The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ghosts and Hauntings

Rating:
Summary: Unfortunately will not make idiots any wiser
Review: I have to say I was surprised at all the factual errors in this book. I know there are no "facts" in paranormal investigations, but this book gets actual "facts" wrong when discussing people and places. Queen Elizabeth I is not buried at Windsor Castle; she's entombed at Westminster Abbey. This is just one small example of MANY inaccuracies found in this book.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Though it's an "Idiot's" guide, the author does not insult the intelligence of his reader. The tone of the book is just right. The author does not give himself away as a dyed-in-the-wool believer, and neither is he a rock-em sock-em skeptic a la the CISCOP gang. Instead, he presents the information in a light,fun,informative manner. The bibliography at the back of the book warmed the cockles of my heart, as they've gotten to be rare as hen's teeth in these days of vanishing literacy. In addition there are addresses of groups and other resources for those interested in learning more. Maybe this book was not written for Rocket-Scientist- stiff-upper-lip-all-night-in-the-crypt-ghost hunters (a little joke there...a little irony...) but it covers many topics and it does a masterful job at doing so. For instance, it gives a good accounting of Urban Legends as well as phantasmagoria...now where are you going to find that range under one cover? Yes, Odgen does get a fact or two wrong, but that's a far cry from the usual rote repetition of hearsay that passes for fact in almost every paranormal book on the market. (And, sure, it's a good book for kitty-box reading if that's what your passion is!) I also like his presentation of the historical beginnings of spiritualism, tracing them directly to Swedenborg (an old buddy) and Andrew Jackson Davis, the 19th c. seer before the Foxettes shuffled off with the show in Hydesville, N.Y. Ilustrations are good too--many classics here, including that cute Drummer of Tedworth! And--as a bonus--he includes a mini-Ouija board for some do-it-yourself yesyes fun.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Though it's an "Idiot's" guide, the author does not insult the intelligence of his reader. The tone of the book is just right. The author does not give himself away as a dyed-in-the-wool believer, and neither is he a rock-em sock-em skeptic a la the CISCOP gang. Instead, he presents the information in a light,fun,informative manner. The bibliography at the back of the book warmed the cockles of my heart, as they've gotten to be rare as hen's teeth in these days of vanishing literacy. In addition there are addresses of groups and other resources for those interested in learning more. Maybe this book was not written for Rocket-Scientist- stiff-upper-lip-all-night-in-the-crypt-ghost hunters (a little joke there...a little irony...) but it covers many topics and it does a masterful job at doing so. For instance, it gives a good accounting of Urban Legends as well as phantasmagoria...now where are you going to find that range under one cover? Yes, Odgen does get a fact or two wrong, but that's a far cry from the usual rote repetition of hearsay that passes for fact in almost every paranormal book on the market. (And, sure, it's a good book for kitty-box reading if that's what your passion is!) I also like his presentation of the historical beginnings of spiritualism, tracing them directly to Swedenborg (an old buddy) and Andrew Jackson Davis, the 19th c. seer before the Foxettes shuffled off with the show in Hydesville, N.Y. Ilustrations are good too--many classics here, including that cute Drummer of Tedworth! And--as a bonus--he includes a mini-Ouija board for some do-it-yourself yesyes fun.

Rating:
Summary: we use it often
Review: I too expected an under-representation in this book but have found it very useful in refining our use of terms and expressions. At Metrolina Paranormal Research Labs we use this text as an intro for new field investigators. At the very least it gets us all speaking from the same dictionary - it is also very entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: For once a book that lives up to its name
Review: I was very disappointed with this book. I am a ghosthunter by profession and bought this book out of curiosity. It is full of misconceptions anf false information. For anyone looking for serious information on the spirits and ghosts around us, I would not recommend this book. For those looking for some fun reading around the campfire this book is better suited for this purpose. For once I can say that a book lives up to its name....the author should research a little more........

Rating:
Summary: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ghosts and Hauntings
Review: Okay, don't let the title of this book fool you -- it's for everyone. Don't expect any in-depth discussions of ghosts, spirits or paranormal issues, but you can expect just a good, general overview of all things ghostly and haunting. I purchased it as light reading material. Well I'm proud to say that my copy is getting rather dog-eared because I find myself referring to it time and again to look look up things like names, definitions, places, etc. It's well worth the money!

Rating:
Summary: Filled with errors
Review: Please do not waste your money on this book. Even if you just borrow it or check it out of the library, don't expect to get a lot out of it. It is filled with errors.

There is very, very little in the paranormal field that is "fact". You may be wondering how I can say this book is filled with errors. Ogden messes up stuff that is fact... the number of siblings John Wesley had, information about the University of Alabama, and more. This is a sloppily assembled book. Even basic information is incorrect. So, how on earth are we supposed to trust his writing about the less concrete things?

Also, whoever proofread and editted this book should be fired. There are grammatical, spelling, and printing errors, erroneous captions and labels, and more.

It's a shoddy piece of work....poor quality control. If they ever release a reprint, they've got a ton of work to do.

Rating:
Summary: Don't bother
Review: This is probably one of the worst ghost books I have ever read. Perhaps it is trying to live up to it's title, since it assumes the reader does not know any definition for ghosts or hauntings or anything in between and chooses to act as if this book will give you all the answers. It doesn't give any. Most of the book is spent on small snippets of useless information in an effort to "tell you alot". If you want to read a real ghost book, go pick out anything by Hans Holzer, or perhaps "Gravesend",or "Haunted Heartland" or ANY other book on ghosts and hauntings but this one.

Rating:
Summary: Intellectuals beware
Review: This is the first book I've purchased on ghosts and hauntings. I have lukewarm feelings on this book. I don't like it because it is very poorly edited, never goes into detail, and adds florish where there should be none (like serving a McDonalds burger with parsley tucked in the side). I like the book because it touches on many arenas of ghosts and gives me a better idea of what I want in the next hauntings book I order. Also, the short segments make it a perfect book to tuck next to the toilet. It's easy to put down after one or two short sections so you never wind up with sleeping buttocks.