The Complete Book of

Extraterrestrial Encounters

by Randall Fitzgerald

Collier Books, 1979, 200 pages

There is an old adage that states a man who owns one watch always knows what time it is, but a man who owns more than two watches is never sure. This means that the two or more time pieces may have different times on their faces. This adage also applies to books on UFOs. A person who has only read one book on the subject of UFOs may feel he has the real answer to this great mystery. But a person who has read several books on the subject, each with a different viewpoint, has to say that he does not know the origin of this baffling phenomenon. The beginning of wisdom is when one admits he doesn't know everything. This is how Randall Fitzgerald must have felt after writing this book because it is a result of reading over one hundred books on UFOs and contains an analysis of each book. All theories on UFO origins are included, from Major Donald Keyhoe's 1953 Flying Saucers from Outer Space, to Billy Graham's Angels, to Philip Klass' debunking book UFOs Explained. After reading Fitzgeralds collection of book reviews one is struck by the fact that most books on UFOs, ETs and especially the ancient astronaut theories are for the most part worthless. Many books are poorly researched, written in a pseudo-scientific style and overly sensationalistic. However there are some books on UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial life that are worth reading. The title of Fitzgerald's book is misleading since many of the books reviewed do not advocate the Extraterrestrial theory of UFO origins (ETH). For example the books by John Keel, Jacques Vallee, Carl Jung and Carl Sagan all represent alternative theories to ETH. Though written in 1979 and dated because it doesn't include more recent works, Fitzgerald's book is a worthwhile addition to your UFO library because it shows the diversity of opinion that exists on this subject.

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