The Men Who Stare at Goats

Could have been better, lacking references

This was a pretty good read. Although I firmly believe our government has been involved or at least made attempts to be involved with the paranormal. The thing that is sadly lacking in this book is references to the facts he is presenting. ie: notes to his 'facts' in the back of the book. In my opinion this is just another conspiracy book, like those on UFO's or Atlantis. However with out notations to back up what one is saying, it can not be proven. Whether I believe he is right (I do) or wrong with out data to back up what he is writing about, it is just another story to ponder.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I unfortunately just did not like this book. I heard great thing

I unfortunately just did not like this book. I heard great things about it and was excited to delve into it, but I just found the style of writing too hoaky. It is an interesting topic and I wanted to understand the facts and history of it, but the author's forced jokes into every paragraph became a distraction. My personal taste toward journalistic pieces is along the writing style of Mark Bowden (Blackhawk Down and Finders Keepers). I congratulate the success of the book and the subject matter, but it just was not a style of reading I appreciate.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Goofy, But Very Entertaining

I have not yet seen the related film, but I am sure it won't be quite as good as the book.

I did not enjoy this book so much for its writing style or literary merits but, rather, the reporting of rather incredible events in the history of our nation's intelligence departments.

This book reads like an expose' column in a newspaper with slightly more time dedicated to character development. All-in-all, it was a very entertaining read and I immediately gifted it to a family member with a taste for the quirky.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Non-believer? Check out *March 2006 'Readers Digest'

The 'strange but true' efforts of our military ops started long ago (during the Cold War - if not before) and I'm happy that someone wrote a book engrossing enough for the minions to read. My Fellow Americans: Our Military and the Government behind them DO belong in 'Ripley's Believe It Or Not!'. *Reference to this publication for an excerpt of a non-fictional account of one mans Military career in the paranormal

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Not that good

I started reading this book with an open mind. After reading it I decided that it was too over-the-top and it did not convince me as being a non-fiction piece of literature. I think, by the way the dialogue flowed, that the category of fiction seemed more fitting. But thats just my opinion, read it for yourself and decide.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A MUST READ!!!

If you have ever thought that our government must do some really weird stuff, this will confirm your thoughts. I found this book to be extremely disturbing and fascinating at the same time. Could not put it down.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fascinating and entertaining.

I'm a huge Jon Ronson fan, it was no surprise to me that this book was just as entertaining and fascinating as his other titles. I love his randomness of topics and the lengths that he goes to explore what's behind him. Men Who Stare at Goats totally delivered for me.

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Is this book fiction or non fiction?

Interesting topic, nothing truly sensational.

The book could be called "History of Weird and Weirdos in Modern US Military". "Weird" in this case means everything from the attempts to teach soldiers telepathy, passing through walls and psychic killing to the ideas of disarming enemy armies with songs and flowers or using music to interrogate prisoners ( silly and wild, but at least physically possible). The author's style is more the one of a reporter than a writer. The book is a collection of mostly anecdotal stories, sometimes ridiculous, sometimes scary. Most of them based on oral interviews, so it's difficult to know how much of it is truth and the whole truth. Don't expect anything like a hugely shocking revelation in Area 51 style. Perhaps ( if true) it is a welcome sign: means that the nuts and nutty ideas in US army are rather endemic than epidemic, in the middle rather than top command, and waste millions rather than billions of our tax money. ------ I grade the books as Buy and Keep (BK), Read Library book and Return ( RLR) and Once I Put it Down I Couldn't Pick it Up ( OIPD-ICPU). This one is RLR

Interesting distraction

I think Jon Ronson is sincere, and some of the people he intreviewed as well, though extremely misguided and egotistical. I have experience that leads me to beleive almost all of these people, with the exception of Ed Dames, really think what they were doing was real and the only program in existence.

Somewhat Disapppointing

I was quite excited about this book after hearing Ronson on NPR but found it to be a fairly dull disjointed read. While I felt that perhaps I was meant to feel some sort of interest or fascination with the people featured in the book, that simply did not happen. Also it wasn't nearly as funny as I had hoped it would be. It was vaguely disheartening but jumped around too much for me to really give a damn.

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