Two new titles which, from radically different viewpoints, challenge some conventionally held views on the origin of hunan life on Earth.
Patrick Chouinard. Forgotten Worlds: From Atlantis to the X-woman of Siberia and the Hobbits of Flores. Bear & Co. May 15, 2012
An examination of the mythological, historical, and archaeological evidence for lost civilizations throughout the world Explores unexplained mysteries such as the Caucasian mummies of China, the pyramids of Caral in Peru, and the genetically unique X-woman of Siberia Examines evidence of lost, ancient civilizations in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, including extensive investigation into Atlantis Shows that Siberia and the Amazon may have been cradles of humanity before Africa Over and over again, mainstream views of early history--which state that the first civilizations arose around 3500 BCE--are plagued by evidence of much older civilizations, evidence ranging from artifacts and inexplicable remains to pyramids and ubiquitous myths that clearly speak of great empires prior to the rise of the Sumerian city states and pharaonic Egypt.
Viewing Atlantis and its many related myths as a metaphor for a long-lost global civilization, Patrick Chouinard explores the mythological, cultural, religious, and archaelogical evidence for many forgotten civilizations in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. He addresses unexplained mysteries from around the world, such as Caucasian mummies found in China, the pyramids of Caral in Peru, the hobbit remains on Flores Island, the giant heads of Easter Island, the lost legacy of Lemuria, the ideology and occult mysticism behind Nazi theory, and the genetically unique X-woman of Siberia.
He also examines evidence of ancient alien visits and other supernatural phenomena in the distant past. Using recent archaeological findings, he shows that Siberia and the Amazon may have been cradles of humanity millennia before Africa. Sounding the call to continue searching ancient, remote, and formerly forbidden regions for lost cultures and genetic root races, Chouinard offers a new chronology for the emergence of human life and civilization as well as a new mechanism for how and why societies and species change over time. By finding lost peoples and their forgotten worlds, we can truly begin to understand the human race and learn from its long history.
Giovanni F. Bignami. We are the Martians!: Connecting Cosmology with Biology. Springer.(31 May 2012)
For many thousands of years, human beings have been asking themselves whether they are more frightened of being alone in the universe or of the thought that there is someone else out there. Over the past few decades, however, we have moved from imagination to action, exploring the cosmos using new techniques, often with surprising results. Numerous fascinating but little known facts have emerged – for example, that every year many rocks from Mars fall on the Earth, that one of our amino acids has been found in the coma of a comet, and that some of the known thousands of extrasolar planets are similar to our own.
There are further exciting and important discoveries around the corner that will cast more light on the great enigma of how life started on Earth. In this intriguing book, one of the World’s leading researchers in astrophysics and space science examines fundamental questions concerning life on Earth and the rest of the cosmos in an accessible and stimulating way.
28.5.12
22.5.12
Conspiracy Theory as an Art Form
This seems a pretty wide-ranging look at contemporary conspiracy theory, to say the least!
Robert Guffey. Cryptoscatology: Conspiracy Theory as Art Form. Trine Day. (May 2012)
Examining nearly every conspiracy theory in the public's consciousness today, this investigation seeks to link seemingly unrelated theories through a cultural studies perspective. While looking at conspiracy theories that range from the moon landing and JFK's assassination to the Oklahoma City bombing and Freemasonry, this reconstruction reveals newly discovered connections between wide swaths of events. Linking Dracula to George W. Bush, UFOs to strawberry ice cream, and Jesus Christ to robots from outer space, this is truly an all-original discussion of popular conspiracy theories.
Robert Guffey is a professor of English at California State University - Long Beach. His short stories and interviews have appeared in numerous publications, including After Shocks, Aoife's Kiss, Art From Art, Catastrophia, and Chimeraworld. He lives in Long Beach, California.
Robert Guffey. Cryptoscatology: Conspiracy Theory as Art Form. Trine Day. (May 2012)
Examining nearly every conspiracy theory in the public's consciousness today, this investigation seeks to link seemingly unrelated theories through a cultural studies perspective. While looking at conspiracy theories that range from the moon landing and JFK's assassination to the Oklahoma City bombing and Freemasonry, this reconstruction reveals newly discovered connections between wide swaths of events. Linking Dracula to George W. Bush, UFOs to strawberry ice cream, and Jesus Christ to robots from outer space, this is truly an all-original discussion of popular conspiracy theories.
