Dreaming the Future: The Fantastic Story of Prediction - Hardcover

Pickover, Clifford A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 157392895X ISBN 13: 9781573928953

Publisher: Prometheus, 2001

Synopsis

For countless generations people of every culture have practiced a broad range of dramatic and sometimes frightening techniques to peer into the future. In this fascinating book acclaimed author Clifford Pickover presents a nearly exhaustive list of fortune-telling techniques, from the ominous practice of human sacrifice to reading clues on the Internet.Pickover not only explores a vast and colorful array of methods of prediction--including dreaming--he also evaluates the accuracy of some of the most astonishing prophecies made throughout history. Just how accurate were such famous soothsayers as Nostradamus, the Delphic Oracle, Edgar Cayce, the children of Fatima (whose third vision has only recently been revealed), and dozens more?This book takes us one step further by exploring our own inner psyches: Why does looking into the future provide a source of solace in a world filled with uncertainty, disease, and chance? And why do the most noted prognosticators so often warn of natural catastrophes of biblical proportions, such as earthquakes and floods that will signal the end of the world?Through insight and wit, Pickover will unlock the door of your imagination with engrossing mysteries, intriguing illustrations, and even modern patents and computer techniques. Also included is a range of practical experiments and recipes--from Stone Age to New Age.Prepare yourself for a strange but captivating ride!

About this title

About the Author

Clifford A. Pickover, Ph.D.(Yorktown Heights, NY), is the author of many books including The Girl Who Gave Birth to Rabbits, Time: A Traveler's Guide, and Surfing Through Hyperspace. He is also the holder of many U.S. patents. Wired magazine described Pickover this way: "Bucky Fuller thought big, Arthur C. Clarke thinks big, but Cliff Pickover outdoes them both."

Reviews

Maybe it was fated that Pickover (The Girl Who Gave Birth to Rabbits; etc.), a polymathic researcher and professional observer of the weird, would eventually write about the mysteries of divination; his 20-some popular books cover subjects as diverse as aliens, fractals and the nature of time. In this hefty but fast-paced work, Pickover's infectious enthusiasm spins unstoppably from the book's dedication ("to the New York Yankees, winners of the 2027 World Series") to the appendices (containing, among other things, information on techniques for ooscopy, or reading eggs). Along the way he conducts a survey of some of history's most bizarre prediction practices for example, interpreting the holes in Swiss cheese and offers poker-faced instructions for aspiring home seers (e.g., "the Do-It-Yourself Termite Oracle"). Further chapters offer some choice examples of prediction changing the course of history sometimes with tragic consequences and a compendium of Pickover's favorite prophets, a veritable Who's Who of kooks, including psychic detectives, conspiracy theorists and channelers tuning into everyone from Socrates to Barbie. Generally, Pickover's attitude is one of healthy skepticism; he stays firmly uncommitted to either fuzzy or seemingly scientific proofs of divination's efficacy. He even goes so far as to share some lighthearted experiments conducted on his Web site that demonstrate the public's gullibility. Nevertheless, true believers and skeptics alike cannot fail to be won over by Pickover's disarming affection for his subjects even at their most ridiculous. The human need for belief being perhaps the future's only certainty, this book should delight anyone who suspects truth is stranger than fiction, and everyone who has ever wished that the implausible were true. (Mar.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Considering the number of ridiculous books touting various methods of prognostication, this levelheaded treatment of the topic is long overdue. Pickover, a Ph.D. in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, discusses pretty much any form of prediction you care to mention, from alepouomancy, predicting the future based on a fox's paw prints, to the zodiac, on which astrology is based. His section on famous soothsayers is particularly interesting; he points out, for instance, that it is nearly impossible to relate Nostradamus' prophecies to actual historical events because they often lack specific details and that Jeane Dixon, the famous tabloid "prophet," tends to get it right only when her predictions are so broad as to be meaningless. Unlike some debunkers, Pickover acknowledges our inevitable fascination with predicting the future, noting that, although hopelessly unreliable, it can be fun, exciting, profitable, and sometimes even spiritual. An excellent book for skeptics and believers alike. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Prometheus
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 157392895X
• ISBN 13: 9781573928953
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 458