There have been many books – and the periodical Skeptical Inquirer – devoted to debunking the paranormal. Chris Carter’s book, the first in a series of three, is the first book (that I am aware of) that is devoted to directly challenging the arguments of the skeptics of parapsychology.

As Carter carefully documents, the so-called skeptics have gone to the most extraordinary lengths to deny, distort, and suppress the evidence in favor of psi phenomena. He makes the valid point that true skepticism involves the suspension of belief, not the refusal of belief, and so most of these people are not really skeptics, but actually dogmatists.

This book is an excellent accompaniment to Dean Radin’s book The Conscious Universe. Radin’s book focuses more on the empirical evidence; Carter’s book does cover the historical and experimental evidence, but is focused more on the scientific and philosophic aspects of the controversy regarding psi phenomena, and on the dark history of the “skeptical” movement.

The book also has its own website, which can be found by entering the title and author into any good search engine.

Lannie! My Journey from Man to Woman by Lannie Rose
SterlingHouse Publisher, Nonfiction, $18.95 (214 pages), ISBN 1-58501-109-6

My Journey from Man to Woman

There may not be many memoirs by transgender women written for a general audience, but this certainly has to be one of the best. Straightforward and honest, yet refreshingly funny and compassionate, Lannie! successfully gives the open-minded reader a sincere, heartfelt and shockingly frank look into a world that few experience and most know nothing about or can even imagine.

Author Lannie Rose began life as Eddy, a boy who always felt uncomfortable in a male body. Later in life, motivated by the desire to unleash his true self, he decided to take the challenging step of living as a woman 24/7 and ultimately undergoing sex reassignment surgery. This difficult but life-changing experience allowed Eddy to physically become Lannie, the woman he had always been, mentally and emotionally.

Ms. Rose’s book is probably not everyone’s cup of tea. It is full of graphic, clinical descriptions of the surgical procedures she endured, which, while powerful and, in their own way, mesmerizing, may put off certain readers. The most amazing aspect of this memoir may be the ongoing, courageous sense of humor that the author maintains throughout, as she “learned about clean underwear and many other remarkable things” on her unusual journey toward womanhood.

Reader Doug Brown, caught up in Ms. Rose’s “girl-to-girl” confessional style of expression, wrote, “Damn, girl, you sure can write!” Richard J. Novic, M.D., author of Alice in Genderland, had this to say about the book: “Soulful and sparkling! Lannie Rose shares her remarkable story with us like it’s a bottle of fine champagne. It tickles your throat and educates your palette while ultimately changing your view of the world and the people around you.”

The bottom line is, if you’re a fairly sophisticated reader not easily put off by candid descriptions, and you have any interest at all in the many and varied aspects of sexuality and self-expression out there in the real world, a leisurely read through Lannie! will open your eyes.

Click here to read an Lannie Rose's article "What Kind of a Man Gets Pregnant?"

The Janov Solution: Lifting Depression through Primal Therapy by Dr. Arthur Janov

SterlingHouse Publisher, Nonfiction, $18.95 (224p), ISBN 1-58501-111-8

Lifting Depression through Primal Therapy

Dr. Arthur Janov is one of the most respected psychiatrists and authors in world today. His book, The Primal Scream, burst upon the public’s consciousness in the early 1970s and went on to become one of the most popular mental health books ever written, selling over a million copies worldwide. His latest book, The Janov Solution, is perhaps even more profound and startling in its presentation of new psychotherapeutic techniques for reversing the effects of depression – and in some cases curing it – without the use of anti-depressant medications, electroshock or surgery.

Dr. Janov’s writing is clear and easy to understand, yet also passionate and compelling. Stylishly and concisely, he explains the shortcomings of “modern” treatments of depression, toppling a number of respected but ultimately futile beliefs in the process. Details of his research and a series of fascinating case studies bring to life the demons of depression and how his work in primal therapy can banish them. The doctor’s cure is not for the faint-hearted, however, as it involves reliving painful primal experiences, including the birth process, that drive unwanted behavior. For those whose depressions are resistant to medication, psychoanalysis and other traditional treatments, The Janov Solution promises to be a ground-breaking book with huge potential for alleviating the suffering caused by this often deadly disease. Dr. David A. Goodman, Director of the Newport Neuroscience Center in San Marcos, California, captures the appeal of the book when he writes: “Arthur Janov…offers an effective therapy where feelings often overwhelm talk. He has discovered a way to rewire neurons in your brain. Stay with your talk psychologist…and she’ll wire your bank account into her bank account.”

Click here to read an interview with respected psychiatrist and author, Dr. Arthur Janov.

Parapsychology and the Skeptics – A Scientific Argument for the Existence of ESP
by Chris Carter

SterlingHouse Publisher, Nonfiction, $18.95
(260p) ISBN 9781585011084

You Don’t Need to Be a Psychic to Tell That This Book’s a Winner

Many who doubt the validity of psychic phenomena will be converted – quickly – as soon as they begin reading Carter’s profoundly educational, yet very accessible, argument for the legitimacy of parapsychology as a science. A scholarly work that is also extremely entertaining and insightful, Parapsychology and the Skeptics lays to rest the skeptics’ arguments against the existence of ESP with voluminous research and impeccable logic. As John Palmer, Ph. D. and editor of the Journal of Parapsychology puts it, “Carter adheres strictly to valid scientific and philosophical principles in arguing for the reality of (ESP) and the legitimacy of parapsychology as a science…any reader who can approach this controversial subject with an open mind will find Carter’s book immensely rewarding.”

Carter, a graduate of Oxford University with degrees in Economics and Philosophy, does a brilliant job of presenting the history of parapsychology, introducing the reader to the first acknowledged psychics and the skeptics who tried to denigrate them. Readers will also find out about the amazingly accurate “ganzfeld” experiments that go far beyond merely suggesting the presence of ESP, and discover the story of an astounding dog who knew in advance when his master would arrive home, no matter how varied the master’s schedule.

If, in the words of Rupert Sheldrake, author of The Presence of the Past, you are looking for “a masterly guide to the frontiers of science, belief and exploration,” look no further. Carter’s elegant, crystal-clear prose and stunning arguments are more spell-binding than the most involving fiction, yet they give authenticity to a realm of experience that most of us, up until now, have only dreamed about. Kudos to Chris Carter on an outstanding addition to the fields of science and the paranormal.