Rating: 
Summary: Flawed, but fun.
Review: As a meandering, first-person tale of paranormal dabbling, this book isn't bad, although many of the people Ramsland contacts for their "expertise" are so over-the-top that they damage the credibility of parapsychology rather than bolster it.The main problem with this book is that Ramsland ties her paranormal explorations to "Christian," a dead and supposedly sadistic vampire wannabe. Ramsland obtains Christian's ring from a psychopathic youth named "Wraith." Wraith then stalks Ramsland to get the ring back. Ramsland refuses to give it to him or get rid of it, as she feels it is her connection to the departed Christian. As all this drama unfolds, Ramsland never does the very first thing any journalist should do: verify that Christian existed. She accepts Wraith's high-gothic tale of multiple murders and psychic mayhem without a blink, yet never seems to have tried to find police records, new reports, or other vital records about Christian and his supposed victims. Lacking any kind of hard evidence that Christian was a human on Earth, it's hard to accept her evidence of Christian as a tormented ghost in need of Ramsland's intervention. In the end, this book does nothing to prove the reality of the paranormal, but it is fun to read, if only to encounter the many unusual personalities she introduces who claim to have an in with the Other Side.
Rating: 
Summary: This could spook you
Review: I do love the occasional ghost story and the writer's story of her investigations into hauntings and trying to get to the bottom of a 'haunted' ring were interesting. She spends a lot of time trying to contact its spiritual owner, taping 'interviews' that result in creepy sounds (screaming, wanting her dead, etc.). It gave me a bit of a scare, made me wonder if there is anything 'out there' (but I'm still doubtful), but some people who are of a more skeptical bent will probably throw this off as bull. Those who tend to believe more in ghosts and the supernatural world will be freaked out. You decide.
Rating:
Summary: Only one problem...
Review: I don't get spooked too easily but this book had a real effect on me. I foolishly purchased this book on my honeymoon, read half of it then woke my new wife up in the middle of the night after a horrendous nightmare to tell her that I couldn't read any further. I did finish the book, though, on the airplane home (you're safe from ghosts there). Every now and then I have a compulsion to purchase a voice-activated, digital tape recorder (which picks up sounds the human ear cannot) and place it next to my bed to see exactly who is talking to/about me when I'm asleep. Then I gave the book to my new mother-in-law. She said 'That won't scare me'. She called me up this evening to say 'Ok now I'm getting a little scared'. Not for the faint-hearted!
Rating: 
Summary: Highly enjoyable journey
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. It was the first of Katherine Ramsland's that I had read, but it wasn't the last. Unlike many books on the paranormal (which either offer "total proof" or "debunk" all they can), "Ghost" is more about the journey than about the end result. I've been to a few of the places Ramsland visited on her investigations, including the Lizzie Borden house. Much like with her book, it's the EXPERIENCE that gets you more than anything.
I read a few of the reviews left by some readers, and it's too bad they weren't fond of the book. I liked the mystery of the ring, even if it wasn't resolved. With something like that, resolution isn't always the point. It's the mystery. That's what makes it a mystery. No one will ever know who actually killed Lizzie Borden's parents, but it doesn't make it any less of a fascinating case.
This is a fun book that takes you places you may never go on your own. She tries just about everything and gets herself into some daring and sometimes "what the hell were you thinking?!" situations. Then again, that's part of the fun. Better her than us, right?
