Page 12 - Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained Vol. 3

xii Preface

and unexplained with her husband Brad. Her explored, along with each subtopic, develop-
continual studies in alternative medicine and ing relevant concepts, geographic places, per-
therapies led to the 1992 official creation of sons, practices, etc. After each topic, a Delv-
The Office of Alternative Medicine under the ing Deeper section provides complete biblio-
Institutes of Health, Education and Welfare in graphical citations of books, periodicals, tele-
Bethesda, Maryland. Both Steigers have vision programs, Internet sites, movies, and
served as consultants for such television shows theses used, and provides users with further
as Sightings and Unsolved Mysteries. research opportunities. Boldfaced cross-refer-
The advisors for GEUU are Judy T. Nel- ences are used to guide users from the text to
son, the Youth Services Coordinator for the related entries found elsewhere in the three
Pierce County Library System in Tacoma, volumes. Sidebars supplement the text with
Washington; Lee Sprince, former Head of unusual facts, features, and biographies, as
Youth Services for the Broward County Main well as descriptions of web sites, etc.
Library in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Brad Each chapter contains photographs, line
E. Steiger, author of Gale’s former Visible Ink drawings, and original graphics that were cho-
Press title The Werewolf Book: The Encyclopedia sen to complement the text; in all three vol-
of Shape-Shifting Things. For GEUU, both Nel- umes, over 250 images enliven the text. Many
son and Sprince were consulted on GEUU’s of these images are provided by Fortean Pic-
subject content, its appropriateness, and for- ture Library—“a pictorial archive of mysteries
mat; Steiger advised on the content’s organiza- and strange phenomena”—and from the per-
tion before he became the author of GEUU. sonal archives of the author, Brad Steiger. At
the end of each chapter, a glossary, called
Making the Connection, lists significant
terms, theories, and practices mentioned
Format within the text. A comprehensive glossary of
the terms used throughout all three volumes
The Gale Encyclopedia of the Unusual and can be found at the end of each volume.
Unexplained consists of fourteen broad-subject Each volume has a cumulative Table of
chapters covering a wide range of high-inter- Contents allowing users to see the organiza-
est topics: Afterlife Mysteries; Mediums and tion of each chapter at a glance. The Cumula-
Mystics; Religious Phenomena; Mystery Reli- tive Index, found in each volume, is an alpha-
gions and Cults; Secret Societies; Magic and betic arrangement of all people, places,
Sorcery; Prophecy and Divination; Objects of images, and concepts found in the text. The
Mystery and Power; Places of Mystery and page references to the terms include the vol-
Power; Ghosts and Phantoms; Mysterious ume number as well as the page number;
Creatures; Mysteries of the Mind; Supersti- images are denoted by italicized page numbers.
tions, Strange Customs, Taboos, and Urban
Legends; and Invaders from Outer Space.
Each chapter begins with an Overview that
summarizes the chapter’s concept in a few User Comments
brief sentences. Then the Chapter Explo- Are Welcome
ration provides a complete outline of the
chapter, listing all topics and subtopics there- Users having comments, corrections, or
in, so that the user can understand the interre- suggestions can contact the editor at the fol-
lationships between the chapter’s topics and lowing address: Gale Encyclopedia of the
its subtopics. An Introduction consisting of 6 Unusual and Unexplained, The Gale Group,
to 12 paragraphs follows; it broadly describes Inc., 27500 Drake Rd., Farmington Hills, MI
the chapter’s theme. Then each topic is 48331-3535.

The Gale Enc y clopedia of the Unusu al and Unexplained