2024 the best evidence book review

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"Best Evidence" takes you along on an investigative reporter's three-year quest to uncover the best scientific evidence for ESP, psychokinesis, mental healing, ghosts and poltergeists, dowsing, mediums, near-death experiences, reincarnation, and other "impossible" phenomena. A national Gallup Poll found that 93 percent of Americans believe in one or more paranormal phenomena that science can't explain and won't accept. Chances are, you're one of them. At the dawn of the 21st century, despite being reared on science and skepticism, people of every country and culture continue to experience and report paranormal phenomena that shouldn't exist. Investigative reporter Michael Schmicker tracked down the best scientific evidence for these phenomena that refuse to disappear. No National Enquirer nonsense here. Michael searched through sober parapsychology journals and monographs; puzzled over statistics-stuffed psychokinesis studies from Princeton University and reincarnation research from the University of Virginia; read through 140 books from the 1894 classic ghost study "Phantasms of the Living," to "Mindsight," a fascinating 1999 study of near-death and out-of-body experiences in the blind; discovered surprising endorsements of psychic research from light bulb inventor Thomas Edison and Xerox machine inventor Chester Carlson, psychologists Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle and Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell; tracked fiery academic debates on the Internet; exchanged email with poltergeist hunters; and even spent an evening at a mind-bending, spoon-bending party in Nevada. In the 14 years since it was first published, "Best Evidence" has emerged as a classic in the field of scientific anomalies research -- praised for its balance and objectivity, its investigation of multiple paranormal phenomena; and its footnoted sources. "Best Evidence" has served as a textbook for courses at three different U.S. universities. If you're seriously interested in paranormal phenomena, start with this book.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ iUniverse; Second Edition (March 27, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 340 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0595219063
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0595219063
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.85 x 9 inches
Reviewer: atmj
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Chock full of information and references
Review: If you want a book that has details and specific studies and bunches and bunches of references on Psi phenomena, this is it.MICHAEL SCHMICKER gives the casual skeptic and the believer all the details and information anyone could want on a multitude of topics. From the table of contents this is what is covered:TABLE OF CONTENTS:Part I: PSIentific FactsChapter 1: Nobody Really Believes This Stuff, Right?Chapter 2: Yeah, But I Bet They're All Wierdos and Nut CasesChapter 3: OK, But Do Any Scientists take This Stuff Seriously?Chapter 4: But Science Says...Chapter 5: The Times They Are A-ChangingPart II: Best EvidenceChapter 6: Extra-Sensory Perception (ESP)Chapter 7: Psychokinesis (PK)Chapter 8: DowsingChapter 9: The Mind-Body Connection: Mental And Faith HealingChapter 10: Death Bed VisionsChapter 11: Near Death and Out-Of-Body ExperiencesChapter 12: Ghosts and PoltergeistsChapter 13: Mediums and ChannelersChapter 14: ReincarnationChapter 15: The Future of ScienceFIRST HE GIVES US INFO ON ALL THE BELIEVERS OUT THERE. This list is sprinkled with many of the top scientists and world renown people of the last 2 centuries. So much for being a minority of odd balls.THEN HE GIVES US NUTS AND BOLTS FACTS ON STUDIES DONE ON EACH TYPE OF PHENOMENA. Here is a fact-finders dream. This book references hundreds of sources of information on this phenomena. From the fringes to highly regarded institutions. When you read this, you will be astounded at the level of information provided. You could spend a lifetime reviewing all the references here. This book is a keeper once read for just this alone.IF YOU ARE OF THE SCIENTIFIC MIND, this book gives you enough information to launch your own investigation into these recorded documentations of this phenomena. Let's face it, if we can use statistics to prove quality levels, prove scientific theorems we can also use it in Psi phenomena. This books points you to studies where scientists did just that. Excellent book. I'm going to dog-ear it for the references for sure.

