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Edgar Cayce was one of the most humble and influential people of his day, a man whose outstanding psychic abilities appeared to heal hundreds of patients. The F.B.I. and even master magician Henry Houdini couldn't debunk or explain Cayce's amazing gifts. Biographer Sidney D. Kirkpatrick has no interest in probing the question of whether Cayce had legitimate psychic powers. Rather he presents an evenhanded story about the life of this American prophet, using a myriad of sources, including transcripts of his trances as well as Cayce's personal letters and papers. (Kirkpatrick is the only author to be granted unrestricted access.) What makes this biography especially fresh and lasting is Kirkpatrick's excellent storytelling skills, evidenced in his opening pages when he describes Cayce entering his characteristic trance to diagnose a seemingly dying infant in the other room. Although Cayce prescribed a seemingly lethal dose of the homeopathic belladonna (deadly nightshade), the baby survived and was healed. Whether telling of these miraculous moments or the horrifying harassment in Cayce's life, Kirkpatrick always stays grounded in documented facts and clear information. Cayce aficionados will enjoy especially the accounts of encounters with George Gershwin, Marilyn Monroe, and even the likelihood that he met with President Woodrow Wilson. --Tara West
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