This work is an exploration of the zone that lies between the known and unknown, a shadowy territory that's home to lake monsters, combusting people, teleporting frogs and man-eating trees. Taking a Fortean path between dogmatic scientists and credulous believers, the authors trace tales of wonder back to their sources, drawing from a huge archive of observations, opinions and discussions. As the third millennium begins many things are not yet known or understood about our world - as this guide shows, there are still many riddles to solve and wonders to experience.
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Both established figures in the field. John Michell's book - 'View over Atlantis' was the cult read of the 1970's. Bob Rickard is editor of the Fortean Times, and the two co-wrote the earlier incarnations of this book, Phenomena and Living Wonders.
--This text refers to an alternate
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Fort was among the first to draw attention to several types of phenomena which are now widely recognized, and he was also original in noticing connections between them – between poltergeist events and the presence of a distressed or mentally disturbed young person; between unknown lights or objects in the sky and possible otherworldly intelligence; between outbreaks of hysteria or religious fervour and fires, earthquakes and other disasters. Of all his conceptions teleportation proved to be the most useful. One of his special interests was in the anomalies of animal distribution, whether it was the spontaneous appearance of life in newly-dug ponds, the mysteries of bird and insect migration or the strange ability of certain pet animals to find their owners, even when they have moved far away to unknown locations. Together with these phenomena Fort collected cases of lost possessions miraculously rediscovered, modern artifacts excavated from ancient geological strata, !
and objects that manifest themselves at spiritualist sessions, at the behest of shamans and holy men, in response to prayer or intense desire or simply of their own accord. In connection with these and other mysteries Fort spoke of teleportation, not as a scientific theory to be proved or clamouring for precise explanations, which will never be forthcoming.
and objects that manifest themselves at spiritualist sessions, at the behest of shamans and holy men, in response to prayer or intense desire or simply of their own accord. In connection with these and other mysteries Fort spoke of teleportation, not as a scientific theory to be proved or clamouring for precise explanations, which will never be forthcoming.
This is a humorous subject, but while laughing at it we are also somewhat respectful towards Fort’s damned facts, and we are wholly respectful towards his inclusive attitude and world-view. There is nothing to be gained by worrying about or wilfully rejecting aspects of our human experience which can never be explained. The greatest of human pleasures (purer and more long-lasting than sex or any of the appetites) is to investigate the world, generally and in its various parts – and much more so if it is done honestly, without regard to prejudices, taboos, inhibitions and other people’s conventions.
In this book we make all sorts of connections between the various types of mysteries and wonders described in it, but we do not ask readers to follow us, believe in us or accept any of our tentative conclusions. The most we hope for is to bring relief to those among us who have experienced strange happenings and have been told by their doctors, parents or contemporaries that this is unnatural and even perhaps a sign of madness. Our message of comfort to such readers is that you are not alone. As we carefully demonstrate in the following chapters, these things have always happened, they can happen to anyone, and at least some of them probably happen to everyone in the course of a lifetime. Our very existence in this world is an unexplained mystery, and that is something we have to accept and be happy with.
John Michell and Bob Rickard
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By tkwink
Format:Paperback
This Rough Guide special is an overall good effort, but in the end, it comes of as fairly standard supernatural fare. The authors are knowledgeable, but the book is cobbled together from previous efforts (though updated. There are a number of lesser-known incidents and paranormal events to delight in (see the attack of the Smurfs, for one) as well as the bog standard yeti and Nessie bits. While the illustrations are very well chosen, the majority are in PURPLE, cutting their effectiveness and sometimes even obscuring any detail. Purple is the dominant colour here, in hue and prose alike. And an obvious Fortean tone permeates, often become dull as reference after reference is made to the late, great Charles Fort. Great as a starter book on the unexplained, interesting but not essential for the dedicated student of the strange.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This book is a very good springboard for a newcomer to the subject. It is essentially an amalgam of two oldish books, and this is reflected in the fact that few of the incidents cited date from after 1982. Don't let that put you off: although a lot can happen in 20 years, you could argue that nothing really advances in this field: more sightings, more elusive clues, more samples of yeti fur that seem to have been mislaid, more camera shutters jamming- maybe Fort was right to maintain an attitude of amused detachment. One of the best things about this book is that references are given to many other good books, so you can explore each subject in greater depth. The content is a good balance between depth and breadth: teleportation; talking animals; woodwoses (England's own 'wild men') almas and yetis; and children brought up by animals, were sections I particularly enjoyed. It seems, remarkably, that children brought up by wolves can develop glowing eyes, just like their adopted family. Best of all are the manifold sightings of Noah's Ark...where is it? Why, still on top of Mt. Ararat where they left it, of course. You don't have to be a believer to read this book- it is a fascinating read anyway.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It is a good reference book. The title sums it up rough guide. As long as you're not looking for indepth explainations, you will enjoy this book.
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