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The UFO Book Encyclopedia Of The Extraterrestrial by Jerome Clark Visible Ink Press, 1998 - 705 pages - Price $19.95 - Softcover |
| Jerome Clark is a
respected researcher at the Center for UFO Studies in Chicago, Illinois.
He was written numerous articles and books on the paranormal. Previously
in this newsletter his excellent book Unexplained was reviewed. His
current book actually is a condensed version of his enormous two volume
encyclopedia on UFOs. It is revised and updated. There are references to
1997 articles and books. Like most encyclopedias, The UFO Book goes from
A to Z on a vast range of UFO related topics. Of course, previously
other authors have written their own UFO encyclopedias. What sets Clarks
book apart from the others is the length of the articles. It is more in
depth and documented. Each entry has references to periodicals and books
for further reading. There are also numerous illustrations and
photographs to accompany the text. Clark himself leans toward the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis of UFO origins. Thus he tends to show his bias when writing about researchers who don't share his point of view. Most notably is his articles on the theories of Jacque Vallee and John Keel. He tries to pick apart their theories. I think this is unfair. Any theory can be picked apart. Since no one can be sure what UFOs are, the theories of other researchers are just as valid as Clarks. There are problems with his extraterrestrial hypothesis. Aside from that, Clark's book is highly recommended. The Book of the Month Club is offering this book as a selection. |