Rating: 
Summary: By far one of the best expose' on bogus "psychic" claims.
Review: James Randi explores in this book a few of the many
bogus claims of the paranormal, from astrology, dowsing,
card reading, and "psychic surgery." Humerous as times
and earnistly serious at others, this book is a good read.
If one is interested in skeptical analysis of "paranormal"
claims, this book is a must-read.
Rating: 
Summary: James Randi is the Greatest!
Review: James Randi is a one-man crusade against the flummery and charlatanism of what has come to be called the New Age movement. He knows that perhaps the majority of people have a deep psychological need to believe in nonsense, and this, by turns, embarrasses him, exasperates him, amuses and challenges him to pierce through manifold delusions. Unfortunately, judging by the present intellectual and cultural climate of our nation -- along with the rest of the world -- Randi's crusade isn't working. And this is distressing on many levels. Perhaps the central challenge of Randi's works is this: If you're a person inclined to believe in such things as e.s.p., p.s.i., "pyramid power," astrology, the Bermuda Triangle, virgin births, astral traveling, "psychic surgery," faith-healing, crystals, Tarot cards and other forms of metaphysical malarkey, then you can not possibly be an intellectually serious person. Period. If, however, you don't believe in such things, well, this guy who writes so skeptically and gleefully about them is one helluva a great entertainer! On its face, the subjects Randi addresses might seem to be inherently trivial, and in many ways they of course are. But then again, consider this: if a person is apt to be bamboozled by any one of the practitioners of the above New Age "arts," how responsible a citizen can he really be? If he votes for a specific politician, what sort of nonsense the candidate espoused did he believe? If he serves on a jury, can this citizen, who might be inclined to believe in, say, the psychic bending of spoons or the viability of astrology, be said to be a worthwhile juror? Considering most people in this country probably believe in one form of metaphysical mumbo-jumbo or another, we have a long, long, long way to go before stepping out of the Dark Ages. But you can't blame that on James Randi! Note: I withheld a final star from my review because this book contains no footnotes.
Rating: 
Summary: Randi: The Sarcastic Skeptic
Review: Randi's "Flim Flam!" is a definite addition to any skeptic's arsenal. It shows specific instances where "believers," when given a chance to prove their powers in a controlled environment, consistently fail to substantiate their claims. In this sense, it is an good illustration of how paranormal claims fail. Also of particular interest is the chapter on the "fairies" that were photographed in England around the turn of the century. That chapter alone should be photocopied and handed out at Blockbuster whenever the 1997 film "Fairy Tale: A True Story" is rented. Then, after watching that film, parents could talk critically about the incident. Unfortunately, the impression this book gave me was that Randi thinks that "believers" are stupid for believing what they do. Irrational? Possibly. Non-scientific? Maybe. But stupid? No. Randi's sarcastic tone is a real turn off to those would much rather have the facts and a clear, unbiased analysis of the events. In summary, a good skeptical resource, but if you don't mind the author being a bit full of himself. For a more pleasant, skeptical look at paranormal claims, see the Skeptical Inquirer collection, "The Hundredth Monkey: and Other Paradigms of the Paranormal" by Kendrick Frazier.
Rating: 
Summary: Whose paradigm is this book anyway?
Review: As the previous reviewer noted: "Both mysticism and scientism are more than happy to quickly dismiss anything that doesn't fit into their paradigms; but what happens when something or someone upsets those paradigms?"
I remember those lovely quotes "seek and you shall find" or "you'll find what you're looking for" or "the Observer affects the outcome of the observed experiment", etc.
I am not siding neither with those "accused as culprits" in this book, merely pointing out that just by looking at a tip of an iceberg, one doesn't get the whole picture - there is a good deal of an iceberg hidden under the water.
One claiming that he has now figured out the "truth" about the iceberg is just as ignorant as one claiming that he possesses "special power" that others do not. Power is more alike the ocean out of which the iceberg emerged.
What is generally pitifull is people looking for answers outside of themselves (that includes vast majority of people, including the author of this book) - they'll never find it - neither those who are represented in this book as delluding themselves, nor those who go to others looking to be rescued from their problems (in this book reprsented as those who seek to dellude themselves), neither the author of this book, who is also delluding himself by looking for "proofs" of anything outside of himself. He has happily found out exactly what he was looking for - nothing more, nothing less.
He can spend several more lifetimes, looking for "proofs" that will contract what he's looking to find, but he won't find them.
It's like the story "two people look out the bars: one saw the stars, another one the mud". They are both there, but one will see only that which he desires to see. Our beloved author has spent a lifetime looking for the trickery and mud and that's the only thing that is "real" for him.
