Book Review: Catalog of the Unexplained

Leanna Greenaway and Beleta Greenaway, Catalog of the Unexplained: from Aliens and Aromatherapy to Zen and Zener Cards. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide, 2021. ISBN: 9780738763798.

 

Genre: reference

Subgenre: paranormal, esoterica

Format: e-book galley

Source: NetGalley 

 

As a kid, I always enjoyed a good reference book, especially a book on curious and/or esoteric topics. Yes, I was a kid who read encyclopedias and other reference books for fun. As an adult, I at times still enjoy reading through a specialized reference book both to learn new things and for fun. So when I saw the description for this book I was very excited. Sadly, the book was not very exciting. 

The book description is that it goes "from aliens to aromatherapy to zen and Zener cards." The list of topics is quite broad and diverse. The authors write about the book: 

"We have composed this book intending to make it an interesting read, with the hope to expand the knowledge of the world and bring the unexplained to the forefront" (2). 

That sounds great, but the book falls short. After the introduction, we get the entries from A to Z. Entries vary in length from three to five sentences or so, basically a paragraph per topic. These can be read more like a simple glossary given the entries are very basic and sparse. If you need to just get a quick look up of a word, and the word is listed in the book, you'll get a very brief definition. If you need more, you'll need to look elsewhere. 

The entries are in no way critical. The esoteric and paranormal concepts are pretty much accepted as a given. Again, if you need other views on a topic, you will need to search elsewhere. Many of the entries have a parenthetical citation leading to a reference at the end of the book in the bibliography. 

The bibliography is arranged in three parts: websites, books, and online programs. The websites are mostly very basic sources like Britannica Online and a lot of low end websites. The websites' list is not very impressive. The books' list varies in quality from reputable publishers to many "independent" publishers (which to be honest are borderline what we used to call vanity presses back in the day). Most of these books are not scholarly at all. As for the online programs, you get a lot of YouTube videos, again, not exactly high end sources. Quality of these sources is inconsistent. Overall, it falls to the reader to evaluate the sources. 

As an academic librarian, I would not recommend this book for academic libraries. For public libraries, I would rate this as a very optional acquisition; personally I would not buy this if I was doing book selections for a public library. The book overall is too basic, lacks alternative views, and its sources are not that great. This book had potential, but as it is it's a missed opportunity. 

1.5 out of 5 stars. 

This book qualifies for the following 2022 Reading Challenge: