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| Monsters: An Investigator's Guide to Magical Beings | 
 enlarge | Author: John Michael Greer
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95 (46.96 RON)
Buy New: $13.57 (31.95 RON)
You Save: $6.38 (15.02 RON) (32%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 148880
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 312
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 7.5 x 0.6
ISBN: 0738700509
Dewey Decimal Number: 001.944
EAN: 9780738700502
ASIN: 0738700509
Publication Date: September 1, 2001
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 17 | | NEXT » |
 Cover Doesn't Do This Book Justice July 18, 2008
I have read a few of John Michael Greer's books and let me tell you: the cover on this book does not do it justice. This book is fascinating. It contains an absolute treasure trove of information. Perfect for anyone with any interest in the Paranormal and/or Magickal/Legendary Creatures. Highly recommended!!!
Educational and Insightful May 29, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Tales throughout time have spoken of monsters and frightening beings and things that go "bump" in the night, and for most people these tales are as close to the unknown as they are willing to get. But for those few who find their curiosity peaked when they hear of local hauntings or monster sightings, there is finally a handbook just for you!
"Monsters - An Investigator's Guide to Magical Beings" by John Michael Greer is truly a handbook for the beginning monster hunter or curious seeker. The book, which I found to be an easy and entertaining read, is divided into four parts and is 282 pages long (that includes the index):
Part I: An Introduction to the Field Guide - On the Reality of the Impossible.
Part II: A Field Guide to Monsters; Vampires, Ghosts, Werewolves, Creatures of Faery, Mermaids, Dragons, Spirits, Angels, Demons.
Part III: A Guide to Monster Investigation - the complete investigator.
Part IV: Magical Self-Defense; natural magic and ritual magic.
Part IV is followed by a glossary and bibliography of monster lore.
Keep in mind that his definition of monster is "that which is shown forth or revealed." So even Angels, Faerie and Mermaids fall into this category, though they certainly don't fit the typical stereotype of what we believe monsters to be.
I enjoyed reading his explanation of the monsters (which includes descriptions and related folklore), especially the werewolves and vampires. Many people believe these particular monsters to be more Hollywood hype than anything else. But Europe is rich in werewolf and vampire folklore; of course the tales don't include Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise.
He also goes into detail for those interested in conducting their own monster investigations; including what to put in your monster hunting kit (did you know dark thread and rubber cement are useful in monster hunting?), interviewing skills and the importance of research, and doing the actual search for the monster.
Greer also goes into magical self-defense, which is very important for anyone delving into the paranormal. He talks about simple protective techniques (such as using holy water or salt and making amulets), and also describes rituals designed to bring protection (such as the Cabalistic Cross and the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram). Where the rituals may seem a bit complicated to the beginner, a bit of practice would make the user feel more comfortable and confident.
Folktales of monsters have existed in every society throughout the ages, and for a good reason. There are forces out there that can cause one to wake in the darkest hours of the night paralyzed and in a cold sweat. Whether you are a serious monster hunter, or have just had your own monster experiences and want to know how to deal with them, "Monsters - An Investigator's Guide to Magical Beings" is a must have for your supernatural library.
 Needs a Works Cited Page January 3, 2008
While this book was intriguing, I find its credibility lacking. A lot of what Greer says seems to be made up off the top of his head. While he could be accurate, he really needs to go into more depth about how he found his information instead of assuming we already know his sources. The closest he comes to a works cited page in this book is a further reading page, which really doesn't help his book at all.
An interesting book. Not to be taken too seriously with his lack of proof.
 Wanting yet Strangely Compelling August 16, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I was quite a different person at the start of reading this book and after (nearly) completing it. Not because of the book itself but rather due to a different world view I was adopting in that time (I read it on and off for over year). This affected my opinion and interest in the book hence I could not bring myself to read even the last 20 pages. Anyway, this book is about "monsters" or magical beings that are supposedly not uncommon to even modern day magicians. The writer, Greer (who I suppose is something of a "real" magician himself), covers vampires (interesting choice to start with), ghosts, werewolves, fairies, mermaids, dragons, spirits, angels and demons. I read these with interest. He also has chapters on monster investigation and self-defense.
He writes with a firm conviction that these beings actually exist in different "realms" and can enter our realm, often at will. He assumes a seemingly scientific approach but being a scientist myself, I find it a little hard to accept his faith in things like "folklore" as valid reference material to base such extraordinary claims on. I must admit that a lot of what he says coincides with magical traditions and stories from other cultures whose practitioners do not have a tendency to write books and share their "knowledge". Does this lend more credence to magic? I'm afraid not. It just means people in different places have a tendency to believe in some of the same things, truthful or not. Is magic in a domain of its own and not amenable to scientific inquiry? At best, yes. At worst, it's simply not true.
The chapter on monster investigation is well-crafted. It's almost as rigorous as any scientific methodology I've read though I stop to wonder if such investigators have ever actually encountered anything like what they hope to find or even found the spectacular evidence required to substantiate their beliefs. I could not bring myself to finish reading the last chapter on magical self-defense which includes information on natural and ritual magic. It was just too boring and lacking substance for me. Still, I do not regret purchasing this book and will reserve an equal place for it in my personal library that houses many other interesting books. Who knows? It might come in as handy reference material one day or a guilty pleasure during a storm in my favorite chair with a cup of hot chocolate.
Update: So I finished the last 20 pages or so and all I can add is, Greer should have left the part about ritual magic out of this book because it just sounds silly. Drawing imaginary pentagrams with my fingers and repeating strange (and bland) incantations is not something I plan on doing; much less hundreds of times (like the author suggests) if I want them to work "in the field". The annotated bibliography however, has many fascinating titles I wish I could decorate my personal library with, even if just to impress visitors. On second thought, I actually don't like to collect books I have no intention of reading. Maybe a handful might be worth a look, though.
Interesting, though at times flawed April 5, 2006
0 out of 5 found this review helpful
On the plus side, this book not only explained monsters quite well, but also showed how our modern conceptions of them are often quite divergent from the original mythology surrounding them. He notes how vampires have changed from a loathed being to one with a popular following and subculture. He also notes a number of interesting connections between UFOs and Bigfoot and folklore concerning fairies. An interesting element is the five layered universe idea which explains how magic and monsters are supposed to work.
On the other hand, he is clearly a believer in magic and tends to go on rants on the Scientific Revolution. I'm just not buying the literal existance of monsters, myself, as his case for them is rather weak and any anthropologist will tell you with plenty of evidence that they simply don't exist. The very concept is often paradoxical (how is it that people describe Dab Tsog or Yuki Onna with such detail, if such beings kill anyone they encounter so effectively, leaving no one to tell of their existence, anyway?) and nonsensical (Greer notes that vampires can't cross running water, which would make sense if they were limited to two dimensions, but can't they simply go above the water since they're etherial?).
Despite these shortcomings, the book's good aspects far outway its flaws and I would recommend it to anyone interested in monsters and the folklore surrounding them as it is a good starting point. Just remember that the author has some clear biases.
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