Round in Circles: Poltergeists, Pranksters, and the Secret History of the Cropwatchers

This was a surprisingly absorbing book, and impressively detailed and well-written, especially given that the author (judging by the photos) was pretty young when he wrote it. For those looking (as I was) for a detailed explanation of the confessed crop-circle hoaxers, this book does NOT focus on that. The infamous hoax "revelations" of Doug and Dave don't come until almost the end of the book -- page 260. What we get is a candid and impressively deadpan, nonjudgmental or ridiculing look at the earnest eccentrics that have led the study of crop circles. Mildly curious about the phenomenon and the controvery about the possible sources and meanings of crop circles, I found this book FAR more engaging--I could hardly put it down-than the many books purporting to explain or defend their meaning.

This pretty much destroys any further claims that crop circles are made by anything other than human beings. Well, the wind vorticies are still possible for some of the simple circles, but aliens they are not. It's also interesting to note how desperate, and sometimes violent, people become when defending their beliefs that have been proven false. I guess it's just the human condition.

This is not only a great, unique true story in its own right, but a classic case study in how people, even "scientists," can delude themselves. I must say, even before hearing of the book, I employed Occam's Razor and thought, "What's the most likely way that crop circles could be formed? What more could it take than two guys, one holding the end of a piece of cord, the other walking around, dragging a heavy plank?" Sure enough, that's almost exactly how it was done. And the two guys spawned a whole industry of crop circle fans, competing to see who could come up with the most wacky, arcane theories of alien visitations and bizarre whirlwinds. If you have friends who believe in alien abductions and other paranormal claptrap (and who doesn't know someone like that?), you need this piece of ammunition on your shelf.

Round in Circles is unique among its cousins in the paranormal bookshelf. It isn't a gushing, poorly written, mystic-centered account of crop circles. Nor is it a more-rational-than-thou attack on alien-mongers. Instead, Schnabel shines a light on the people lurking in the shadows of the crop-circle story: the crop-circle experts. Some are well known in UFOlogy and the paranormal. Most though made their names with the advent of crop circles. And, as the story unfolds, it is where the tragedy and humour lies. Schnabel makes it blatantly clear by the end of the book that the crop - circles are quite simply (and simple) hoaxes. Schnabel even tracks down the hoaxers themselves (and they are many). He learns the secrets - which are neither particularly ingenious nor technical. Before he himself realizes it, Schnabel becomes hopelessly addicted to crop circle creating itself. The reporter becomes a part of his own story. And a funny story it is too. Lots of laugh out loud bit! s. Much grinning by the reader.

This book, which received rave reviews in England when it was first published by Penguin (and later got a plug from Carl Sagan), is about the crop circles PEOPLE even more than it is about the crop circles themselves. It is a compelling, funny, and ultimately touching portrait of human beings entranced by a genuine modern mystery.