Yes, there is one good point in this book - don't look for power and salvation or whatever else you seek in anothers - it's not there, so you won't find it. Those who now feel relieved that they are enlightened with some "truth" and won't fall for the tricks any more, are only half-way through.
You don't need psychics and hobgoblins to enlighten you - and you may laugh at people who fell for those "tricks", and then just sit down and look at your own life and all the things that are outside of you which you still generously surrender power over your mind, over your emotions, over your life - all the other beliefs you have about the outer world - the power you give to doctors, lawyers, insurance companies, advertising companies - none of whom necessarily have your wellbeing at heart.
If you think that only people who go looking for psychics and such have hypnotized themselves in search for miracles, look at your own life and how have your hypnotized yourself into believing that this or that may be just what you need to help you live a happier life.
You can then feel pissed like the author of this book, or you may sit down and laugh or cry at the state of human condition and maybe you get inspired to sit down and ponder and look deeper inside of yourself and ANY beliefs you have to find out who do they really serve and do they really make you feel empowered, safe, secure, happy, fulfilled?
It is so easy pointing a finger at finger at others and saying "oh my God, he is tricking people" - it gets kind of sad when you take a closer look at your own self and discover how much you have been tricking yourself by never looking deep within you but by accepting as granted ANY beliefs and worldviews that were handed to you as crumbs of bread just to keep you quiet for a while, lest you begin asking some more meaningful questions about yourself and your life and your own mind-power.
Some people find it a little bit scarry and too much to take when they realize that they have entirely created their own reality and that they are not the "victims" of outer circumstances and that therefore there is NO ONE out there to trick them, other than themselves.
The outer world one experiences is simply a projection of that which the individual holds within him - so the fact that this author has stumbled upon trickery left, center and right - tells something about what lies deep within him. One shall always find the "proof" outside of him, for whatever he treasures within him.
Rating:
Summary: The Truth About Flim Flam Randi
Review: Randi is quoted as saying on one of his television specials, "I try to live as much as possible in the real world"; respectfully, and humbly, we all have to ask, what in the hell is REAL?
This is an excellent question and it depends on one's definition of reality. Does your reality encompass only the limited world you can experience with your physical senses, or does it truly encompass all that which is seen and unseen?
If your reality begins and ends in the world that you can only perceive with your physical eyes and touch - that's right - there are no unicorns. If your reality encompasses the worldview of quantum physics where the world is made out of energy and where the moment you think of something - it is real and it exists, albeit on a different vibratinal level (one book that may help here is Dimensional Structure of Consciousness, also available on amazon.com as well as numerous other books on quantum physics - then unicorns are real, as is everything that you can possibly think of or imagine.
If you think that your imagination has nothing to do with your life, just notice how much power your thoughts have to affect your experience of reality. Even what you dream at night can and does affect your physiology, Thoughts and feelings of love or hatred affect your immune system, contemplating thoughts about biting into and sucking a big juicy lemon will stimulate the glands in your mouth and produce more saliva; contemplating thoughts of sex may give rise to some other very noticeable changes in your body - only thoughts, nothing more.
Let's look at astrology - we may begin with only two "planets" - sun and moon - because they may seem more obvious than others. Spend a month in total darkness without any ray of sun or light and notice what you experience in your body. The least you can notice is a sense of greater aliveness due to the presence of sunshine and perhaps a sense of sleepiness, as the absence of the light stimulates the production of mellatonin.
You may also be aware of the effect of the moon on bodies of water (ever lived beside a sea or an ocean and noticed ebbs and tides?), and human body being composed mostly of water are subject to its effect too, though women due to their monthly periods, which under normal circumstances last 28 days, just as much as it takes for the moon to orbit the earth - but that's only one effect. You may also be aware on its effect upon your emotions, though sometimes it may seem more subtle than at other times, when it may feel as if someone's temper and state of mind is affected more drastically.
From the perspective of quantum physics, planets are - just like everything else - only masses of energy, endowed with particular vibrations. If you have difficulty comprehending a vibration - think of music and thing of one's astrology chart as a musical score that represents a relationship between different sounds. And if you listen to different kinds of music, you may find that some you like better than others and that there are people who very much enjoy kind of music that you may find rather irritating. And each one, when using words, may describe the same sequence of musical notes as wonderful and appealing or as positively dreadful - based on his own perception and so does interpretation of astrology charts leave much to be desired because its interpretation is based upon the language and perception of the one who is reading it.
Now, I would also like you to think of a simple object, such as a spoon - it is neither good or bad in itself and it may be used in many different ways, other than just for eating food - the use of which may depend upon the inclinations and imagination of the user. So, when you see some aspect in astrology chart, all that it says is there is, let's say "a spoon" (or rather an energy of a spoon) - then the astrologer interprets it according to what he can figure such a thing can be used for. This does not invalidate astrology, only one's interpretation.