Rating: 
Summary: captures the imagination and holds the attention
Review: I love a good ghost story, and Katherine Ramsland has a gift for creating a tale and an ambience that captures the imagination and holds the attention of her reader. Ghost, a Firsthand Account into the World of Paranormal Activity is a wonderfully written account of the author's experimentation with ghost hunting, starting with her first halting steps and ending with an expanding network of resources and equipment. Although the story is ostensibly about the possible murder or suicide of a young man named "Christian," a member of a vampiric sub-culture, his tale serves primarily as the supportive backbone of a more complex tale. The author combines an interesting psychological account of her own pursuit of danger and excitement, a sense of mystery and suspense, a wonderful almost playful sense of humor, and a gift for story telling that makes the book hard to put down. Her discussion of the history of ghost hunting, the individuals involved in it, their various styles of research--tarot reading, mediumism, electronic and photographic equipment, etc.--and their personalities make the book almost a textbook on the subject. The theories of what produces ghostly phenomena are discussed by each of the individuals with whom the author interacts, so that the reader learns a lot about what is believed about the subject. I was a little disappointed, however, that the author did not interact with or discuss in more detail the work of Hans Holzer, a name with which anyone with any knowledge about the subject would be familiar. For those who want to follow up on the subject, the author provides an in situ bibliography, citing a number of authors and their book titles throughout the text. She also provides a fairly detailed formal bibliography with very current entries, mostly from the 1990's, although some as old as the 1970's. In addition there are a number of resources provided for the reader to follow up if desired, including addresses and websites for some of the authorities she had occasion to consult and the addresses, email addresses and phone numbers of various haunted places to visit or to spend a night. Although I found the resolution of the mystery of Christian somewhat disappointing, I found Ms Ramsland's critique of the subject of ghost hunting a very objective one, far more so than I would have expected. Since I'd love to write ghost stories (fictional) myself, I found her discussion of the equipment very interesting and useful (I've bookmarked some of these pages for future use!) A very intelligent and gifted lady. Probably someone it would be fun to know. For THOSE WRITING PAPERS in literature, history, sociology, psychology, anthropology, physics: this book would make a fun resource and starting point. One might, for instance, write a paper on how this type of book bridges the gap between narrative and expository prose. Is this a "story" or a research paper? What aspects of both give it an arresting character. How does history become folklorized by tales of ghosts and hauntings? What function does the ghost story have for group cohesion, for reinforcing group values, etc. How might one explain ghosts as a social or a psychological phenomenon? Why do even people who "don't believe in ghosts" often still have difficulty with cemeteries, haunted houses, and the like? Is there something evolutionarily beneficial to a fear of or veneration of the dead? The author mentions the Skeptical Enquirer, a journal dedicated to debunking beliefs in ghosts, extra terrestrials, and other phenomenon. Read an issue and discuss the subject of science and myth/folk beliefs. Is this journal as much a "soap box" for its readers as ghost societies are for their constituency? What can be said of both? Some of the equipment mentioned as useful in detecting ghosts seemed plausible, how would physics support or refute the use of them in this way?
Rating:
Summary: captures the imagination and holds the attention
Review: I love a good ghost story, and Katherine Ramsland has a gift for creating a tale and an ambience that captures the imagination and holds the attention of her reader. Ghost, a Firsthand Account into the World of Paranormal Activity is a wonderfully written account of the author's experimentation with ghost hunting, starting with her first halting steps and ending with an expanding network of resources and equipment. Although the story is ostensibly about the possible murder or suicide of a young man named "Christian," a member of a vampiric sub-culture, his tale serves primarily as the supportive backbone of a more complex tale. The author combines an interesting psychological account of her own pursuit of danger and excitement, a sense of mystery and suspense, a wonderful almost playful sense of humor, and a gift for story telling that makes the book hard to put down. Her discussion of the history of ghost hunting, the individuals involved in it, their various styles of research--tarot reading, mediumism, electronic and photographic equipment, etc.