Robert Guffey is a professor of English at California State University - Long Beach. His short stories and interviews have appeared in numerous publications, including After Shocks, Aoife's Kiss, Art From Art, Catastrophia, and Chimeraworld. He lives in Long Beach, California.
Anomalous Antipodeans
There are so many strange animals in Australia that it seems almost unnecessary for them to have controversial crypids as well but there seem to be plenty around. Here's one that will probably be new to most UK readers:
David O’ Reilly. Savage Shadow: The Search for the Australian Cougar. Strange Nation Publishing (31 May 2011)
Book Description: For decades farmers in the southwest of Australia have been convinced that there are cougars at large in the Australian bush, devastating wildlife and livestock. Hundreds of sightings have been documented in Western Australia, from as far north as Geraldton, south to Esperance and inland to Norseman.
Australian journalist David O'Reilly became fascinated with what is known as perhaps Australia's greatest wildlife mystery during his time as the bureau chief of The Australian's Perth office. He interviewed scores of witnesses - farmers, wildlife experts, academics and bureaucrats - and wrote many stories about the hunt for the 'Cordering Cougar', as it became known, during the late 1970s and early 1980s. This book, now back in print for the first time in 30 years, is the culmination of that work.
David O’ Reilly. Savage Shadow: The Search for the Australian Cougar. Strange Nation Publishing (31 May 2011)
Book Description: For decades farmers in the southwest of Australia have been convinced that there are cougars at large in the Australian bush, devastating wildlife and livestock. Hundreds of sightings have been documented in Western Australia, from as far north as Geraldton, south to Esperance and inland to Norseman.
Australian journalist David O'Reilly became fascinated with what is known as perhaps Australia's greatest wildlife mystery during his time as the bureau chief of The Australian's Perth office. He interviewed scores of witnesses - farmers, wildlife experts, academics and bureaucrats - and wrote many stories about the hunt for the 'Cordering Cougar', as it became known, during the late 1970s and early 1980s. This book, now back in print for the first time in 30 years, is the culmination of that work.
19.5.12
Meeting the Believers
Two new titles look at controversial and unconventional belief systems.
James R. Lewis. Cults: A Reference Guide (Approaches to New Religions). Equinox Publishing Ltd. (May, 2012
Cults provides an expanded and updated third edition of an award-winning introductory reference book on cults (the previous editions were Cults in America, 1998, and Cults: A Reference Handbook, 2005, both published by ABC-Clio). It will be of interest to general readers as a popular reference book and useful as a textbook for undergraduates taking courses on New Religions. Cults offers a balanced view of the controversy surrounding cults, looking at the legal and governmental aspects in detail and surveying attempts to quantify New Religious Movements. It is the only book on the subject providing both biographies of leaders and scholars of New Religious Movements and a list of organisations and websites
Jason Rosenhouse. Among the Creationists: Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Frontline. OUP USA (May 2012)
Why do so many Americans reject the modern theory of evolution? Seeking answers, mathematician Jason Rosenhouse became a regular attendee at creationist conferences and other gatherings. After ten years of attending events like the giant Creation Mega-Conference in Lynchburg, Virginia, and visiting sites like the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, and after hundreds of mostly friendly conversations with creationists of varying stripes, he has emerged with a story to tell, a story that goes well beyond the usual stereotypes of Bible-thumping fanatics railing against coldly rational scientists.
Through anecdotes, personal reflections, and scientific and philosophical discussion, Rosenhouse presents a more down-to-earth picture of modern creationism and the people who espouse it. He also tells the story of his own nonbeliever's attempt to understand a major aspect of American religion. Forced to wrestle with his views about religion and science, Rosenhouse found himself drawn into a new world of ideas previously unknown to him, arriving at a sharper understanding of the reality of science versus religion disputes, and how these debates look to those beyond the ivory tower.
