X-files,codes,tricks,spies,thieves,symbols and haunted houses

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Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal
By Joe Nickell

Description:
Interest in the paranormal is at an all-time high. Ghosts, UFOs, psychic power and other unexplained phenomena are endlessly fascinating for us. People often seem to accept of reject claims of the paranormal based on their fundamental beliefs - as if such matters were theological. In contrast, "Real-Life X-Files" takes a scientific approach, basing its arguments on the premise that what seem like paranormal mysteries should be carefully investigated with a view toward explaining them using evidence from the cases. Joe Nickell takes readers on investigative journeys that range from the uniquely whimsical (such as the case of the giant Coleman Frog) to the bizarre (such as alien-abduction experiences) to the potentially transcendental (the mysterious Shroud of Turin).
Number Of Pages: 336

Secret Language - Codes, Tricks, Spies, Thieves, and Symbols
Author: Barry J. Blake

From the chat codes "PAW" or "Code 9" that teens use to let their friends know that parents are
eavesdropping, to the high-powered, computer-driven encryptions used by governments to prevent foreign powers from stealing classified information, covert language is ubiquitous in our society.

Now, in Secret Language, Barry Blake takes the reader on a fascinating excursion down this mysterious trail of words, ranging across time and culture. With revelations on every page, and sample codes and puzzles for the reader to crack, it will entertain everyone with an urge to know more about the most arcane and curious uses of language.

From backmasking to the Enigma Machine, from magic words to literary symbols, here is a lively,engaging tour of languages that hide their meanings from all but a chosen few. Blake explains the difference between ciphers and codes (Morse code, oddly enough, is not a code but a cipher) and shows how secret messages have been written--and broken--for almost two thousand years.

He explores the history and uses of the slang and argot of schools and trades, tracing the stories of centuries-old
cants such as those used by sailors and criminals--among them polari, the mix of Italian, Yiddish, and slang once spoken among strolling players and circus folk and most recently adopted by the gay community. He examines the sacred languages of ancient cults and religions, uncovers the workings of onomancy, spells, and gematria, considers the obliqueness of allusion and parody, and celebrates the absurdities of euphemism and jargon.

Anyone who enjoys word games and riddles, who loves finding out the hidden meanings of slang or argot,or who delights in spy novels or real-life tales of espionage, will find this volume an endless source of fascination. 352 Pages

Jeff Belanger - The World's Most Haunted Places
Ghostly legends abound wherever history has made its mark-from battlefields to monuments, prisons to inns. If these places have existed for centuries or more, and if they are where history-especially tragic history-was made, ghost stories will inevitably follow. The World's Most Haunted Places: From the Secret Files of Ghostvillage.com explores the history, folklore, and ghostly legends behind some of the world's most fascinating points of interest. objective, educational, and entertaining, Ghostvillage.com's founder, Jeff Belanger, speaks with witnesses, psychics, and ghost hunters who tell their stories and share their research on haunted places around the globe. Take a world tour of history, the supernatural, and the macabre. You will explore libraries, museums, restaurants, inns, and landmarks from North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. But be careful: The World's Most Haunted Places may make you a believer!

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