--and their personalities make the book almost a textbook on the subject. The theories of what produces ghostly phenomena are discussed by each of the individuals with whom the author interacts, so that the reader learns a lot about what is believed about the subject. I was a little disappointed, however, that the author did not interact with or discuss in more detail the work of Hans Holzer, a name with which anyone with any knowledge about the subject would be familiar. For those who want to follow up on the subject, the author provides an in situ bibliography, citing a number of authors and their book titles throughout the text. She also provides a fairly detailed formal bibliography with very current entries, mostly from the 1990's, although some as old as the 1970's. In addition there are a number of resources provided for the reader to follow up if desired, including addresses and websites for some of the authorities she had occasion to consult and the addresses, email addresses and phone numbers of various haunted places to visit or to spend a night. Although I found the resolution of the mystery of Christian somewhat disappointing, I found Ms Ramsland's critique of the subject of ghost hunting a very objective one, far more so than I would have expected. Since I'd love to write ghost stories (fictional) myself, I found her discussion of the equipment very interesting and useful (I've bookmarked some of these pages for future use!) A very intelligent and gifted lady. Probably someone it would be fun to know. For THOSE WRITING PAPERS in literature, history, sociology, psychology, anthropology, physics: this book would make a fun resource and starting point. One might, for instance, write a paper on how this type of book bridges the gap between narrative and expository prose. Is this a "story" or a research paper? What aspects of both give it an arresting character. How does history become folklorized by tales of ghosts and hauntings? What function does the ghost story have for group cohesion, for reinforcing group values, etc. How might one explain ghosts as a social or a psychological phenomenon? Why do even people who "don't believe in ghosts" often still have difficulty with cemeteries, haunted houses, and the like? Is there something evolutionarily beneficial to a fear of or veneration of the dead? The author mentions the Skeptical Enquirer, a journal dedicated to debunking beliefs in ghosts, extra terrestrials, and other phenomenon. Read an issue and discuss the subject of science and myth/folk beliefs. Is this journal as much a "soap box" for its readers as ghost societies are for their constituency? What can be said of both? Some of the equipment mentioned as useful in detecting ghosts seemed plausible, how would physics support or refute the use of them in this way?
Rating:
Summary: You'll Need to Believe In Order to Appreciate this Book
Review: I love Ramsland's books because she goes way out there and I mean out there to get a story (not to mention taking a lot of dangerous chances! From vampires she now turns to the supernatural culture though a character from her previous vampire book is a major part of her spiritual journey! Ramsland takes us to haunted places and encounters psychics and ghost hunters along the way. Always wanting to believe in ghosts and never actually seeing one prior to this book Ramsland uses various ghost hunting cameras and equipment and tape recorders to contact the other side. I found her account fascinating and earnest. You will too if you are inclined towards believing yourself. I for one am one of those who beleive we are not alone and there are certain unexplained phenomena.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, far-fetched and dissapointing
Review: I will admit that this book was hard to put down, but this was only due to the fact that i wanted some answers that i unfortunately never got. The book keeps you on your toes with far-fetched ghost tales and interviews with the dead, but then drags you along with numerous history lessons that are used for page fillers. Although there are some very interesting happenings during her story, its like the author is very repetitive in what she is saying, feeding the reader the same stories, only telling them using different words. If i would have known how the book ended i would have never read it.
Rating:
Summary: The only scary thing was that I finished it.
Review: Personal experiences received some validation in this story. There were plausible explanations of paranormal activity, although she spent way too much time incessently droning on about how she would remain unbiased. Ramsland never seemed to concretely investigate an allegedly dead murderer, and was content to "play" in an insidious world. (Unbelievably stoic and cavalier.) Expecting the conclusion to wrap uploose ends, she instead wimped out and left it to the reader to decide, discrediting many of her "findings." I looked for missing pages...the ending was that lame.
Rating:
Summary: Dead Return as Digital Hot Spots!
Review: Poor Katherine! This book started off as a nice ghost investigation story. However, she purchased a digital camera and went off on an unscientific tangent. To a professional photographer, her ghosts are nothing more that a flaw common to consumer end digicams: hot spots and reflections. The "orb" is nothing more than digital "noise" generated by a flash too close to the lens of a cheap digital camera. The "asking the spirit to appear" allows the flash time to recycle to full charge, thus reproducing the phenomena. She even bewilderedly writes of how she can only get "orbs" on digital cameras and not on film. Is she missing something?
I give her 1 star for effort. The greatest mystery is when I posted this revelation to her website, it vanished from her guestbook.
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