James R. Lewis. Cults: A Reference Guide (Approaches to New Religions). Equinox Publishing Ltd. (May, 2012
Cults provides an expanded and updated third edition of an award-winning introductory reference book on cults (the previous editions were Cults in America, 1998, and Cults: A Reference Handbook, 2005, both published by ABC-Clio). It will be of interest to general readers as a popular reference book and useful as a textbook for undergraduates taking courses on New Religions. Cults offers a balanced view of the controversy surrounding cults, looking at the legal and governmental aspects in detail and surveying attempts to quantify New Religious Movements. It is the only book on the subject providing both biographies of leaders and scholars of New Religious Movements and a list of organisations and websites
Jason Rosenhouse. Among the Creationists: Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Frontline. OUP USA (May 2012)
Why do so many Americans reject the modern theory of evolution? Seeking answers, mathematician Jason Rosenhouse became a regular attendee at creationist conferences and other gatherings. After ten years of attending events like the giant Creation Mega-Conference in Lynchburg, Virginia, and visiting sites like the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, and after hundreds of mostly friendly conversations with creationists of varying stripes, he has emerged with a story to tell, a story that goes well beyond the usual stereotypes of Bible-thumping fanatics railing against coldly rational scientists.
Through anecdotes, personal reflections, and scientific and philosophical discussion, Rosenhouse presents a more down-to-earth picture of modern creationism and the people who espouse it. He also tells the story of his own nonbeliever's attempt to understand a major aspect of American religion. Forced to wrestle with his views about religion and science, Rosenhouse found himself drawn into a new world of ideas previously unknown to him, arriving at a sharper understanding of the reality of science versus religion disputes, and how these debates look to those beyond the ivory tower.
14.5.12
Science, Magic and Religion.
Two new titles presenting academic analysis of the development of magical and scientific thought in Europe, and their relationship to religious attitudes.
Robert Ziegler. Satanism, Magic and Mysticism in Fin-de-siècle France (Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic) Palgrave Macmillan (6 June 2012)
In response to the growing influence of Republicanism, science, and secularism, turn-of-the-century France witnessed a powerful movement toward mysticism, magic, and Satanism. Serious occultists, declaring themselves heirs of Hermes Trismegestius, published works fueling interest in spiritualism, astral travel, and spell-casting. Capitalizing on church concerns over the spread of devil-worship, Léo Taxil propagated the stunningly intricate hoax of Palladism, declaring that the Freemasons had established in Lodges throughout the world a cult of Lucifer devoted to sexual debauchery and mass murder of the faithful.
Disenchanted with religion that preached reason and moderation, fin-de-siècle Catholics turned increasingly toward mystical beliefs extolling the value of personal suffering that would help to hasten the fervently hoped-for apocalypse. Examining the cultural determinants accounting for this flourishing of the supernatural, this volume examines the emergence in France of the mystic, the Magus, and the malefactor.
John Henry. Religion, Magic, and the Origins of Science in Early Modern England (Variorum Collected Studies Series). Ashgate Variorum (1 May 2012)
Product Description: In these articles John Henry argues on the one hand for the intimate relationship between religion and early modern attempts to develop new understandings of nature, and on the other hand for the role of occult concepts in early modern natural philosophy. Focusing on the scene in England, the articles provide detailed examinations of the religious motivations behind Roman Catholic efforts to develop a new mechanical philosophy, theories of the soul and immaterial spirits, and theories of active matter.
There are also important studies of animism in the beginnings of experimentalism, the role of occult qualities in the mechanical philosophy, and a new account of the decline of magic. As well as general surveys, the collection includes in depth studies of William Gilbert, Sir Kenelm Digby, Henry More, Francis Glisson, Robert Boyle, Robert Hooke, and Isaac Newton.
John Henry is Professor and Director of Science Studies Unit, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh.
Robert Ziegler. Satanism, Magic and Mysticism in Fin-de-siècle France (Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic) Palgrave Macmillan (6 June 2012)
In response to the growing influence of Republicanism, science, and secularism, turn-of-the-century France witnessed a powerful movement toward mysticism, magic, and Satanism. Serious occultists, declaring themselves heirs of Hermes Trismegestius, published works fueling interest in spiritualism, astral travel, and spell-casting. Capitalizing on church concerns over the spread of devil-worship, Léo Taxil propagated the stunningly intricate hoax of Palladism, declaring that the Freemasons had established in Lodges throughout the world a cult of Lucifer devoted to sexual debauchery and mass murder of the faithful.
