Disneyland of the Gods

Rating:
Summary: Amusing
Review: Author, John Keel, writes a series of essays on Fortean phenomena, such as strange holes in the ice, things falling from the sky, and UFOs. The essays are written in a very engaging style and are quite fun to read. Don't read without a healthy dose of skepticism.

As a cataloguer of odd phenomena (called fortean after researcher Charles Fort), Mr. Keel is quite exceptional. However, the leaps of reasoning he uses are quite difficult to swallow at times. I especially bridled at his harping on how "primitive" cave dwellers couldn't have built the many large megalithic monuments found around the world, such as Stonehenge, the Pyramids and Easter Island.

These so-called primitives were people, just as intelligent as us. These prehistoric peoples were no more primitive and stupid because they only had stone tools, than I am because I grew up before the days of cable television and Game Boy.

Looked at from Mr. Keel's perspective the medieval cathedrals of Europe are amazing, and certainly couldn't have been built by illiterate people without cranes and power tools. However, nobody says that the medieval builders needed help from beings from another dimension, and that they couldn't possibly have done that with their level of technology.

This book shouldn't be taken as a research into strange phenomena, since very few references, checkable dates and locations are provided. If you think of it as a series of editorials or opinions by the author, you'd be in much better stead. If you're looking for some fun reading, and not "the Truth" I recommend the book.

As a final note, the book is nicely published with very readable text and nice cover art. Unfortunately, there are a number of typos in the book, enough to be quite noticeable. I just finished reading another book published by IllumiNet Press and it had the same problem. May I suggest that IllumiNet's editors not rely so much on spell check in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Amusing
Review: Author, John Keel, writes a series of essays on Fortean phenomena, such as strange holes in the ice, things falling from the sky, and UFOs. The essays are written in a very engaging style and are quite fun to read. Don't read without a healthy dose of skepticism.

As a cataloguer of odd phenomena (called fortean after researcher Charles Fort), Mr. Keel is quite exceptional. However, the leaps of reasoning he uses are quite difficult to swallow at times. I especially bridled at his harping on how "primitive" cave dwellers couldn't have built the many large megalithic monuments found around the world, such as Stonehenge, the Pyramids and Easter Island.

These so-called primitives were people, just as intelligent as us. These prehistoric peoples were no more primitive and stupid because they only had stone tools, than I am because I grew up before the days of cable television and Game Boy.

Looked at from Mr. Keel's perspective the medieval cathedrals of Europe are amazing, and certainly couldn't have been built by illiterate people without cranes and power tools. However, nobody says that the medieval builders needed help from beings from another dimension, and that they couldn't possibly have done that with their level of technology.

This book shouldn't be taken as a research into strange phenomena, since very few references, checkable dates and locations are provided. If you think of it as a series of editorials or opinions by the author, you'd be in much better stead. If you're looking for some fun reading, and not "the Truth" I recommend the book.

As a final note, the book is nicely published with very readable text and nice cover art. Unfortunately, there are a number of typos in the book, enough to be quite noticeable. I just finished reading another book published by IllumiNet Press and it had the same problem. May I suggest that IllumiNet's editors not rely so much on spell check in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Amusing and utterly unbelievable
Review: I bought this book out of sheer curiosity, and when I finished it I was wondering who could possibly take it seriously. If there is any reality to the UFO phenomenon, or to any other paranormal phenomena, then Keel's book will not lend credence to them. Better books to read are those by Whitley Strieber and Timothy Good.

Rating:
Summary: Lighten up people!
Review: Just as John Keel always makes referance to, the true believers in the "bug eyed greys" are a humourless lot. And anyone who does not share the reasoning that all ufo related activity is accountable to our benevolent space beings is crucified. If you truly READ this book with an OPEN mind perhaps you can see what Keel is getting at, that paranormal activities are related and a big part of THIS planets history. And, he stesses that a good number of incidents were probably only real in the witnesses MIND. This book is not recommended for the quasi-religious followers of the wonderous space people and the fans of OBVIOUS fiction writers like Whitley Strieber and Bud Hopkins.

Rating:
Summary: Lighten up people!
Review: Just as John Keel always makes referance to, the true believers in the "bug eyed greys" are a humourless lot. And anyone who does not share the reasoning that all ufo related activity is accountable to our benevolent space beings is crucified. If you truly READ this book with an OPEN mind perhaps you can see what Keel is getting at, that paranormal activities are related and a big part of THIS planets history. And, he stesses that a good number of incidents were probably only real in the witnesses MIND. This book is not recommended for the quasi-religious followers of the wonderous space people and the fans of OBVIOUS fiction writers like Whitley Strieber and Bud Hopkins.

Rating:
Summary: Disneyland of the Gods is Hogwash with a Sense of Humour
Review: Yes, the truth is out there, but much of the UFO community is largely unwilling to search where the evidence really seems to point. In this book, Keel leads the way into this mysterious realm, postulating that what we know - or, rather, think we know - about UFOs and their ilk is in need of serious reconsideration. The possibilities Keel has uncovered through his years of research are controversial, to say the least; what he has to say will undoubtedly infuriate or alienate (excuse the pun) many readers. This is most unfortunate, since Keel is only trying his best to make sense of what seems at times a senseless matter indeed, perpetuated by some eternally manipulative and elusive intelligence. If there was ever a "must-read" for anyone interested in the paranormal, occult, etc., this must surely be it.