Confirmation: The Hard Evidence of Aliens Among Us? (Communion 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

This book can be read by "believers" (whatever that means) or scientists or even the uninitiated layperson. The facts of the case are presented, with a minimum of speculation, and with no concrete conclusion drawn in stone. The book achieves its only purpose: to publicize some extraordinary events that have happened and are happening right now. What is their implication? Whitley eventually spends a few pages on his personal ideas, but concludes that NO ONE knows yet. It is up to all of us to reach that conclusion together.

Let me first state that I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Strieber's book, Communion. This was an excellent book documenting one man's experience with something real to him. It offered no definitive answer and was more of a quest for the ever elusive truth. With each succesive book about the phenomena that he has experienced, his interepretations get more far out. The other main advantage that Mr. Strieber has over other authors on similar material, such as Budd Hopkins, is that Mr. Strieber is a professional writer and his books are very well-written.

Back to Confirmation, the first third of the book discusses video evidence of UFOs. It would have helped if Mr. Strieber had given readers some suggestions as to where they might find copies of the footage he is describing. (I did see one of the videos he was descibing on Larry King, so at least that one should be available somewhere.) He describes the movements that the UFOs make, and how they would be difficult to falsify - not impossible, just difficult. Now without being able to view the footage, it is very difficult to come to your own conclusion about the said footage. It is also very difficult to evaluate video footage from a written description. (try to imagine describing one of your favorite action scenes to someone who has never seen it, but don't tell plot just give descriptions of the movements, their mental image would probably be much different than the actual footage)

My other complaint/concern about the first section of the book is that Mr. Strieber is making comments about propulsion and how this particular movement isn't possible, etc. While, I firmly believe that he is a very intelligent man, I've never seen anything to believe that he is a physicist or an expert on propulsion systems.

The next section describes close encounter experiences from witnesses across the nation. While very interesting, since these are mostly taken from letters, and don't have corroborating testimony or evidence again there is no hard evidence.

The third section of the book is the most interesting, and could have come closest to providing that all elusive "proof". Mr. Strieber conducted a number of tests to try to find implants that people remember having inserted into them during their close encounters. While some very interesting data was recovered, the results were inconclusive to say the least. There is no way of proving that the implants removed from these people were put in during their alleged encounters. The materials are not out of this world, odd, yes but not necessarily from somewhere else.

Finally, I do appreciate what Mr. Strieber was trying to do here but it just doesn't work. I think the biggest problem is the title, the book does not live up to it. I hope that Mr. Strieber continues his personal search, but I don't know that I'll continue reading about it.