Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but irrelevant.
Review: As someone who has spent most of my short life trying to understand the paranormal and occult I believe this book poses some very interesting ideas. Interesting as they are they mean nothing to anyone who is at all serious about the paranormal. There is an interesting talk about the abduction phenomena and Faery that I have seen parralleled in other works. The rest is just dribble. I showed the book to some of my Wiccan and other "magically inclined" friends (of which I am still puzzling over the validity of magik) and they were all very angry at some parts of the book. However it is a fun read if you want to read something that is ultimately much more fiction than fact.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating, practical, down-to-earth and very readable.
Review: Greer defines monsters as "beings that cannot exist, according to currently accepted scientific theories about the way the universe works, but which are routinely encountered by credible witnesses and described in traditional folklore". The major portion of the book extracts the common threads from world-wide folklore and modern day sightings of vampires, ghosts, werewolves, creatures of faery, mermaids, dragons, spirits, angels and demons, while dispelling modern TV myths. Although cultures vary in their interpretation of what monsters are, there is surprising agreement about what they do. This suggests that there are common phenomena that have been subject to different interpretations.I was particularly attracted to the book because of this well-structured and systematic distillation of the evidence, old and new. It is written in a sensible style that gives one a great deal of confidence in the author. However, there is much more that is of interest, and different audiences will take different things from the rest of the book. For the complete newcomer to the field, there is an introduction containing a cogently argued defence of the idea that evidence shouldn't be discarded just because it doesn't fit our current theoretical models. However, the main thrust of the book is as a guide for psychical researchers, ghost hunters and other investigators of spontaneous anomalies. It contains some extremely practical information about e.g. equipment to take, questions to ask and how to ask them, how to detect hoaxes and how to do research. This should be required reading for any person involved in field work of this kind. The monster catalogue itself contains two parallel threads. Besides describing reported monster behaviour and the development of associated folklore, the author also provides an interpretation, based on Western magical philosophy, of what the monsters are and how to deal with them. Fortunately, he keeps these threads fairly separate, so that one can extract a lot of useful information about monster sightings, even if one chooses to ignore the magical perspective. That said, the framework that he presents is internally consistent and seems to be an interesting way of analysing monster lore. The notions that he draws on could also be interpreted in terms of other cultural philosophies, and students of e.g. eastern mysticism or holistic medicine will find parallels in their own philosophy to the concepts used here. While reading this book, I was consistently impressed by the author's clear mind, down-to-earth approach and considerate nature. While each element of it may be covered in more detail in other books, this is an extremely useful synthesis of many ideas. I found a lot to think about in it, and I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: In-depth Research Guide to "Imaginary" Beings & "Monsters"
Review: I accidentally dismissed this book, because of the cover, until my wife brought me a copy to peruse. The cover doesn't really do the book justice--although, I am sure it sells many copies, normally. If this book had an entirely different cover, I believe it would be taken Very Seriously by many students of The Mysteries, Anthropology (especially), and could possibly be used in a College Course on Mythology.
Greer's explanation of Occult, Ghost, UFO, Fay, etc., Phenomena makes more sense than most of what I have read on the subject, throughout my life. I have read Secret School materials that do not make as much sense as this amazing treatise on the Paranormal. I am especially Impressed with the UFO-Fairy connection. This theory not only makes tremendous sense, but resolves Numerous issues I have experienced and debated, over the years. For those who research the Paranormal and have experienced UFO, Ghost and such "Otherworld" activities, this book makes tremendous sense, and often makes the reader realize things in a very ( "So, that's it !" ) revelatory manner.
I could have really used this book, when I was younger and silly-enough to go looking for trouble. Throughout my life, I have experienced various Hauntings and Paranormal Events, and often went looking for them, as Inspiration for writing books. Personal experience leads me to conclude that Greer is an Expert and should be taken very Seriously by Anthropologists, Psychologists, et al.
I doubt that most people who are not psychically inclined or Initiated will "get it," but this guide is Certainly well-worth owning just to discourage people from "Dabbling" in Occult Matters. Amazingly, this is the first "Occult" book I have ever read that would be perfect material for Christians to encourage their teenagers to read. The usual Christian theory of "Don't Dabble" (in the Occult) is repeated throughout the book. However, the book is written from an Initiated, Mystical perspective, coinciding with Common Sense.
To make a long review short.... This is a perfect guide to "Monsters" (the Paranormal, Mystical, Hauntings, Vampires, Werewolves, etc.) that should be on the shelf of every "Occultist," Christian, Psychic, Psychologist and Anthropologist.
Please, do not "judge the book by it's cover." This is not a sensationalist, copy-cat, or un-researched book written to capitalize on Vampire Trends and such. I sincerely expect this book to make it's way into college courses. Greer has obviously researched this material in-depth and first-hand. This is the only Serious work on the subject that I have encountered. If you are expecting sensationalized UFO encounters, this book isn't for you. However, this book does explain, Rationally, the UFO phenomena. This book does not "debunk" monsters, ghosts and fairies--but, it does Explain them, logically
Greer obviously has the Credentials to back-up his theories. "Monsters" is being used as a "Reference book" at Libraries (a book you cannot check-out: "for Research purposes, only").
For those who may be interested, several chapters included in this book involve Natural Magick and Ritual Magick, with detailed instructions and diagrams.
