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Rating:  Summary: A good introduction, but only scratches the surface Review: I would call this a YA (Young Adult book) because it is a very basic introduction to a myriad of concepts.
Mr. Warren does an excellent job touching upon a huge array of topics and concepts, but his in-depth analyis falls a little short.
I think he tried to fit too much into an abbreviated book. It would have been much better if he had just concentrated on "ghost hunting" instead of summarizing the numerous subjects he tried to cover in his book.
I find his analysis of negative hauntings to be especially superficial. I would suggest reading Ed and Lorrain Warren's book, "The Demonologist" for a more proper assessment of negative spiritual situations. I don't think a humidifier is going to do the trick in most situations of this type; although it is a very interesting fact that Joshua Warren discovered.
This is all not to say that this is a bad book. I'd say it's slightly better than average, and I would definately give it out to teens and beginners. Actually, it would make a good textbook.
I'd like to see what this author does in the future, perhaps in a longer, more focused book. I like his scientific, methodical approach, and he seems like a talented ghost hunter. I hope to see more of his books in the future.
Rating:  Summary: A refreshing look at an age-old question Review: Joshua Warren hits on the major issues of ghost hunting with science to back it up. This is a must read even if you've been in the slightest bit interested in this fascinating field. Warren uses easy-to-understand terminology and shares his vast array of personal experiences to illustrate his theories. This book will be hard to keep on the shelves. Great job!
Rating:  Summary: Best book of its kind I've read Review: Joshua Warren's book is a fascinating look into real-life ghost hunting and paranormal investigation. It is clearly written, and the fact that Warren has really been doing this kind of research for a long time comes through on every page. I heard about the book on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory (Warren has been a guest numerous times, with both Noory and Art Bell), and ordered the book the next day. I got my copy before the release date (pleasant surprise) and found it even better than it had sounded. It has lots of practical advice on equipment to use in hunting ghosts from very simple things most people can use up through sophisticated cameras and scientific equipment. But it also has a section on different kinds of ghosts and hauntings, including some that aren't really ghosts but have other kinds of explanations. It is also filled with lots of anecdotes and examples from Warren's work that makes it a really interesting read. I imagine that its going to get a lot of negative reviews from people who put down anything having to do with the paranormal, but if you have experienced ghostly things yourself or at least have an open mind, give it a try. Warren's approach and the kind of information he presents is definitely not the usual new-agey spiritualism or hokey "ghost-hunting" book by amateurs. Warren is a pro, and it shows. Buy it.
Rating:  Summary: This Guy DOES Know His Stuff...Good Effort Review: July was interesting this past year(2003). Went to Savannah, Georgia, and stayed in a haunted bed and breakfast inn (The 17Hundred90--main ghost named Anna Powers), and then went up to Bay Street to get locked overnight in a haunted pub with 13 other lunatics (two of them from the Savannah Morning News. a features writer and a photographer). The Inn was interesting. "Something" walked out of a bathroom for us that night, sat down with a creak in a creaky chair, waited a few, and then creaked its way back across the creaky floor and re-entered the bathroom. Cool, huh? Well the inn had NOTHING on the Moon River Brewery & Pub!!!!! The basement was spook central. Try a water spigot that would defy you and turn itself back on in front of you after you turned it off. Not once. Not twice. THREE times. Then there's the storeroom where you could plainly hear the sound of chairs dragging across the floor. Open the door, flick on the light, and...nothing. But the spook DID like chairs. A most frightening incident was walking from one room to the next and passing some restaurant chairs and bar stools stacked against a far wall and having one of the chairs just launch itself into the air and smash to the floor right in front of the person behind you, the nice little old lady from St. Augustine, Florida. And when I say smash, take that literally. Broke itself upon the floor. Sorry, bubbas, you can't manage that kind of force with funhouse wires, so you can forget that little bit of self-delusional debunkery. Besides. There WEREN'T any wires. We checked. And lastly, there was the stupendous event of a huge crashing noise that shook the building and had three and four-person investigative teams rushing up and down stairwells and bumping into each other, because EACH group "heard" the crash as coming from the floor either ABOVE or BELOW their own. NOBODY heard it on THEIR floor. And nothing was EVER found as a cause for the noise. And all these doings were looked at with tri-field meters, thermographic sensor guns,digital cameras, night vision viewers, tape recorders, motion detectors, and other kinds of paraphernalia covered by Joshua P. Warren in his book "How To Hunt Ghosts". So, am I shilling for Warren? No. Wasn't one of his investigations. It was worked by The American Institute of Parapsychology (AIP), out of Florida, and co-cordinated by Savannah Walks, Inc. Fact is, though, everything Warren says in his book matches up with the ideas and methodologies used by AIP in Savannah. Dovetail matches. His assessments of equipment squares with theirs and his concepts of the nature of spirits and hauntings matches up. To my mind Warren has a solid piece of work here and things I have heard about his professionalism in the past lead me to place him up there with Loyd Auerbach, Troy Taylor, Richard Southall, Dave Oester, or any of the other "name" investigators of "things that go bump in the night". This is a good book and it deserves a wide readership. Buy it, read it. You'll find it quite practical, level-headed, perceptive, and credible. And then look up the guy's website and order the VHS "Alone In A Haunted House" from him. In it he takes YOU on an "overnight" and shows all this equipment in use. Then he shows you the results of the photography sessions and sound recording analyses. You will find it both interesting and informative. And if you don't know what an "orb" is going into this, you will before the tape is through (at least you'll know what one LOOKS like..."paras" will argue all day over exactly what it IS!). Watch the tape, read the book. Joshua P. Warren is for real. He can't help it if he looks like your little brother...he's a prodigy whose intellect is a bit out ahead of your run-of-the-mill "ghostbuster's". And, since he lives and works out of Asheville, NC, only about 55 miles north of me, I think I may hunt him up one of these days and say "Let's go hunt some haint's, fella"!!! No Scooby Snacks required!!
