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: A Skeptical Look at James Randi
Review: Recently I picked up Flim-Flam again. Having changed my mind about many things over the past twenty years, I responded to it much differently this time. I was particularly struck by the book's hectoring, sarcastic tone. Randi pictures psychic researchers as medieval fools clad in "caps and bells" and likens the delivery of an announcement at a parapsychology conference to the birth of "Rosemary's Baby." After debunking all manner of alleged frauds, he opens the book's epilogue with the words, "The tumbrels now stand empty but ready for another trip to the square" - a reference to the French Revolution, in which carts ("tumbrels") of victims were driven daily to the guillotine. Randi evidently pictures himself as the executioner who lowers the blade. In passing, two points might be made about this metaphor: the French Revolution was a product of "scientific rationalism" run amok ... and most of its victims were innocent. Still, the tedious nastiness of Flim-Flam does not tell us anything about its accuracy. Intrigued, I decided to check out a few of Randi's claims in detail.(...)
Rating: 
Summary: Informative Introductory Book
Review: While Flim-Flam! does not conclusively prove that the paranormal doesn't exist (to be fair, it's rather impossible to do so; the lack of proof for the paranormal does not conclusively prove the lack of existence), it does a good job in exposing the deceptive claims that have bamboozled the human race even until today. James Randi gives many case studies of supernatural claims that have turned out to be false, and shows how easily decieved we can be. The book is easy reading with Randi's sarcasm seeping out every now and then. An interesting book, and an eye-opener; recommended for those who need a healthy dose of skepticism.
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