Understanding - January, 1958 Issue. UFO, New Age. From the Collection of Max Miller

El Monte, CA: Understanding, 1958. First Edition of the January, 1958 issue; Vol III, No. 1. From the collection of Max Miller, of Flying Saucers International and the "Saucers" publication. Octavo, printed wrappers, 20 pp. + book list. Light age-toning at left margin, else fine. Rather spectacular condition for a paperbound issue from 1958. A scarce publication from one of the plethora of UFO investigatory organizations of the "First Age" of UFOlogy, which was essentially the fifties, Understanding is one of those which took the direction of reporting sightings and discussing the nature of UFO and extraterrestrial life in general; they, like so many of the embryonic organizations of the years immediately following Kenneth Arnold's Cascade Mountain sighting, perhaps lacked the funds and personnel for field research that only a few groups, like NICAP, were able to assemble. Understanding is self-described herein as "a non-profit organization dedicated to the propagation of a better understanding among all the peoples of the earth, and of those who are not of earth." Because all of these organizational publications - and the first full-length books written on UFO, as well - were prior to whatever the mystery of abduction might be about, the attitude in the first 10-12 years was almost universally an upbeat one, an attitude of almost automatic faith in the altruism of other intelligent life forms. No books or publications at that time dealt with abduction, but of contact, and benevolent earthly activity on the part of aliens was assumed even when there was no contact. Contents of this remarkably representative little publication: "Three Kinds of Science"; "Many Shall Be Called"; "Spacecraft Department"; sightings; a letter to NICAP; and more. A nice, historical UFOlogy collectible, in superior condition, from the collection of Max Miller. L103.…