Rating:  Summary: Best Book on Ghost Research Ever Written!! Review: Reviewer David Betz is out of his mind. This book is based on pure scientific thought. It's the kind of work that philosophers and scientists alike can appreciate, and everything is founded on scientific fact or fresh theory. It is obviously, without a doubt, the best book on ghost research ever written.
Rating:  Summary: Pretty good book Review: There are roughly three types of paranormal investigation books. Simple for the beginner,dry for the more advanced, and crud written by people looking to make a buck who don't care about the science,or who are of questionable investgative ability to say the least. Joshua Warren has tried to write a book that splits the difference between the simple and advanced, and has done a pretty good job of it. I don't feel it presents the beginners view as well as Southalls book,and it doesn't explain some of the more complicated ideas as well as other books either. However Mr Warren has done a good job presenting information on a varied and complex subject, that unlike some of the scientific disciplines there are no known absolutes. Most of the people investigating out there have their own take that is slightly different from the next. Mr Warren gives you his. This book should be read by everyone interested in this subject.
Rating:  Summary: A Contrary Opinion Review: This book does really little to shatter the notion that paranormal research is anything but wacky in the eyes of accepted science. The science covered in the book is left pretty much only half explained and presented in a more "trust me, because I have been doing this for a really long time" attitude. The biggest disappointment was the lack of the "how to" in the book all together. Most of the tips and ideas are nothing short of common sense. Also, the discussion about the equipment was far too brief and not once included a "why we use this" to tie it back to the previously explained science. If you are a beginning paranormal researcher, you would not be served well from this book in getting your feet wet. The only thing I found reasonably sound from this book was the classification of the evidence and the weight that is placed on each catagory. The author also has some interesting ideas on the sources of the ghostly phenomenon. This leads me to believe that the author does understand the basic science, but just didn't translate it very well to his text. I just felt that the entire book was more a validation of the first three words, "Ghosts are real" rather than a practical guide. It is a horrible attempt at trying to legitimize the field.
Rating:  Summary: The best book on the subject Review: When I picked this book up at the store, I literally couldn't put it down. I bought it and consumed it in one evening. I have since re-read it twice. It is extremely well written, Mr. Warren is clearly both knowlegable and experienced. He takes a very practical and scientific approach to the question, and it is an educational experience to read this book even if you have no interest in the paranormal. He has one chapter devoted as a practical, step by step how to, and it is really concise and complete. I'm sure there are other excellent books out there on this subject, but this book deserves a place in any paranormal library. You will not be disappointed with this book.
Rating:  Summary: The best book on the subject Review: When I picked this book up at the store, I literally couldn't put it down. I bought it and consumed it in one evening. I have since re-read it twice. It is extremely well written, Mr. Warren is clearly both knowlegable and experienced. He takes a very practical and scientific approach to the question, and it is an educational experience to read this book even if you have no interest in the paranormal. He has one chapter devoted as a practical, step by step how to, and it is really concise and complete. I'm sure there are other excellent books out there on this subject, but this book deserves a place in any paranormal library. You will not be disappointed with this book.
Rating:  Summary: Refreshing look at the paranormal Review: Wow!! Where to start? Mr. Warren does a great job in explaning the science behind hunting ghosts, but keeps it in terms that anyone can understand. He explains how ghosts or spirits can influence the world around us, and how to dectect them. He also goes in to how to find haunted areas, and how to deal with people who might be living in a haunted place. Overall he gives you the basics for "How to Hunt Ghosts!" I can't wait to go out and try some of the techniques he suggests in the book. Great Job Mr. Warren!! AFW
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