That is no different than when you think about the events in your life. Events in themselves are neutral - but depending on how you look at them, you may interpret them to be good or bad, and can project upon them elements and motivations that other people may have had, which are not present. This also reminds me of five different people witnessing an accident and each one giving a statement that is drastically different from the other four - each one is describing what he taught he saw, according to his own perception. This than goes even further into fallibility of one's memory - which is not factual, but creative and again based upon what one has chosen to see.
I remember a couple who watched a movie after which they could stop arguing about what happened in a particular scene - each one convinced that the actor said different thing. They were so bothered by this that six months later they rented a movie to settle the thing once and for all - and after they've seen it, both of them were still convinced they saw and heard what they saw and heard originally. There is nothing supernatural about watching a movie or observing any event - yet people will see what they expect to see.
And then there's this funny thing about "supernatural" things. People tend to label as "supernatural" that which according to their current understanding and knowledge has no basis in "nature" - and there is no such thing. There is only human ignorance. There are a lot of people out there who are barely making ends meet financially, who may be earning $20,000 a year and for whom the idea of earning $100,000 a year comes across as something supernatural.
And then there are those who are faking it, pretending that they are making much more money by having cars and houses they can't afford, so that other people will think that they have great "financial" power, while they are in truth "financially impotent", and then there are also those who are extremely financially wealthy, but go around looking as if they came from the poor house, because they don't care how they look like and what other people may think of them and becauce they have no need to go around bragging about their "financial power" - they are merely content to quietly enjoy it. And so it is with "mind power" - everyone has it to some degree if they are able to think at all, but some have genuinely developed it to the extent that they can use it practically in their daily lives for their benefit and for the benefit of others; and then there are those who seem to be faking it, and for the most part there are those who do not recognize it because the recognition begins with awareness and its use in one's own experience.
You can use something you're not even aware that you have. Just imagine sitting in a dark room loaded with great treasure, but what good is it to you, if you can't even see that it is there. And being aware only of the darkness and lack, you begin going around looking for what other people have. Dragging their own darkness (read "ignorance"), the only thing they can perceive is and interpret is - whatever tiny amount of light (read "understanding") they can project.
There are many people who are into "critical thinking" and who very much enjoy bring up Plato - but of all of his writings, they conveniently skip the "Allegory of the Cave" (from "Republic") - it may bring more points across than I can stick into this review.
I can see how much plesure Randi derived from debunking Uri Geller, but I'm curious as to how much effort did he invest in debunking himself. While he laughs and is angry at the ignorance of others, how much has he learned about his own ignorance in the process? His ego-trip is no different than those he is attempting to put down. He can easily spot the lack of "rational" thinking in another, but can he spot the limitations of his thinking and perception in himself?
But more than that - have you learned something useful that left you truly empowered and in greater control of your own life?
You don't need a psychic to tell you about your future - your future is made out of whatever thought processes you adopt - and your life will be as limited or unlimited as you think it.
If you still have fears and feel like a victim of circumstances, you have much to learn - and anger is a product of fear, a product of perceiving something outside of you as a possible treat against which you have to defend yourself. Randi's book is full of anger - what does he fear? Has he mastered his own life? That would've been time much better spent.
Moreover he is convinced that the world must be composed of dummies who don't have enough brains to think for themselves and need the divine protection of his wisdom. Each person has all the wisdom he will ever need, right within - if he only cares to access it - and that wisdom is deeper than what one's rational and limited mind can concoct, but it takes willingness to turn one's attention upon it, instead of looking at the mirage outside.
If you want to know the truth about "mind power" and "psychic abilities", yuu don't have to look no further than your own lovely self. All you need to do is begin paying attention to the relationship between your thoughs and your experiences - because your thoughts, emotions, beliefs and perceptions create your reality. Eventually you may realize that your own body and the entire world you perceive and experience is in your mind - and as you do, you'll be able to intentionally create desired outcomes and more importantly, you will know that there is nothing to fear, that there is nothing that can pose a threat to you or your life outside of you.
Rating:
Summary: Not Amazing, but Pretty Good
Review: James Randi is well renowned as one of the world's most prominent skeptics, as well he should be. He has offered a million dollar prize to anyone who can prove in scientifically controlled tests that they possess some kind of paranormal power. Go figure, no one has ever been able to do so, and most self-proclaimed psychics, diviners etc have simply refused to be tested. A common excuse is that 'negative vibrations/energy' from non-believers interfers with their 'powers'. Translation: "I can prove I can do anything... as long as it's only to people who are already firmly convinced that I can."
