Really Mysterious Pennsylvania: UFOs, Bigfoot & Other Weird Encounters—Casebook One

by Stan Gordon

2010, 135 pages, US $12.95 • ISBN: 978-0-9666108-2-6

Reviewed by Brent Raynes

I have a great deal of respect and admiration for Stan Gordon. This author has devoted many years of hard work in conducting credible UFO, cryptozoological, and paranormal investigations. We corresponded some in the early days of my ufological involvement (back around 1972) and I had a very enjoyable and enlightening visit with Stan at his home in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, back in 1975. Stan always has the most fascinating, thought-provoking cases of high-strangeness for you to wrap your mind around, and this book is certainly no exception to my past experiences with him.

If you have a serious and sincere interest in mysterious and unexplained phenomena, credible eyewitness accounts of UFOs, Bigfoots, thunderbirds, and other anomalous occurrences that go bump in the night (and sometimes in broad daylight too!) then you might well wanna get your hands on this little casebook. It is filled with many exciting, detailed cases, and also contains several pages of illustrations, an authenticated UFO photo, and pictures of various encounter sites.

Stan has been researching and investigating these phenomena going back to 1959, so rest assured that he’s amassed ample data to entertain and educate your curious mind.

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Radical Nature: The Soul of Matter

by Christian de Quincey

Park Street Press • One Park Street • Rochester, Vermont 05767

2010, 323 pages, US $19.95 • ISBN: 978-159477340-2

Reviewed by Brent Raynes

The author of this thought-provoking book is a professor of philosophy and consciousness studies at John F. Kennedy University. He brings into play his unique academic qualifications on those two subjects throughout this book, exploring and challenging the prevailing modern view that matter is composed of essentially “dead stuff.” Deeply he ponders the nature of consciousness, revisiting the age-old questions and conjectures of a mind, body, and soul connection. Wrestling with the tools of modern science and the well worn and ancient footpath of philosophy, the author strives to put all of the essential pieces into a gestalt whole (as much as possible) and bring about some semblance of order and clarity into a field oft-times besieged by considerable chaos, confusion, and uncertainty.

De Quincey finds the good old subjective realm of consciousness itself as the crucial part of our existential equation. He even ponders non-local quantum theory and parapsychological data (i.e., empathy, telepathy, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis).

The author asks in the unfolding of life when and where did consciousness first appear. This reminds me of that old expression, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” We know it is, and we know that we are too, even though the precise sequence and order of certain key events may be a little uncertain, muddled, or even elusive to us. Sometimes all you’re left with are your gut instincts, intuitions, and philosophical insights and ponderings. Sometimes that’s pretty much adequate, especially when the material is covered as carefully, thoughtfully, and scholarly as Christian de Quincy has done in Radical Nature.

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The Psychoanalyst and Alexandra

by Jennifer Bullington

Strategic Book Publishing • PO Box 333 • Durham, CT 06422

2010, 109 pages, $10.50 • ISBN: 978-1-60911-198-4

Reviewed by Brent Raynes

I don’t usually review novels in these pages, but in this case I’ll make an exception for in this instance this book explores supernatural occurrences that unexpectedly confront its main fictional character, a psychoanalyst named Dr. Henry Fisher. Dr. Fisher enters into an existential crisis when a mysterious stranger enters his life and immediately unexplained events begin to unfold that challenge the good doctor’s cherished beliefs and grasp on reality. Talk about cognitive dissonance!

I won’t tell you any more and give away too much information, in case you want to read a good suspenseful novel.

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Crash: When UFOs Fall From the Sky—A History of Famous Incidents, Conspiracies, and Cover-Ups

by Kevin D. Randle, Ph.D

New Page Books • The Career Press, Inc. • 3 Tice Road, PO Box 687 • Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417

2010, 320 pages, US $16.99 • ISBN-13: 978-1-60163-100-8

Reviewed by Brent Raynes

Long-time UFO author/researcher Kevin Randle, a retired lieutenant colonel, has for a very long time been looking into crashed UFO stories like Roswell. Now he has assembled virtually an encyclopedia of UFO crash reports from around the world. He presents the critical details and with a critical eye looks into the background of each report and tries to determine in each case if it is a possible alien spaceship, a meteor, perhaps one of our own (i.e., satellite, secret military aircraft, etc.), or even a hoax.

A good many of the cases don’t quite pass the muster, but there are still a few that do leave the reader still puzzled and wondering. Randle’s critical and analytical approach to this data is certainly something that is very much needed in this field. Crash gives us a well written and well researched exploration of this whole controversial subject. This book contains numerous details, quotes, and photos from his many personal on-site investigations.