticks and tinfoil. What you would expect from a weather balloon, obviously.

People have to believe in Loch Ness monsters or bigfoot. Despite the fact none have ever been captured in over 50 years of searching!

People have to believe in psychics, but did any psychic ever predict 911? Did Sylvia Browne predict 911? Of course not. They only tell you what you want to hear.

How come the Bible doesn't mention the invention of guns? Couldn't God have told how lead bullets would be propelled in the air? Is that too much to ask for evidence? How come the bible doesn't predict the automobile? You think God could've put some actual predictions in the bible, right?

If Noah was the last guy on earth, then how did we get all the different races of people? Of course, the Bible doesn't explain any of this, how convenient!

So, if you're one of those people living in La-La land, then of course you're gonna hate this book. Your brains simply aren't capable of rational thinking. You must find patters where there are none. Make connections where there are none. Twist the facts to fit your myopic worldview.