This book's most interesting sections include accounts of some people who have tried to claim this prize, and often descriptions of the trickery they tried to pull. Famous scams and flim-flammery are also discussed. The perpetrators range from the honestly mistaken, to those manipulated by others (including children) to the deluded to the knowing liars. It's not a read that will lift your opinion of humanity, but it's well worth reading.
The book is not without its flaws. Randi is correctly portrayed as pissed off - and given the insistent idiocy he deals with, perhaps that's no surprise. The topics veer through a hodgepodge of the allegedly paranormal, making it read a little too episodic. At times, the prose gets dry. For example, the chapter on the Cottingly Faeries goes into technical details about cameras, which I had a tough time understanding.
Worth noting are some false claims that negative reviewers have made on Amazon. Randi does NOT maintain a dogmatic insistance that all paranormal claims are false. He bases his belief that such claims are hooey not on faith, but on evidence, having seen many (many, many) which are false, and none that have proven true. That's merely rational thinking. He does not claim "There are no paranormal powers and I can prove it." One cannot prove a negative like that. [Quick: can you play the tuba? Can you PROVE to me that you can't?] Moreover, the burden of proof does not lie with him. If I say I can fly like Superman, you say I can't... who do you think should be assumed correct barring evidence about my claim?
This book is a good one for those who value rational thinking. There are others that are better written (To name just a few: Carl Sagan's "The Demon Haunted World", Robert Park's "Voodoo Science" and Randi's own, more focused "The Faith Healers") but I still give it high marks.
Rating:
Summary: Flim-flam, flummery and the fools that feed them.
Review: As a professional magician, James Randi is the perfect person to see through the frauds and phonies who make a good living gulling the public. "Flim-Flam" deliciously exposes the flummeries of fakes like Uri Geller, Erich von Daniken, the Bermuda Triangle, psychic surgeons and meditation gurus - often with simple logic, facts and duplications of their "miracles." Compare Randi's homegrown picture of a levitator (really a teenager frozen in the middle of a trampoline bounce by a strobe flash) with the grainy and blurry "proof" of a TM levitation. You'll soon realize not only that Randi's shot is more expertly done, but how ridiculously easy it is to fake the "impossible."
After years of catching humbugs in the act, Randi gets caustic at times. But seeing the straightforward way he catches fakes is well worth the discomfort. People who claim to read blindfolded suddenly lose their abilities when Randi seals the crack in the blindfold with zinc oxide. Dowsers who swear they can find a steady flow of water flowing through a pipe six inches underground wander aimlessly and hilariously off the mark. Psychokinetic kids are caught on videotape using their hands to bend metal bars supposedly bent with brain power. The list of psychic gotchas goes on and on.
Randi exposes not only tricksters but also the fools who need to believe them. That includes scientists who think their awesome academic achievements make them impervious to deception. Reading "Flim Flam" is an education -- about people who go to not-so-great lengths to persuade others of their supposed powers, and more importantly, about the limits of human powers of perception. After all, without the flim-flammable, flim-flammers would soon go out of business. Rationality owes Randi a debt of gratitude for this book and for his life's work of exposing falsehood.
Rating:
Summary: James Randi is the Greatest!
Review: James Randi is a one-man crusade against the flummery and charlatanism of what has come to be called the New Age movement. He knows that perhaps the majority of people have a deep psychological need to believe in nonsense, and this, by turns, embarrasses him, exasperates him, amuses and challenges him to pierce through manifold delusions. Unfortunately, judging by the present intellectual and cultural climate of our nation -- along with the rest of the world -- Randi's crusade isn't working. And this is distressing on many levels. Perhaps the central challenge of Randi's works is this: If you're a person inclined to believe in such things as e.s.p., p.s.i., "pyramid power," astrology, the Bermuda Triangle, virgin births, astral traveling, "psychic surgery," faith-healing, crystals, Tarot cards and other forms of metaphysical malarkey, then you can not possibly be an intellectually serious person. Period. If, however, you don't believe in such things, well, this guy who writes so skeptically and gleefully about them is one helluva a great entertainer! On its face, the subjects Randi addresses might seem to be inherently trivial, and in many ways they of course are. But then again, consider this: if a person is apt to be bamboozled by any one of the practitioners of the above New Age "arts," how responsible a citizen can he really be? If he votes for a specific politician, what sort of nonsense the candidate espoused did he believe? If he serves on a jury, can this citizen, who might be inclined to believe in, say, the psychic bending of spoons or the viability of astrology, be said to be a worthwhile juror? Considering most people in this country probably believe in one form of metaphysical mumbo-jumbo or another, we have a long, long, long way to go before stepping out of the Dark Ages. But you can't blame that on James Randi! Note: I withheld a final star from my review because this book contains no footnotes.
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