Truth About Uri Geller

Rating:
Summary: You Can't Prove a Negative
Review: As anyone with passing knowledge of logic can attest, you can't prove a negative. That is why our courts are set up so that the prosecutor has to prove a POSITIVE (e.g. that a crime was committed by the accused). Failure to prove a positive leads to the conclusion that the NEGATIVE must be the case. This means that it isn't up to Randi to prove that Geller is a fraud (that is well established by the many other illusionist who replicate his "feats", including Penn & Teller who do it much more entertainingly) but rather for Geller to prove that he has divine powers as he claims. Of course, he has not, and cannot prove the positive (e.g. that he has divine powers) and thus he is nothing more than a debunked magician. Indeed, in every case, at all times, in every place, when Geller exhibits "divine" powers, all the props are supplied by Geller himself. And in every case, at all times, in every place when others supplied the props, Geller has failed (as he did spectacularly on the Tonight Show when his props were replaced by common store-bought ones). The truly amazing thing to me is why so many folks are so eager to suspend common sense and pay money to a performer who demeans their intelligence. He's an illusionist folks!!

Rating:
Summary: This book is one of the best books I've ever read!
Review: I've never really cared about Uri Geller, but this book is funny and witty, reading it was a joy non the less. In this book, Mr. Randi exposed Uri Geller with style, and everything said was very convicing.

Rating:
Summary: Hey, don't blame Randi!
Review: It is our weakness to blame the messenger. James Randi, a professional magician, extremely intelligent and honest writer, and an extremely cinical skeptic, is usually the target of "believers" of the paranormal (as you will notice on the "reviews" of his books). Clearly, it is hard to accept that at some time or another, our leg has been pulled, and Randi is the first to let you know, in the most blunt way possible.

This book is not really about demonstrating that Geller is a fraud. Randi simply demonstrate that all the paranormal feats of the famous psychic can be duplicated (Randi himself has done them in TV and personal appearances). That people decide to believe the most fantastical explanation is another different issue.

Another thing worth mentioning is that this book includes excerpts from articles from magazines and newspaper, which shows that Randi was not alone in his skepticism.

A final notice is that if you enjoy this book, you will find more information on "Flim-Flam!", by the same author. There he presents new information, including his meeting with one of Geller's helpers, who confesses to having participated in the tricks, sometimes throwing things for apparent "materializations".

But, if you feel comfortable with "wishful thinking", and don't want to be confronted with facts and more credible alternate explanations, then don't try Randi.

Rating:
Summary: An important book, very good.
Review: It's suprising how many people I meet who still believe in Uri Geller. I can only hope for a future time when a little more skepticism prompts people to read more books like this one.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent expose of a Fraud
Review: James Randi is the skeptics skeptic. In this book heexposes in great detail the fraud that Uri Geller performed on the world. A great read and a facinating subject.

Rating:
Summary: mmmmmmmm
Review: Personally I found this book very interesting and it's also interesting to read through all the reviews here also. I am amazed at the number of people who willingly believe in such phenomenon as spoon-bending or ESP despite the fact that evidence to the contrary might exist! Can't you have an open mind either way? (I admit now that I lean towards skepticism - but I am always willing to listen to both sides providing accurate evidence exists.)

I also find it preposterous that so many people think that Randi is jealous of Geller or anything like that. If you've read this book and have that attitude then you've missed one of the key points of the book completely. Randi doesn't object to Geller's tricks - just his attitude in doing them. Magicians do tricks - and admit that they're tricks even if they don't reveal exactly how they're done. But when a man like Geller performs tricks, claims they're genuine and in doing this, deceives right-minded and otherwise right-thinking people, then this gives cause for concern. By all means, Geller can be (and is!) a showman - but there's no need to lie to people in that manner. That helps nobody and that is all Randi really objects to.

Rating:
Summary: Personal attack on Geller? You've already missed the point.
Review: Personally I found this book very interesting and it's also interesting to read through all the reviews here also. I am amazed at the number of people who willingly believe in such phenomenon as spoon-bending or ESP despite the fact that evidence to the contrary might exist! Can't you have an open mind either way? (I admit now that I lean towards skepticism - but I am always willing to listen to both sides providing accurate evidence exists.)

I also find it preposterous that so many people think that Randi is jealous of Geller or anything like that. If you've read this book and have that attitude then you've missed one of the key points of the book completely. Randi doesn't object to Geller's tricks - just his attitude in doing them. Magicians do tricks - and admit that they're tricks even if they don't reveal exactly how they're done. But when a man like Geller performs tricks, claims they're genuine and in doing this, deceives right-minded and otherwise right-thinking people, then this gives cause for concern. By all means, Geller can be (and is!) a showman - but there's no need to lie to people in that manner. That helps nobody and that is all Randi really objects to.

Rating:
Summary: The book leaves you feeling nauseous
Review: Randi comes across as a man who has missed the mark with his own life and now needs some justification for his existence which he finds in putting down people - it doesn't matter who is in question - all his books, including this one - say only how much he is pissed with his own life. Uri Geller and others are incidental.

All of his books are biased - the only things that he has printed in them is forcing his point of view, whatever he chooses to believe as the "truth".

His books have nothing to do with any scientific research or proofs - they seem to come from an adolescent rebel. His entire attitude is "I dare you to show me the proof, but I'll make sure to get you to see only what I want you to see, because I don't care to be objective - I only care to prove that I am right - even I'm wrong. And any evidence to the contrary, I'll find the way to delete."

The only thing that Randi seems to delight in disseminating is anger - not information. There is some deep unhappiness in Randi, and that has nothing to do with Uri Geller - it has to do with Randi being pissed with his own little limited world, because there's more to this world than meets the eye, but Randi doesn't know how to get it so it thrills him to deny even the possibility of such pleasure to everyone else.

Randi is hiding his own dark secrets that he is terrified to face and just as magicians and illusionists use distraction to get your attention elsewhere, so is he so badly attempting to distract both himself and others from what truly ails me. Now Uri Geller and others are supposed to serve as scapegoats for Randi's feeings of unhappiness and lack of self-worth, because now that he has happily managed to put others down - he's bound to feel million times better about himself. Now, finally he can perceive himself as a saint - or at least fake it as long as he can.

As for the rest, before you do judge Uri Geller, or whomever else Randi is pointing his finger at - get to know those people personally with an open-mind. The world you discover just may not be as Randi would want you to believe and if you call yourself critical thinkers - then you should based your own critical judgment upon some solid evidence from your own personal experience and not the hear-say that Randi wants to serve you.


Rating:
Summary: James Randi fails to explain anything
Review: This book seems more like a joke to me. I advice all the skeptics that were instantly fooled by Randi's ramblings to visit Uri Geller's website to watch the video material of the "Scientific Research". I am interested how Randi would explain that...