ESP : Fact Or Fiction?

KLIATT

These titles are all part of a new "Fact or Fiction?" series (a subset of Greenhaven's Opposing Viewpoints series) on "the occult, the paranormal, and the mysterious" that currently runs to 16 volumes. Each volume focuses on one phenomenon, offering essays by various experts and enthusiasts that give contrasting opinions. For example, ESP begins with an overview of the subject, and then provides six articles that argue that ESP is fact (e.g., "Laboratory Studies Suggest That ESP is Real," from a Psychology Today article) contrasted with six that maintain it is fiction (e.g., "ESP Research Does Not Follow the Rules of Science," by a psychologist and professor). To help students, there is a summary that precedes each article, and an epilogue to help them work through analyzing the evidence, with suggestions like "consider alternative hypotheses." Each title also has a glossary. A related title from Gale/Greenhaven Press, directed at a somewhat older (high school age and up) audience is Paranormal Phenomena (Mary E. Williams, ed. 206p. bibliog. index. c2003. ISBN 0-7377-1237-6.
— Paula Rohrlick

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-This unbiased presentation leads off with half a dozen descriptions of experiments that purportedly demonstrate the existence of extrasensory abilities in humans and animals. One reporter describes her participation in a Ganzfeld telepathy study and other contributors tell of Russian telekinesis and of experiments with ESP in animals, insects, and humans. The CIA's foray into "remote viewing" offers some proof of the potential value of ESP. Nearly every essay in the "fact" half of the book is directly countered by one in the "fiction" section. Arguments by skeptical investigators cast doubt on the reality of supernormal abilities and disparage the methods used to study them. The well-structured introduction provides solid background information on the subject, and the epilogue walks readers through a logical method for analyzing the essays. This work brings a careful, thoughtful balance to a sometimes emotional field. However, many books, including some in the various "Opposing Viewpoints" series (Greenhaven), present one or several sides of this topic.-Ann G. Brouse, Steele Memorial Library, Elmira, NY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.