This anthology deals with such topics as after-life phenomena, clairvoyance, telepathy, near-death experiences, precognition, psychokinesis, and the morality of these areas of scholarship and scientific research. The editors and contributors, except for one anthropologist, are all professors of philosophy or theology. A few entries from the "hard" sciences and technologies — physics, chemistry, engineering, and the like — would probably have made for a more rounded survey. Among nine presentations, David Ray Griffin deserves special note for his analysis of types of causality, and the bearing of this topic on psi phenomena. He points insightfully to the key question of action-at-a-distance.

The stated purpose of the volume is "to examine critically... sweeping claims — to attempt to clarify the rational status of various distinctive facets of the paranormal in terms of recent studies and developments" (p. 4).

"Paranormal" is a wastebasket classification in the sense that "exceptional children" is: It includes quite a variety of phenomena that are not considered "normal." Some of these putative occurrences and states seem to require a mind-body dualism for explanation, some do not; some seem to presuppose a supernatural order, some do not; some are amenable to scientific attack as usually understood, others are not. Mostly, the contributors sort out these and related issues more than they try to prove or disprove the existence of psi phenomena. They do not always agree with one another as to which kinds of events require which kinds of world-view and/or methodology, which is all to the good. The reader can decide. There is also that impassable divide between those who find a good case-history the best kind of evidence and those who want statistics.

The book requires minimal background in its subject. When technical terms are used, they are always explained. Bibliographies are carefully prepared and appropriate.

This is probably not a book for those who have thought long and hard about philosophical issues and scientific methodology. Advanced scholars may wish for some distinctions that are not made. This book achieves its purpose, however, and the purpose was worth achieving. Those who want to survey the whole area of the paranormal (or parts of it) with a fresh and informed perspective should find this a useful preparation.

Robert B. Nordberg
Professor Emeritus of Education
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI 53233

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