Spook - A Book Review

Finally I made it through the third book I was meant to read/review courtesy of Lea.  Spook by Mary Roach is the author's journey to finding conclusive scientific proof of an afterlife.

Just so you know, I am a huge fan of hooby dooby stuff.  I love it.  As I confessed previously I have a vice for things that are supernatural (think: undead), but that also extends to all paranormal anything.  Shows like The Ghost Whisperer or Haven are the food of my imagination.  I can't get enough of the afterlife, ghosts, spirits, and all of that.  It's apparently hereditary.  My mother, my father would say, is also into hooby dooby.  His conclusion is drawn from the fact that she is now certified in Reiki and has some supernatural stories which get passed around her work place that may (or may not according to my dad and my husband) be accurate interpretations of natural occurrences.  I tend to side with my mom on these things.  Mary Roach is more of my dad's and my husband's opinion on this sort of thing.

She takes us through the atrocities of weighing souls exiting the body at death and the hoax of ectoplasm and mediums. She let's herself get set in a locked soundproof room with electrodes and a special helmet to see if a researcher can simulate the feeling of presences.  Needless to say, Ms. Mary isn't sensitive to these sorts of things, so she experiences very little. By this time, you can tell that she is insensitive.  In fact, she is so skeptical of everything, she is inclined not to believe anything before she approaches it.  This makes me think that she may not be the best person to investigate this sort of thing.  Having the prejudice I do, I find myself getting annoyed with her. Well, the helmet of doom didn't work so she finds a researcher looking at another potential way to debunk ghosts.  She decides to take us to infrasound and debunk so many places that seem creepy - No! They aren't creepy! They just have something transmitting infrasound! Infrasound does have an impact on your physical being because it shakes everything just enough to make things slightly to very uncomfortable.  Well that was another unconvincing experiment.  By the end, Ms. Roach does check in with those investigating near-death experiences.  This is the most convincing to her, and it is written as such.  By this time, I am almost surprised that she may be convinced by near-death experiences. Needless to say, it seems there may in fact be something that exists outside the body, as though the body were a TV set just tuned to a particular spiritual channel.

This book was not what I expected.  I was hoping, I think, for some affirmation of my hope - by belief in an afterlife and consciousness long after the body has turned to dust.  My guess is that a lot of people ended up buying this book in hope for support of this position (as well as the opposite).  That however, is not why you should read this book.  You should read this book because it is well written, funny, and informative.  If you enjoy reading about a person discovering their beliefs and understanding their personal journey better, this is a perfect book to read.