Full disclosures:
#1: I am very interested in these topics (cryptozoology, forteana, UAPs, etc.).
#2: I am *very* skeptical by temperament, profession, and training. That said, I have different “skeptic scales” depending on the topic, and as any true scientist, I try not to reach to any conclusions without looking at the data. In other words, I’m no debunker.
#3: I interact with Mr. Sprague on social media, we have common friends, and I admire him and consider him one of the most honest and objective researchers of these phenomena.
This is not your typical UFO book. It only covers UAP sightings in the most general way, and this is the strongest attribute of this book, as the focus of Mr. Sprague is on the effects of these experiences on the people who go though them. You see, a debunker can try to dismantle a sighting or experience with some degree of success, but no debunker is able to touch upon what the experience meant to the person, as in the oftentimes used phrase “nobody can take it away from them”. And to someone who has gone through something unexplained, these experiences are as real as they come, independently of the objective reality of whatever happened.
In all honesty, I enjoyed reading this book more than I thought I would. I liked the first edition, but it was much shorter and left me wanting for more without a place to look for it. There’s very few books that discuss the human perspective of the phenomenon.
This second edition pleasantly surprised me, not only for the extra material and the follow up on some witnesses, but also for the immediacy of some of his stories in light of the admission of the US military that there’s something flying out there, and that they do not (apparently) know what it is.
The author also treats each case with respect and compassion, which is the way it should be. I suspect that if you like these topics, this book will be a welcome break from the cold analysis and interpretation of research data.
Two minor points that are very important to me. The book is excellently written. It has exactly the right amount of background as a preamble of each story. I never got impatient as in “….ok, let’s get to it!“
My second point is that book typos distract me. This is not snobishness; I write typos like the best of them, but when I notice them while reading (and I *do* notice) it breaks my flow and distracts me. This book had none that I could find, and this detail tells me quite a bit about the attention to detail and the care and respect with which Ryan wrote this book.
Reading this book was a treat. Thank you.
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