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Unexplained!: Strange Sightings, Incredible Occurrences & Puzzling Physical Phenomena

Unexplained!: Strange Sightings, Incredible Occurrences & Puzzling Physical Phenomena

List Price: $21.95
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This ones A to Z and beyond !
Review: "UNEXPLAINED" goes beyond UFO"s & Bigfoot covering creepy creatures and strange events. Some are seldom heard or known yet every bit as intriguing as those we've all read about so often.
A complete collection that every Cryptozoology Buff, in fact anyone interested in X-file-like accounts will enjoy.
Can't stress it enough, this book is more than a collection of hidden animals or unusal events it's a desk reference for the weird!
Also recommended is "STRANGE HIGHWAYS" by Jerry D. Coleman.
Great Book Mr. Clark!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This ones A to Z and beyond !
Review: "UNEXPLAINED" goes beyond UFO"s & Bigfoot covering creepy creatures and strange events. Some are seldom heard or known yet every bit as intriguing as those we've all read about so often.
A complete collection that every Cryptozoology Buff, in fact anyone interested in X-file-like accounts will enjoy.
Can't stress it enough, this book is more than a collection of hidden animals or unusal events it's a desk reference for the weird!
Also recommended is "STRANGE HIGHWAYS" by Jerry D. Coleman.
Great Book Mr. Clark!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent book but buy the 1993 edition
Review:
You know the expression, If it ain't broken...

Well this expression sorta applies to this book. I'm a fan of esoterica and I've read countless of books on the subject for many years now and I have a fairly good grasp of the weird things that has occurred out there. And I also have a fair amount of personal experience with strange events myself. So when I bought the first edition of UNEXPLAINED back in the early 1990s, I was pleasantly surprised by the author's non-sensationalistic approach to the usually sensation-creating subjects. Even though I already had a good knowledge of most of everything in the book, I did learn several things and I've been using UNEXPLAINED as some sort of guide and it has served me well ever since.

When I saw that UNEXPLAINED was recently updated with a new edition that included an extra 200 pages of new information, I quickly bought the updated version and, well, I still prefer the first edition. The second updated edition is mightily confusing. I don't know who was responsible for the new page layout or the idea of creating different chapters for different subjects in the updated edition, but, to be blunt, it just doesn't work. In the first edition, everything was categorize alphabetically. Very simple and direct approach to the information. It was concise and easy to get to. And each monster or strange happening basically had its own chapter. In the new edition, everything is categorize in a confusing array of ambiguously titled chapters ("Things That Are Not"...huh?) which defeats the whole purpose of a guide. But the biggest problem with this new version is the fact that several events or creatures belong in not just one but several categories. The Mothman, for example, is relegated in the boringly titled "Other Incredible Entities" chapter, but it could have easily been included in the "Cryptozoo" chapter, because it is a creature or an animal of sorts, or in the "Shapes In The Sky" chapter, because the Mothman is connected with UFOs, and it does fly on it own. There are simply too many esoteric events that crossover into several categories for this new guide to work properly. As is, everything is muddled up for nothing. It's a shame because the information is still excellent, that is, if you can find it.

Anyway, I give this new edition 3 stars. It's still worth buying but the 1993 edition is so much better and the 5 big stars are for that version. If you can find the 1993 edition, buy it. And if UNEXPLAINED gets updated again in a new expanded edition with new information, please go back to categorizing every subject alphabetically and get rid of those silly chapters. Please.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good job, Jerome!
Review: Clark's new, expanded edition of "Unexplained!" is one of the finest overviews of paranormal mysteries available today. I have been a fan of Clark's since his "Creatures of the Outer Edge" of 1978 (co-authored with his occasional writing partner, the equally dependable Loren Coleman). Clark's clear and professional writing style has only improved over the years. A sly, very subtle wit frequently emerges ("perhaps wisely, he takes this vague idea no further"). Although it's evident Clark's mind is open to most of the phenomena explored in the book, for the most part he keeps his opinions to himself, opting instead to let his reader make his or her own judgement based on the information available.

In scope and organization I found the book slightly similar to Janet and Colin Bord's excellent "Unexplained Mysteries of the 20th Century" of 1989, although that book also explores ghost and goblin-type phenomena whereas "Unexplained!" is concerned primarily with more tangible mysteries. Both are encyclopedic, objective tomes providing a detailed overview of a wide variety of topics. Especially welcome in this new edition of "Unexplained!" is the inclusion of the "Things That Are Not" section, highlighting previously believed legends such as the Bermuda Triangle and Cottingley Fairy Photographs. Also new are numerous "sidebar" discussions of select organizations and important figures in the Fortean world (i.e., Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans, Budd Hopkins, MUFON, CSICOP, etc.). Clark generously criticizes--in a professional manner--certain unreliable "experts" (Von Daniken, Berlitz) and hardcore debunkers, those "thinkers" who claim to be skeptics but instead are nothing more than vehemently closed minds.