Disenchanted with religion that preached reason and moderation, fin-de-siècle Catholics turned increasingly toward mystical beliefs extolling the value of personal suffering that would help to hasten the fervently hoped-for apocalypse. Examining the cultural determinants accounting for this flourishing of the supernatural, this volume examines the emergence in France of the mystic, the Magus, and the malefactor.
John Henry. Religion, Magic, and the Origins of Science in Early Modern England (Variorum Collected Studies Series). Ashgate Variorum (1 May 2012)
Product Description: In these articles John Henry argues on the one hand for the intimate relationship between religion and early modern attempts to develop new understandings of nature, and on the other hand for the role of occult concepts in early modern natural philosophy. Focusing on the scene in England, the articles provide detailed examinations of the religious motivations behind Roman Catholic efforts to develop a new mechanical philosophy, theories of the soul and immaterial spirits, and theories of active matter.
There are also important studies of animism in the beginnings of experimentalism, the role of occult qualities in the mechanical philosophy, and a new account of the decline of magic. As well as general surveys, the collection includes in depth studies of William Gilbert, Sir Kenelm Digby, Henry More, Francis Glisson, Robert Boyle, Robert Hooke, and Isaac Newton.
John Henry is Professor and Director of Science Studies Unit, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh.
7.5.12
Experiencing Contact
Two new books promoting a strongly pro-ET approach to UFOs:
Richard Dolan, Bryce Zabel. A.D. After Disclosure: When the Government Finally Reveals the Truth about Alien Contact. New Page Books. [May 15, 2012]
Publisher's website: What if UFO secrecy ended tomorrow? The transition from B.C. (Before Confirmation) to A.D. (After Disclosure) is the ultimate “what if?” scenario in which the calendar is reset and history begins again.
This work of speculative non-fiction combines meticulous fact-finding from historian/researcher Richard M. Dolan and forward-leaning scenarios from journalist/screenwriter Bryce Zabel on the world’s most mind-bending subject. The authors predict radical changes after official acknowledgment that at least some UFOs are intelligently controlled craft from somewhere other than Earth. A.D. After Disclosure isn’t afraid to make mind-blowing, specific predictions, such as:
•Congress will hold Watergate-style hearings and ask secret-keepers,“What did you know and when did you know it?”
•The first decade A.D. (After Disclosure) will be like a high-tech 1960s, spawning massive cultural and societal change.
•Abductees will file a class-action suit against the government for withholding critical information.
•All the textbooks on planet Earth—from history to science—will need an immediate review.
Whether disclosure leads to social panic or ushers in a new era of unity and peace, it will undoubtedly be a game-changing event.
Thomas James Streicher. Extra-planetary Experiences: Alien-human Contact and the Expansion of Consciousness. Inner Traditions Bear and Company. [May 15th]
From the publisher: Exploring the veracity of ET contact and extra-planetary experience (XPE) using rigorous scientific protocols, Thomas Streicher interviews seven renowned people who have experienced XPE, including astronaut Edgar Mitchell, Norma Milanovich and Stanford-tested remote viewer Ingo Swann, and shares the positive spiritual effects of XPE on their lives.
Since prehistoric times all cultures report encounters with strange beings and crafts from the sky as well as stories of extra-planetary experiences--that is, travel to other planets, moons, and stars. In the case of modern accounts, these benevolent alien-human interactions bear striking resemblance to one another, even among people with no knowledge of other alien-human claims. And all experiences marked a spiritual turning point in the person's life, providing a loss of the fear of death, enhanced spiritual insights, a connection to cosmic consciousness, or increased motivation to be of service to humanity. Exploring the veracity of ET contact and extra-planetary experience (XPE) using rigorous scientific protocols, Exposing the failings of classic debunking arguments against ET contact, Streicher shows these experiences are not contrived hallucinations but genuine transformative spiritual awakenings akin to near-death and out-of-body experiences.
Richard Dolan, Bryce Zabel. A.D. After Disclosure: When the Government Finally Reveals the Truth about Alien Contact. New Page Books. [May 15, 2012]
Publisher's website: What if UFO secrecy ended tomorrow? The transition from B.C. (Before Confirmation) to A.D. (After Disclosure) is the ultimate “what if?” scenario in which the calendar is reset and history begins again.
