From Library Journal
Silva, who has worked in graphic design and advertising for most of his professional life, conveys his keen passion for earth mysticism in this probing examination of crop circles. He examines the history of crop circles, human interactions with them, their probable implications, and, in a section that is alone worth the price of the books for supporters, their effects on our current worldview. Silva also delves deeply into the evidence for crop circles' authenticity. In arguing that they are transhuman events, he discusses the role of electromagnetism and its effects, UFO phenomena and their relation to crop circles, the relationship between crop circles and healing, evidence supporting psychic ability, and language's ability to affect information consciously and subconsciously (this section is sure to stimulate those who suspect that crop circles are a hoax). Readers may be inspired to reexamine preconceived ideas, as Silva's explanations are detailed and well researched and avoid technical jargon. Footnotes and an extensive bibliography encourage further exploration. Recommended for psychic phenomena or metaphysical and New Age collections in public libraries, and for collections including contemporary works on controversies in science and mysticism.Leroy Hommerding, Fort Myers Beach Lib. District, FLCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

They appear at night, complex designs mysteriously imprinted on fields of almost ripened grain. Nobody knows how they got there, or why. They leave the grain stalks in swirls, virtually undamaged. They exhibit mathematical precision. They demonstrate principles of geometry. They portray ancient religious symbols. Since the 1980s, some 10,000 crop circles have appeared, seemingly by magic, in England and 25 other countries. Each year the count grows, and the designs get more intricate, even fantastic. Governments tell us they're hoaxes, but the evidence shows that most are not. What is going on?

Author Freddy Silva lives in Wessex, the four-county area of southern England that has been host to 90 percent of the world's crop circles. In Secrets in the Fields, he takes us on an exhilarating firsthand field trip into the heart of the mystery. Silva takes us to the scene of the enigma, before, after, and during the appearance of a fresh circle. He introduces us to farmers, researchers, scientists, mystics, hoaxers, and debunkers. Deeply informative and copiously illustrated, this is the most comprehensive look at crop circles to date.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal