The Psychic Tourist by William Little
The Psychic Tourist by William Little
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Friday, 29, May 2009 12:14
Published by Icon Books, out now, hardback, 309 pp, £14.99.
In a nutshell...
Light-hearted yet serious, a tug-of-war between cynicism and belief.
What's it all about?
William Little's sister refuses to go on a sailing holiday because the birth charts he gave her and her daughter both predict death by water. Failing to convince his sister that birth charts and predicting the future are a "load of rubbish", Little sets off trying to uncover the truth about psychics, witches, palm readers and the like.
He leaves no stone unturned in his quest. Little interviews Nobel prize-winning professor in physics Brian Josephson, psi researchers at the Noetic Institute of Sciences, Derren Browne and Jonathan Cainer. But it's not all headlines and high brow, as he also meets with a coven of witches, a gypsy fortune teller and the very man who predicted the watery death of Little's sister and niece.
Who's it by?
Freelance journalist William Little writes for the Saturday Telegraph magazine, Guardian, Times, Financial Times and Daily Mail. This is his first book.
As an example...
During a séance on Halloween with a coven of witches at a stately home near a haunted forest in the Sussex countryside:
"The lights are turned off, and immediately Andy and Kay can see someone standing beside me. I take a look but there's no one there... Then Sandra sees a strange red blob over the door. Dan stands up and turns on the light and the red blob transforms into the fire alarm."
Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster
This book would work as a Louis Theroux-style documentary.
What the others say
"This is a light-hearted book, rather than a scientific one, but it is one with a serious message: your future is in your own hands rather than in the stars or the messages of a psychic. Read it before you consult one, or better still instead." - Peter Rogerson, Magonia Review of Books
"Great fun - in the vein of Louis Theroux and Will Storr. Loved every page. Will little has a really easy way of writing that takes you on a brilliant journey through the crystal ball, without leaving your armchair!" - Amazon user Duggie F Costain
So is it any good?
Even though the book's subject matter is quite serious (quantum physics and murder investigations feature alongside visits to a gypsy fortune teller at a funfair), Little manages to keep his readers engaged throughout. His style is light-hearted but his writing is built on a strong foundation. Little approaches the interviews he is to conduct with an open mind and a journalist's nose, and goes on to tell the reader like it is. His accounts are factual but entertaining, meaning this book is both informative and an easy read.
Reading about the weird and wonderful world of predicting the future and meeting some fascinating characters along the way, it's hard not to find yourself swayed from one side of the fence to the other. Personally, I went from absolute believer to total cynic and back again at least ten times while reading this book.
This is a great book for people who think Most Haunted is probably nonsense but still gets scared watching Yvette and co speak to ghosts, or those of us who always spot a bit of truth glancing at their horoscope in the paper on the way to work.
8/10
Karen Webber