Reviewer: lovesdogs
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: a little dry
Review: Well, I'm pretty much a believer so I didn't need to read all of the studies. The author warns that the book is more for people on the fence but I went ahead anyway. It concentrates a lot on ESP and other paranormal that are easier to test scientifically. I was more interested in seeing evidence of things that can't be tested in a laboratory, such as ghosts. As the author says, if you're a believer, you don't need to see the evidence. I'm not sure the unbeliever, especially the angry ones who only see fraud all around, will be convinced even with the positive lab results. But I appreciate the hard work the author has done to compile and document the results of scientific studies. It is well written and comprehensive and I hope will convince a few more people that there is more to being human than existing a few years and then disappearing forever.

Reviewer: Jon
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Solid Contribution to the Field of Paranormal Studies
Review: I have been studying paranormal phenomena for almost 15 years (mainly near death experiences but also most of the other fields discussed in this book) and this book is a must-have in my opinion. There are several other books that have a similar format where they survey the entire paranormal / parapsychology field and this ranks up there with those as well (specifically I'm talking about "Varieties of Anomalous Experience" - Cardena, Lynn, Krippner; "Irreducible Mind" - Kelly, and "The End of Materialism" - Tart). I highly recommend looking into all of these books but this is just the tip of the iceberg really.Best Evidence has tons of examples for each phenomenon, all very good cases and examples of evidence, and all are footnoted in the back for further research. There is also a 'recommending reading' section at the end of each chapter that gives some other great books to look into. I think the most important part of the book has to be all the evidence that is covered but I was also very pleased with the first part of the book which discusses the history of this field of research, the typical negative reactions from mainstream science and inherent difficulties in conducting this kind of research, and other related issues that one goes through, either as a researcher, an experiencer, or just a curious reader. The chapters also have a nice introduction and overview of each field of research before going into the best evidence which I often found quite interesting.All in all, very powerful stuff and will no doubt leave you at the very least thinking, something must be going on here that is worth investigating more. I think it does more than that but if you are a diehard skeptic, I think you'll at minimum walk away questioning how certain you really are that this can all be casually dismissed.

Reviewer: nhbunion
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Not Much New For Me
Review: I've read so many paranormal, life after death, etc. type books & unfortunately this one didn't hold much new information for me. The first half of the book covered alot of things I already knew so I found myself skipping pages again & again, but the last half of the book was interesting. I think someone new to "woo woo" subjects would find the entire book a great page-turner. I did enjoy the author's writing style. If you're interested in exploring research on ESP, etc. this book would be a good place to start.

Reviewer: Tony K
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: "Best Evidence"
Review: A well researched book on paranormal phenomena not easily or readily explained. Author Schmicker draws on the history of renowned thinkers and scientific minds to present his scientific evidence of its existence ...Edison,Einstein, Freud, Jung, Dickens, Abraham Lincoln, and many others make compelling cases to support these findings. The book truly lives up to its title..."Best Evidence", and is a pleasure to read. Whether you are a "true believer, cautious believer, or just plain "curious", I think you will enjoy this book.Anthony Kaliton

Reviewer: ANNE M
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Shipment arrived as per second scheduled date due to delay on first. All items were intact except for book.Book back cover was a bit ripped/torn. Book was not in a separate wrapper or bag of its own.Not able to give half a star - so 5 Stars. All okay.

Reviewer: Written Path
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Grab it. You'll be impressed to find out how powerful our mind is - imagine that people have been able to 'view' underground military installations with just their mind and call up apparitions, among other things!! And they have done much more than that...and so can the rest of us apparently. Read this book for all the unbelievable but essentially true stuff, that the scientific world, is only now beginning to take seriously, in a significant shift of attitude.

Reviewer: James
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I like this book is thought provoking and provides documented events of the paranormal. I think the book is a good read but a little dry in some places. I do like the fact it cites it's source and led me to some other books that specialise on topics of interest. If you have an interest in paranormal phenomena then it's worth buying.

Reviewer: Seta
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: The information in this book swings between superficial and heavily detailed. It's not an easy read because the text is written in a journalistic, sensationalist way. The stories are interesting but the research as a whole (or even as chapters) don't tie in together well. I would only buy this book as an introduction to the topic and then follow up on some of the sources the author recommends.