This work of speculative non-fiction combines meticulous fact-finding from historian/researcher Richard M. Dolan and forward-leaning scenarios from journalist/screenwriter Bryce Zabel on the world’s most mind-bending subject. The authors predict radical changes after official acknowledgment that at least some UFOs are intelligently controlled craft from somewhere other than Earth. A.D. After Disclosure isn’t afraid to make mind-blowing, specific predictions, such as:
•Congress will hold Watergate-style hearings and ask secret-keepers,“What did you know and when did you know it?”
•The first decade A.D. (After Disclosure) will be like a high-tech 1960s, spawning massive cultural and societal change.
•Abductees will file a class-action suit against the government for withholding critical information.
•All the textbooks on planet Earth—from history to science—will need an immediate review.
Whether disclosure leads to social panic or ushers in a new era of unity and peace, it will undoubtedly be a game-changing event.
Thomas James Streicher. Extra-planetary Experiences: Alien-human Contact and the Expansion of Consciousness. Inner Traditions Bear and Company. [May 15th]
From the publisher: Exploring the veracity of ET contact and extra-planetary experience (XPE) using rigorous scientific protocols, Thomas Streicher interviews seven renowned people who have experienced XPE, including astronaut Edgar Mitchell, Norma Milanovich and Stanford-tested remote viewer Ingo Swann, and shares the positive spiritual effects of XPE on their lives.
Since prehistoric times all cultures report encounters with strange beings and crafts from the sky as well as stories of extra-planetary experiences--that is, travel to other planets, moons, and stars. In the case of modern accounts, these benevolent alien-human interactions bear striking resemblance to one another, even among people with no knowledge of other alien-human claims. And all experiences marked a spiritual turning point in the person's life, providing a loss of the fear of death, enhanced spiritual insights, a connection to cosmic consciousness, or increased motivation to be of service to humanity. Exploring the veracity of ET contact and extra-planetary experience (XPE) using rigorous scientific protocols, Exposing the failings of classic debunking arguments against ET contact, Streicher shows these experiences are not contrived hallucinations but genuine transformative spiritual awakenings akin to near-death and out-of-body experiences.
4.5.12
The Amazing Brain
An understanding the way in which the brain works, and how memory and perception govern the way we perceive our environment is essential to be able to make sense of the sometimes baffing subjects that Magonia covers. This new title seems to offer a considerable contribution to that understanding.
Rob Desalle, Ian Tattersall, Patricia J. Wynne. The Brain: Big Bangs, Behaviors, and Beliefs. Yale University Press. (May 31)
Publisher's website: After several million years of jostling for ecological space, only one survivor from a host of hominid species remains standing: us. Human beings are extraordinary creatures, and it is the unprecedented human brain that makes them so. In this delightfully accessible book, the authors present the first full, step-by-step account of the evolution of the brain and nervous system.
Tapping the very latest findings in evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and molecular biology, Rob DeSalle and Ian Tattersall explain how the cognitive gulf that separates us from all other living creatures could have occurred. They discuss the development and uniqueness of human consciousness, how human and nonhuman brains work, the roles of different nerve cells, the importance of memory and language in brain functions, and much more. Our brains, they conclude, are the product of a lengthy and supremely untidy history - an evolutionary process of many zigs and zags - that has accidentally resulted in a splendidly eccentric and creative product.
Rob Desalle, Ian Tattersall, Patricia J. Wynne. The Brain: Big Bangs, Behaviors, and Beliefs. Yale University Press. (May 31)
Publisher's website: After several million years of jostling for ecological space, only one survivor from a host of hominid species remains standing: us. Human beings are extraordinary creatures, and it is the unprecedented human brain that makes them so. In this delightfully accessible book, the authors present the first full, step-by-step account of the evolution of the brain and nervous system.
Tapping the very latest findings in evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and molecular biology, Rob DeSalle and Ian Tattersall explain how the cognitive gulf that separates us from all other living creatures could have occurred. They discuss the development and uniqueness of human consciousness, how human and nonhuman brains work, the roles of different nerve cells, the importance of memory and language in brain functions, and much more. Our brains, they conclude, are the product of a lengthy and supremely untidy history - an evolutionary process of many zigs and zags - that has accidentally resulted in a splendidly eccentric and creative product.
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