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How to be a Ghost
Hunter ISBN 0-7387-0312-5 Remember that TV series titled, if I recall correctly, The Scariest Places on Earth? A film crew would follow a group of teenagers to local “haunted spots” and record all their stories, their shrieks, and their terrified little faces. It was not a bit scary, but it was great fun. This is the perfect book for those teenagers. Southall treats us to a few mild ghost stories and some personal history, then follows with an easy-to-read how-to. He defines ghosts, spirits and poltergeists (so we can all on agree what we’re talking about) then tells us how we could go about researching a “suspected haunted area”. A lot of it strikes me as common sense, such as “If a person shifts his eyes from side to side, and never makes eye contact, there’s a chance he’s not telling the truth.” You can’t get mad at the guy, though – his tone is enthusiastic without ever falling into silly, even when he cautions us to beware of Ouija boards and demons, and he takes his material seriously, treating it with sufficient respect that we do, also. Separate chapters are devoted to paranormal photography, electronic voice phenomena, how to form a paranormal group, and what to pack in your ghost hunting kit (camera, stopwatch, tape recorder, and a nifty device called a Detecto Card, among other things.) In the appendices, we have a short list of ghost-related websites and five forms for the ghost hunter to fill out – a sort of do-it-yourself Hold Harmless (personally, I’d get my attorney in on this one) and fill-in-the-blank questionnaires. He ends with a glossary and bibliography. This is one of those books that’s hard to rate. Nothing new here, but nothing to offend or annoy either – just fun stuff. If you’re an adult with reasonably well-honed analytical skills, a serious desire for professional instruction, some previous experience with the paranormal, or just a desire to have your reading material demonstrate some complexity, this one probably should not be on top of your TBR pile. One pentacle, two at the most, for you. If, however, you’re a kid with a taste for the unusual, a noise in the attic, or a long summer with nothing to do, (or even an adult who’s simply looking for a quick read or a Ghosts 101), then this is just the ticket. Five pentacles for you.
Review by Karen Albeck |