Rating:
Summary: This book shatters some common perceptions of Monsters
Review: I found this book to be interesting, thought-provoking and overall one of the best I have read on paranormal and fatastical creatures. He hit upon ideas I have held for years, but had never ran into in a book. He shatters Hollywood created stereotypes for ancient creatures such as werewolves and vampires and provides theories that make perfect sense and finally shed light on all the "missing" evidence in relation to fairies and alien abductions. Also included are easy-to-use ways of removing negative and/or unwanted energies from houses ..ie ghosts. The only negative thing I can say about this book is that he labels the Unicorn as a true Mythical creature! ::my inner child weeps:: If you have even a small intrest in magick creatures...get this book. It is an easy to read, down to earth, explanatory guide to things considered "unknown"!
Rating:
Summary: An Ok Book and truly Interesting...
Review: I found this book very interesting, but, some where missleading to the reader(s) (i.e.:"ghosts","spirits") which are pretty much the same thing no matter how you look at it.However, some of the points he makes about certain creaturs are interesting and make sense. This is a really good book, but, its not that great. I say if you want to learn about certain folklore then this book is for you if you truly want something thats interesting.
Rating:
Summary: An Ok Book and truly Interesting...
Review: I found this book very interesting, but, some where missleading to the reader(s) (i.e.:"ghosts","spirits") which are pretty much the same thing no matter how you look at it.However, some of the points he makes about certain creaturs are interesting and make sense. This is a really good book, but, its not that great. I say if you want to learn about certain folklore then this book is for you if you truly want something thats interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but empty in the end
Review: I guess this book would be better appreciated by those who actually believe in magic, protection spells and things like that. The book does offer it's fair share of information to those who are just interested in monsters generally, but there are far more better books for that kind of research.
The book has chapters for ghosts, demons, angels, werewolves, vampires and other things that go bump in the night. Greer has included sightings and legends from the history, but I always found myself wanting more details. Most portions of the book are about monsters generally and they also offer magical means to defend oneself from monsters. If you are not interested in magic and spells, the book offers only a brief glance into the monster lore.
I was somewhat disappointed in the book, it had only a few interesting bits and pieces of information. Most of the times I found myself reading about Greer's own theories, which I am sorry to say, didn't seem too convincing. If you are offering an example from the history or news, you should include more information about it, otherwise the example has no real use.
If you are interested magic and it's involvement with monsters, this might be the book for you. If you want to really read about monsters, I recommend you find other books for your reading pleasure.
Rating:
Summary: Misinformation.... not Disinformation..
Review: I really like Greer's other books.. Myself and a friend of mine both bought this book immediately (pre-ordered) and ended up returning them both to the bookstore the next day. The attempt is good, but the information is mostly false, based on generalizations, idealizations & stereotypes. Sorry, vampyres and werekin are not just how you describe them.. that is but one take; there are countless opinions on the mythological 'beasts' but when it comes down to it, actual discretion & sociological/magickal personal endevors are the only way to surface truth. This book does not ring Truth to me, and that is subjectively based on my own personal experience.. Then again, it's true for the author, so do what thou wilt! : )
~Raven~
Rating: 
Summary: More bull from Llewellyn
Review: There seems to be a new fad in the magic section these days. If being a witch with fluffy bunny superpowers doesn't make you feel special enough, you can spend $20 and call yourself a monster hunter! You can now do battle with the horrible dangers we all face in life: vampires, werewolves and disgruntled fairies! Vampire and werewolf wannabees beware! Mr. Greer's readers are packing heat! I consider this one of the more dangerous books out there because it not only confuses the reader with fabricated idiocy but it also inspires violence between the lines. For instance, after stating that physically shifting werewolves are indeed a present threat the author advises loading a gun with silver bullets or purchasing a silver tipped staff and taking up martial arts. He even recommends discretion when committing a slaying as it would be difficult to justify the act to the authorities by stating the victim was a werewolf. Due to the supernatural nature of the "werewolf" he also states the corpse might appear in an inconvenient location in human form. Perhaps the author would be more apt at writing books on committing crimes!
Rating: 
Summary: Not intended for those already knowledgeable on the subject.
Review: This book is clearly a primer, intended for beginners and disbelievers. As such, it does what it sets out to quite well; if it is a disappointment to those who expect advanced tracts from Mr. Greer, as some of the other reviews suggest, the problem is with their expectations, not with the material at hand. One wouldn't rate a first-year calculus book poorly simply because it fails to increase one's understanding of differential equations.
For those inclined to learn a bit about the lore of occult creatures, whether or not they actually believe in the reality of said creatures, this is a very good book. Even if one doesn't believe, and is somewhat put off by Greer's unapologetic stance that magic and occult monsters are real, nonetheless, one must concede that he is very practical in his approach; he repeatedly reminds the reader to consider all other explanations before assuming true occult activity, including hoaxes and simple misunderstanding of "normal" happenings. He states repeatedly that true paranormal activity is much rarer than such other happenings, and is clearly attempting to discourage people attempting to live out their Fantasy Role Playing Games in the real world, a phenomenon that he is obviously all too familiar with.
For those who ARE inclined to believe in the possibility of the occult, this is a very good beginning text on the subject.
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