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Plunging Into the Depths of a Mystery

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Plunging Into the Depths of a Mystery BOOK REVIEWS reports. Plunging into the Depths of There are an amazing number of lakes with stories of unusual creatures a Mystery (possibly as many as 300 globally), MICHAEL DENNETT too many for even these intrepid researchers to tackle. Instead, they Lake Monster Mysteries: Investigating the World’s Most have produced a compact review of Elusive Creatures. By Benjamin Radford and Joe Nickell. the most impressive cases, including Lexington, Kentucky, The University Press of Kentucky, an excellent account in chapter one of 2006. ISBN 0-8131-2394-1. 190 pp. Hardcover, $24.95. the diminishing case for a monster in Scotland’s Loch Ness. The end result, I ake Champlain is home to actual description, from volume 2 feel, is a concise appraisal (the book is Champ, the most famous of his journal, is of seeing “a great only 190 pages, including appendices Amer ican lake-monster leg- abundance of many species of fish L and the index) of this off-beat part of end. Form ing part of the boundary . the largest of them . I have seen the field of cryptozoology. There can between Vermont and New York [is] some five feet long . and had a be little doubt after reading this book State, the majestic lake has been head as large as my two fists, with a that there are many mechanisms, both natural and psychological, suffi- cient to create monster legends with- out the need for a physical creature. Radford and Nickell take Of special interest to skeptics should be chapter four on the Silver Lake (New York) monster hoax. the assuming Known almost from its beginnings as an example of how a lake monster the witnesses to be essentially could be faked, the authors reexam- ine this unusual tale. They come to honest in their accounts. Their a surprising and illuminating con- clusion. approach is of the believers. In the process of interviewing witnesses and examining various historic accounts, both Radford and Nickell take the high road, assuming the witnesses to be essentially honest in their ac counts. Their approach is the source of tales, if reports are snout two feet and a half long, and a accurate, since the earliest point double row of very sharp, dangerous respectful of the believers. This in no of exploration. According to popu- teeth.” So no monster after all! way diminishes, but rather enhances, lar accounts, Samuel de Champlain Although some of the text in their investigative method. In the reported seeing the monster in July Lake Monster Mysteries is devoted end, the authors’ case against a phys- 1609. It probably will not come as to revelations like the one above, ical creature for each of the legends is a surprise to readers of this mag- most of the book consists of field monstrously strong. azine, but the actual account by investigations by the authors. The Lake Monster Mysteries has many Champlain, as reported in this terrific locations of these on-site inquiries photographs, is well illustrated with new book by Radford and Nickell, is include Lake Champlain and, on the maps and drawings, and is supple- much more mundane. Champlain’s other side of the continent in British mented by four excellent appendices. Attention to detail is evident through- Michael Dennett has reported on Columbia, Lake Okanagan, the home out. I was particularly impressed with sightings of alligators in Seattle, of Ogopogo. Vermont’s other lake the effort put into appendix 3, which alleged dinosaurs in the Congo, and monster, Mem phre, is on the list, as is shows one possible (and plausible) an abominable photograph of the that of Lake Crescent in northeastern explanation for the famous Mansi Yeti. His most recent article for the Newfound land. In all of these cases, photo of Champ. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER concerned the leg- the authors detail their successful Long-time SKEPTICAL INQUIRER sub- end of Bigfoot and appeared in the efforts to provide sensible explana- scribers will find that some of the January/February 2005 issue. tions to the various sightings and 56 Volume 30, Issue 5 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER.
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