Myths and Mysteries of the World (Parragon Books)

Myths and Mysteries of the World
Parragon Books
Nonfiction, History/Paranormal
*** (Okay)

DESCRIPTION: In modern times, we like to believe we understand our world: how it behaves, where we came from, where we might be going. Yet the more we learn, the more mysteries become apparent. Peculiar ruins challenge archaeology and imagination. Inexplicable events and phenomena baffle scientists. This book, and its companion DVD, looks at many oddities.

REVIEW: At first, this looked like an interesting read. The writing starts on a refreshingly clear note, not automatically jumping to sheer skepticism or wild fringe theories, while examining many wonders. This tone, however, slowly shifts as the book progresses, deliberately presenting too little actual information for the reader to form their own opinions while not-so-subtly emphasizing the ideas of Christianity, miracles, and UFO phenomena. Some of the articles are even deliberately misleading, contradicting or ignoring key pieces of information in order to play into the agenda. (The section on mythological animals in particular has some glaring omissions.) The range of topics is intriguing, but I grew tired of the lightweight examination and obfuscation. As for the accompanying DVD, while not a simple rehash of the text, it also fails to do more than tantalize and hint for its 50-odd minute runtime. If you're just starting to look into world mysteries and paranormal phenomena, this might not be a bad introduction, but there are better sources out there.

You Might Also Enjoy:
Strange and Unexplained Phenomena (Jerome Clarke and Nancy Pear) - My Review
Mysteries of the Unexplained (Reader's Digest) - My Review
Mysterious Places (Jennifer Westwood, editor) - My Review