Review of Flying Saucers and Science
I managed to pick up a copy of a new book called Flying Saucers and Science: A Scientist Investigates the Mysteries of UFOs by Stanton T. Friedman, MSc. over the weekend and I’ve even finished it – here’s what I thought:
Flying Saucers and Science: A Scientist Investigates the Mysteries of UFOs, covers interstellar travel, UFO crashes and government cover-ups. The chapters include:
- The Case for the ET Origin of Flying Saucers
- You Can Get Here From There
- From Where Do They Come?
- The Cosmic Watergate
- The Cult of SETI
- The UFO “Why” Questions
- Science, Science Fiction and UFOs
- UFOs and Public Opinion
- Update on Crashed Saucers at Roswell
- The Press and Flying Saucers
- The Operation Majestic 12 Documents
- Conclusion: What Does It Matter?
Stanton Friedman considers Flying Saucers and Science his magnum opus as it’s a book that tries to condense over 40 years of research, lectures and writing that he’s done in the field of ufology. I think that he’s done a good job at presenting the case. I also consider it to be especially helpful for people like myself who haven’t had the opportunity to sit in on any of his lectures or talks about UFOs.
The only previous book that I’ve read by Friedman was the one he recently coauthored with Kathleen Marden; ‘Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience’. So, I was particularly keen to read something (recent preferably) that he had authored solely.
In general, one of the reasons why I like Stanton Friedman is because he’s one of the few non-conformist scientists that I’ve run across. I first ran into noisy negativist scientists when I was competing in a regional science fair when I was in grade seven. Ever since then I tend to break out in rashes when I come across people who claim to be scientists and yet are in reality blind sheeple with fancy degrees that ignore the so-called principals of science. The short story is that the experience convinced me to forget about going into oceanography. Which is why I find it so refreshing to read a book by a scientist, (Friedman has a BS and MS in physics and worked as a nuclear physicist) who has some common sense and who has actually put some serious, scientific thought and study into the question of UFOs and extraterrestrials.
More specifically, I found Flying Saucers and Science also helpful in a number of areas. Friedman confirmed in his book some of the information I had already known from other sources. He provided background on areas that I was only vaguely familiar with. He clarified some of the debates and issues that frequently turn up in discussions or other sources of information on UFOs. And he covered topics and issues that I wasn’t aware of.
In short, I found Flying Saucers and Science to be very insightful. I would highly recommend it as an essential addition to ones library for anyone with an even passing interest in UFOs.
