Very highly recommended for anyone wanting to explore the crop circle phenomenonAugust 6, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Freddy Silva was an art director, writer and photographer who worked in graphic design by profession, and an avid student of Earth Mysteries. In 1990 he was smitten with curiosity when he saw a photo of a crop circle. He has devoted much of his time since then to a passionate study of these fascinating messages from as yet unidentified sources.
Silva is keenly aware of the general skepticism that many hold about crop circles. The media have trumpeted the claims of a few people that they have created these patterns in crops in England and elsewhere, generating doubt and leading many people to dismiss all of the crop circles as hoaxes. Silva goes to great lengths to dispel these doubts. He marshals a host of facts and arguments that provide very strong support for his contention that these are mysterious creations of as yet unknown sources. Challenging the credibility of hoaxers' claims are the following observations:
The numbers (many dozens each year), sizes (some 700 feet in diameter), precision and complexity of designs of many of the crop circles in England make it extremely unlikely that any person or group of people could produce them.
The fact that they appear overnight would require hoaxers to work in the dark to produce them - again highly unlikely.
The ways in which the stalks of plants are laid down in the circles - in woven patterns, often with several layers of weaving, each with its own distinct pattern - is beyond the capabilities of any hoaxer.
The fact that the stalks of plants are bent at right angles, without damaging the growth of the plants.
Silva meticulously documents the appearance of the circles over recent years and past centuries, considering esoteric and mystic symbolism in the designs that may give clues to the messages that many suggest these remarkable creations must contain. The natural question is, "So who is behind these apparent communications?" Silva suggests that in part they are products of collective consciousness, and in part the creations of extraterrestrials.
This book is very highly recommended for anyone wanting to explore the crop circle phenomenon. See also Silva's article in this issue of IJHC, which explores the theory that sound may mediate the formation of crop circles.
The Real Secret Is The Amount Of Information In Crop CirclesJuly 2, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Well, I've bought and given away at least 4 copies of this book, so I guess it's time to write a review.
I consider this the best book currently on the market about crop circles. The amount of information contained in these formations is astounding. It is more than just the fractal or geometric pattern. More than the precision of accuracy with which they were made. There are embedded energy patterns and harmonics to name a few. Too bad Freddy Silva was limited in his investigation by the instruments we have to measure these features, because there is probably far more to these crop circles than we will ever know.
If you still think that these pattern are manmade, then maybe the Earth is flat! Or the pharoahs did build the pyramids. Or O. J. didn't do it.
First on crops circlesApril 29, 2008 This is my first book on crop circles. I think the first half of the book is valuable in that it gives information and history on how to identify real crop circles from hoaxs. The last half of the book I had to struggle through and at times was a little too "New Agey" for my taste. Worth the read if you want a starter book on crop circles.
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUEFebruary 29, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I do believe in crop circles, but not Freddy Silva. I read most of his book, but got bogged down in the mathematics. The problem is that the quality of most of the photos is too good, and that most of them use the same high resolution, as if produced on a computer. You usually can't get such clear aerial photos over England. As to the mathematics, I think it was added to enhance credibility, probably by some grad student. The most compelling thing for me was the biology of crop circles, but this book has so many questionable statements that now I don't know what to think. Never-the-less, the book is beautiful and substantive, and shows how one can make a lot of money in the publishing business, even if it is a hoax.
Believe it or not it's very interestingNovember 22, 2007 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This was a fascinating book that provided alot of information not just about crop circles but other topics as well including sacred geometry, history, and other cultures. Whether you believe the crop circle phenomenon or not this book is still very interesting and informative and might just open your mind to other possibilities. I liked that the book does not necessarily need to be read cover to cover but rather you could open to any page, like I did, and find yourself engrossed. I must admit that I found the scientific data to be rather compelling and would recommend this book to anyone who wants an alternative view to the conventional thought that crop circles were made by humans.
