With a title like: "A Case for Ghosts - An Objective Look at the Paranormal" I was expecting to read theories about how ghosts could be real and how they 'work'. I was expecting case studies, scientific analysis and interviews that generate data to support those theories. (Otherwise, the title would be "A Case *against* Ghosts") Unfortunately, that isn't what I got.

To be fair, you should understand that writers who release through a publisher don't always get much/any say in the cover graphics, jacket copy and title of their book. The publisher supposedly has a better handle on what kind of name/color/words to wrap the book in to give it a larger appeal, so it wouldn't surprise me if Mr Danalek shares in my disappointment. Whether the fault of Mr. Danelek or his publisher, "A Case for Ghosts" was Severely Mis-Titled, directly resulting in several unfavorable reviews online.

That said, the book is not necessarily bad. If you tear the cover off the book and cross out the title (physically or mentally) you could give the book a charitable review, and I'll try to do so here:

The Bad:
Almost every chapter starts with an interruption. "In this chapter, we will talk about X. But, before we can learn about X, first we should Y..." Eventually the chapter gets around to subject X, but the digressions were annoying, and calling attention to them only made them worse. Instead, Y should have been included as a sidebar, footnote, or simply worked into the text where necessary. The start of the chapter should hook the reader, not detour them into definition-hell or but-first-some-history-purgatory.

Mr Danalek mentions plenty of cases that warrant our "serious consideration", but fails to give any specifics. In fact, there aren't any facts about the cases he mentions AT ALL, and this is frustrating for those looking for objectivity (Remember, we crossed off the title...) The bibliography is severely anemic. Nothing here indicates Mr Danalek experienced these cases himself. The lack of facts in this text makes it difficult to lock in any of the argument. It can't have been difficult to get some real-world data or cases to ground his arguments upon. Without something to base his case on, his arguments have no more weight than the ghosts he is studying.

In one chapter, Mr Danalek denounces the idea of demons, proclaiming them to simply be angry ghosts; spirits of the formerly living who were mean people when they were alive, and the only difference is that they're dead now. In a later chapter, he quickly accepts the concept of Guardian Angels (or Spirt Guides) as though the truth were obvious. Overlooking the fact that these are merely opinions, these two beliefs are completely incompatible. You simply don't get one without the other, that would be like only believing in "Good" people and not "Evil" people, or in the "Beneficial" uses for Gravity or Electricity, without believing in the "Dangerous". I can tolerate Mr Danalek's lack of objectivity, but I won't tolerate inconsistency.

The book does go off-topic a bit. There's a whole lot of personal information in this book, and I'm always wary of books that have too much "I...Me...My" in them. There are also diversions (some of them pages in length) into Mr Danalek's analysis of Religion which needs either its own section, or should be marked as 'outside the scope of this book'. This issue should have been caught by an editor.

The Good:
Mr Danalek has done some research, and he is knowledgeable on the subject of the ghostly aspects of the paranormal. He provides all sides of the issues of hauntings, different types of ghosts, spirit communications, possession and other tasty topics, then he provides his opinion on what he believes throughout the writing and in the conclusion of each chapter. I'm pleased to see that he entertains views that he does not agree with.

For a philosophical overview of such an esoteric subject, the writing is easily accessible. Not much by way of jargon, and what little is used is clearly explained. The book is a good overview of the subject, covering a wide range of paranormal topics but staying in the Ghostly realm, and thankfully leaving out Bigfoot, Aliens and the Loch Ness Monster.

The Upshot:
"A Case for Ghosts" gives a good, broad overview of the Spiritual subsection of the Paranormal. Those interested in the field of Ghost Hunting should pair it up with "How to be a Ghost Hunter" by Richard Southall.

Ignore the title. Don't expect any objectivity in "A Case for Ghosts - An Objective Look at the Paranormal". Expect to see a rundown of all sides of a broad range of issues, followed by Mr Danalek's opinion on the matter. Those already familiar with the subject and seeking answers, proof or research - [jedi]this is not the book you're looking for[/jedi]

Art Is Resistance
-Zero

Labels: Book Review