Monday, August 29, 2022

EARTH'S HIDDEN MYSTERIES by Carl Cohen








Following up on Daniel Cohen's The Greatest Monsters in the World here's another young reader primer on the supernatural, by one Carl Cohen - no relation. This Cohen's book is far more scattershot, running through the Bermuda Triangle, Easter Island, the Mary Celeste, modern witches, UFOs, and the Oak Island Money Pit ... and that's that! Carl's not a patch on Daniel's writing ability, descending into kid's book treacle and uncritically repeating von Daniken's nonsense on Easter Island and spacemen. He even promotes von Daniken with the title of scientist, debating theories with other scientists! 

The urban legend of Oak Island is another example of rumor and myth being repeated ad nauseam until it takes on a life of its own. Fifty years after Carl Cohen tossed off a quickie chapter recycled from earlier writers, there's a long running reality show about the non-existent treasure playing on the History Channel. In the world of the paranormal, everything old is new again.

Nice cover art at least, and the UFO photos are delightfully bogus.

Xerox Education Publications, 1974

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