This book is a serious, carefully-researched study. Clark has always made it a point to clearly document his sources, which makes it easy for the reader to further pursue an intriguing topic. Another of Clark's strengths is the natural integration of the many witness accounts and narratives, however extreme some of them might be. The information is presented in a manner that encourages the reader to form his/her own deductions. When examining far-fetched phenomena like Fairies, Clark uses a cautionary approach that still manages to remain receptive to the nagging body of stories, accounts, and folklore.

The presentation and layout of the book have been vastly improved over the 1993 edition. It's now much more serious and professional in its look, abandoning the Ripley's Believe It or Not-style cover of it's previous incarnation. The typeface and setting are also significantly improved and much more easily read. Instead of listing the entries in simple encyclopedic format as he did before, he now groups them together in intelligent sections. Considerably more photos and illustrations exist in the present version (although there can never be enough!).

I can recommend this book without hesitation to anyone with a serious interest in these phenomena. Clark is now one of the most dependable, scholarly, and professional voices in the Fortean world. I trust him.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: clear concise and objective book
Review: I've been a Jerome Clark fan for years..He always presents a clear concise and objective view of whatever subject he tackles.Mr. Clark presents both sides fairly and attempts to provide a balanced report without the hysterical fanaticism of the "believers" or the rabid negativism of the skeptics. He (and his old partner Loren Coleman) are good examples of the old school reporters who understand the difference between fact and opinion. Mr. Clark is one of the few authors in this area that does not seem to have a pet theory about the mysterious phenomena. This book lists many famous cases with proof both for and against the "experts" explanations. Well researched and written, this book is a must read for any serious (or just curious) reader of unexplained phenomena. You can trust Jerome Clark to always lay out a well researched and balanced view. I do.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: More than UFO' s It's a Desk Reference!
Review: In "Unexplained" Jerome Clark dicsusses things in shorter detail than he does with his "UFO Book," therfore the bias isn't as prevalent, but it's still there.

However, one of the nice things about this edition is the section "Things That Are Not." It's always nice to dispel with some myths. Although, I think he could've added more to that.

Maybe the next edition could have more pictures? Overall it's not as good as, say, Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World. But "Unexplained" covers more subjects, which is a good thing (and if done more objectively, would make it a better book).

The vast assortment of topics keeps "Unexplained" interesting, unlike his UFO Book which is a screed, and the lack of evidence doesn't justify it's length.

3.5 stars

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: goodbye to blind belief, goodbye to cynical dismissal
Review: Jerome Clark has a nicely balanced attitude about the paranormal; he's ready to debunk myths (and he does), but recognizes that the paranormal does exist, and that some events do not yet have explanations.

Arranged in alphabetical order, much like a reference book, his case studies serve as an excellent primer on this subject. Each case is bookended with its sources, and sources for further reading/research.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Creepy and interesting
Review: Jerome Clark has done a great job with this new edition. It is full of information regarding the strange and unknown. If you enjoy reading about weird creatures and bizzare, unexplained happenings, then this book is right up your alley. Clark presents the subjects within the text without letting his own opinions take over, and he doesn't discredit or try to make the reader believe anything. Unexplained, really makes you question wheather or not something weird could be hidden right outside your door.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An award-winning Ufologist explores the unknown...
Review: Jerome Clark has written what I feel to be the definitive guide to all things paranormal. His book is filled with hundreds of entries that cover all aspects of the paranormal world, If it's paranormal related - you name it.. it's probably in this book.

What made the book a great read for me is that Clark has obviously researched for himself the various topics in his book, this is NOT just another rehash of the same old tired stories. While clark does a lot to dispel some of the myths and urban legends associated with some paranormal events, he also keeps an open mind and relates some of the strangest mysteries of our world with true an accurate details.

This book is by far the best of my paranormal collection, and a valuable tool for all paranormal enthusiasts and investigators. If you want the REAL facts of a paranormal event, then this is the book for you.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The definitive guide to all things paranormal
Review: Jerome Clark has written what I feel to be the definitive guide to all things paranormal. His book is filled with hundreds of entries that cover all aspects of the paranormal world, If it's paranormal related - you name it.. it's probably in this book.

What made the book a great read for me is that Clark has obviously researched for himself the various topics in his book, this is NOT just another rehash of the same old tired stories. While clark does a lot to dispel some of the myths and urban legends associated with some paranormal events, he also keeps an open mind and relates some of the strangest mysteries of our world with true an accurate details.

This book is by far the best of my paranormal collection, and a valuable tool for all paranormal enthusiasts and investigators. If you want the REAL facts of a paranormal event, then this is the book for you.


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