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The Thought Reader Craze: Victorian Science at the Enchanted Boundary
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The Thought Reader Craze: Victorian Science at the Enchanted Boundary Paperback - 2012

by Barry H. Wiley


From the publisher

Beginning in 1870, the hunger for scientific discovery in Great Britain drove prominent scientists, philosophers and others to promote the legitimacy of telepathy. At the same time, mind-reading as a form of entertainment gained increasing popularity as persuasive performers like John Randall Brown, W.I. Bishop, and Stuart C. Cumberland convinced reporters that they truly could read the thoughts of others.

The widely publicized, sometimes bizarre, interactions between scientists and these charlatans ushered in the Thought Reader Craze, a period that lasted through about 1910 and saw entertainers make and lose fortunes and scientists make and lose reputations. This volume explores this unusual cultural phenomenon, showing how it was aided through the years by public scientific pronouncements, astonishing performances by the thought readers, and the rapidly changing industrial society.

From the jacket flap

Beginning in 1870, the hunger for scientific discovery in Great Britain drove prominent scientists, philosophers and others to promote the legitimacy of telepathy. At the same time, mind-reading as a form of entertainment gained increasing popularity as persuasive performers like John Randall Brown, W.I. Bishop, and Stuart C. Cumberland convinced reporters that they truly could read the thoughts of others.

The widely publicized, sometimes bizarre, interactions between scientists and these charlatans ushered in the Thought Reader Craze, a period that lasted through about 1910 and saw entertainers make and lose fortunes and scientists make and lose reputations. This volume explores this unusual cultural phenomenon, showing how it was aided through the years by public scientific pronouncements, astonishing performances by the thought readers, and the rapidly changing industrial society.

Details

  • Title The Thought Reader Craze: Victorian Science at the Enchanted Boundary
  • Author Barry H. Wiley
  • Binding Paperback
  • Pages 238
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher McFarland & Company
  • Date 2012
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780786464708 / 0786464704
  • Weight 0.75 lbs (0.34 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 in (22.61 x 14.99 x 1.78 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Themes
    • Topical: New Age
  • Library of Congress subjects Extrasensory perception, Telepathy
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2012035341
  • Dewey Decimal Code 133.820

About the author

Retired high-tech executive Barry H. Wiley is the author of numerous books on the history of thought reading and spiritualism. He is an associate of the Inner Magic Circle, London, and a member of the Order of Merlin of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He lives in Oregon.
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The Thought Reader Craze: Victorian Science at the Enchanted Boundary
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Thought Reader Craze: Victorian Science at the Enchanted Boundary

by Wiley, Barry H.

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9780786464708 / 0786464704
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Description:
McFarland Publishing, 2012. Paperback. New. 238 pages. 9.02x0.71x5.98 inches.
Item Price
$40.97
$12.67 shipping to USA