INVESTIGATING THE UNEXPLAINED: A Compendium of Disquieting Mysteries of the Natural World

by Ivan T. Sanderson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 11, 1971

Rattling around the skeleton closets of science is nothing new for Sanderson who encountered giant bats years ago (see Animal Treasury, 1937) and more recently the bones of a seven-foot penguin (in More ""Things,"" 1969) and this is more of the same zealous tracking down inexplicable natural phenomena coupled with defensive swipes at lab-curtain hypocrisy. Herein Sanderson offers photographic ""proof"" that sea monsters (including that Loch Ness lovely) really do exist -- they are either gigantic caecilians or tatzelwurms and anyone who doesn't agree ought to be ""certified""; he discusses oddities among eggs and the origin of petrified oranges; he documents numerous cases of spontaneous human combustion (the elderly are especially prone and sweat seems to be the trigger); he argues that pre-Christian civilization had harnessed electricity, had TV, bulldozers, etc.; and ""boldly"" reports that ""fafrotskies"" (objects from the sky -- bricks, black pebbles, angel hair, rubbery tangibles -- all listed in Appendix B) are evidence of communications from other universes. Much of this is interesting and some of Sanderson's disturbing mysteries deserve further investigation; but his strident arrogance and hysterical grudge against the scientific establishment for not accepting his flimsy ""proofs"" undermine the book.

Pub Date: Feb. 11, 1971

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Prentice-Hall

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1971

Categories: NONFICTION