I definitely lean on the skeptical side, so much so that if I hadn't stumbled across this because I read Blum's book on poisons, it is very unlikely I would have read it. Still, that would have been my loss. If you are going to reject something, you should know what kind of reasons you have for doing so. I am a great admirer of Wallace and spiritualism definitely undermined his career, as well as throwing a wrench into the friendship between great magician Harry Houdini , decidedly anti-spirtualism, and Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle, a beleiver if ever there was one. Seeing that serious attempts were made to scientifically investigate such phenomenon makes it easier to understand how such things could have happened to intelligent and serious minded individuals like Doyle and Wallace. ( )

Did a review for the Journal of Scientific Exploration ( )

I didn't love this one as much as The Poisoner's Handbook but I still thought it was a very solid and fascinating study of spiritualism in the late 19th century and the attempt by scientists and philosophers to investigate its practitioners. Because I read so many novels that feature spiritualism (especially ones that are set in Victorian times), this was a perfect companion to those books. As for my own personal views on the subject, like Blum I am a scientist and a skeptic but, when confronted with quality evidence, I can't help but wonder if there's some truth there, some unexplained force in the ether.

http://webereading.com/2012/10/rip-vii-read-15-ghost-hunters.html ( )

This excellent nonfiction books chronicles the efforts of William James and fellow researchers of the American and British Societies for Psychical Research to explore supernatural phenomenon scientifically. Blum is a great writer; she uses a vast amount of research to recreate the experiments, but, more importantly, to bring to life the characters of a fascinating group of men and women (or rather, one woman, the math genius, Cambridge administrator, and psychical researcher Nora Sidgwick, who worked alongside her husband Henry and continued the work after his death).

There are no easy answers in this book. If you're looking for solid proof one way or the other, that there is or isn't life after death, you won't find it here. What you will find is, in my honest opinion, just as good if not better: descriptions of research and experiments, mediums and charlatans, and most importantly, the discussion of great ideas. What roles do science and religion play in modern society? Is it possible to believe in both? For those, like me, who are as interested in the quest as the conclusion, this book will be a tasty, thought-provoking treat. It made me want to read more about the subject of the paranormal, but also about philosophy, psychology, and religion. It made me want to pick up the work of William and Henry James. If that's the mark of a great nonfiction book, to incite further interest in the reader, than this book was certainly a success for me. Highly recommended. Five stars. ( )

William James spent his life investigating the mind, the soul and the nature of reality. This study led to major contributions to the establishment of the field of psychology and the development of pragmatism as philosophical thought, and also to a fascination with life after death and communication with the dead. His timing was impeccable - his professional life coincided with the rise of spiritualism in the US and Europe.

Ghost Hunters is the story of William James' work with mediums and those with strange abilities now called parapsychological such as telepathy and telekinesis. It's also the story of the rise and fall of the British and American Societies for Psychical Research, along with the small group of scientists and investigators who spent much of their professional lives searching for proof of their belief that there is more to reality than what strictly materialistic science can know. Their dream was to provide clear evidence that would bring this work into the realm of "respectable" science.

Blum's book was outstanding. She's sympathetic with James and his coworkers, and gives a great protrait of some very interesting people and times. ( )