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UFO Religions |
List Price: $27.95
Your Price: $18.45 |
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Product Info |
Reviews |
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Rating: Summary: Useful if slightly overlong overview Review: Although this book simply consists of a number of articles by various academics around the world it is quite entertaining and covers the sociological and psychological (if not the neuroscientific) aspects of this minor but interesting phenomenon rather well. However, there are a number of irritations: firstly, the Editor (Christopher Partridge) should have had a quiet word with Garry Trompf and politely but firmly encouraged this 'Professor in the History of Ideas at Sydney University' to re-draft his contribution. It may contain an intriguing comparison of UFO religions and Cargo Cults but is written in an absurdly convoluted style that is replete with unnecessary jargon like 'apotropaic', 'mythological macrohistory', 'sectlet'and 'scientismic'. You'll need to borrow the Universal Translator from Star Trek to cope with this kind of gibberish. Secondly, Jodi Dean's article is just plain pompous and should have been left out altogether for its quite laughable assertion that Independence Day is homophobic. However, Partridge's introductory overview is lively and informative and other conributors have been particularly perceptive on matters such as, for example, the relationship between Heaven's Gate and established New Age thinking. Finally, the book may be about a fringe phenomenon but I found myself rethinking my ideas about mainstream religion as a consequence. In other words, the book as a whole leaves you with plenty to reflect on.
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