Most Popular Books by Colin Wilson

" We consider that we are constantly aware of the passage of time, and yet we understand next to nothing of its nature. In an instinctive way, we accept time as invariant, immutable, and feel somehow that the foundations of our world are rocking when we are told that the passage of time does indeed vary, depending on the situation of the person measuring that passage. Our surprise is a result of thousands of years of conditioning, during which Man has measured time with ever greater accuracy and hence come increasingly to rely upon its inviolability. The book takes as its subject time and Man''s relationship with it. The scope includes many aspects of philosophy, hstory, anthropology, horology and physical science, and it is this multidisciplinary nature which is the source of The Book of Time''s unique fascination. Among the topics discussed are the measurements of time, from the earliest crude sundials to the most refined modern atomic clocks, the development of the calendar, the cycle of the seasons, biological clocks and ''bodytime'', the measurement of the timescales of the reote past over the thirteen billion years since the Universe was born, and the phenomena that defy all normal rules of common sense and yet are direct manifestations of the real nature of time. ''The Book of Time'' is, in addition, full of absorbing sidelights on subjects as diverse at the harmony of the spheres, the reasons why all human beings have approximately the same pulse-rate, the evolution of the clock escapement, and the possibilities of time travel and the paradoxes inherent therein. ''The Book of Time'' is by a panel of seven distinguished authors, each of whom has written that section of the book most closely allied to his own field." -- Book Jacket.

The Encyclopedia of Crime is an authoritative, wide-ranging and engaging history of the world''s most famous crimes and criminals. Entries are presented alphabetically making this vast compendium an easy-to-use reference. In-depth portraits of true crime''s most extraordinary characters are here, from serial rapists to glamorous gangsters, from ruthless killers to train robbers. Bonnie and Clyde, Al Capone, Ruth Ellis, Charles Manson, Jack the Ripper, the Krays, Harold Shipman - three specialist authors describe the captivating stories that lie behind such infamous names. Criminal activities and techniques are explored, revealing an extraordinary range of weapons, along with a thorough investigation in to the science of crime, from footprints to genetic fingerprinting. The development of methods to bring justice to convicted criminals is covered, as are the exciting tales of the lucky few who have made famous escapes, for example from Alcatraz or Dartmoor. Fully updated for 2008, The Encyclopedia of Crime is an essential addition to the library of any true crime aficionado.

One of the most original thinkers of the twentieth century, Pyotr Demianovich Ouspensky was a complex and romantic soul. A promising young intellectual in Tsarist Russia, he won recognition as a novelist and philosopher, yet descended into self-chosen obscurity as a teacher of ''the Work'', the system of his great contemporary Gurdjieff. Today, it is as Gurdjieff''s chief disciple that he is remembered, yet Colin Wilson argues convincingly that he is to be considered a major writer and man of genius in his own right. A nostalgic melancholy Russian, on of Ouspensky''s deepest instincts was that man can find his own salvation, yet towards the end of his turbulent life he lost faith in the System and drank himself to death. With sympathy and admiration, Colin Wilson throws new light on this gentle man and deep thinker.

This volume presents the history spanning two thousand years of the most enduring mysteries known to mankind, including: Atlantis; the Bermuda triangle; Bigfoot; crop circles; crystal skulls; the Holy Shroud of Turin; the Hope Diamond and other cursed jewels; the mystery of the Mary Celeste; mummies and their curses; poltergeists; sea monsters; spontaneous human combustion; Tunguska and other falling meteors; vampires; and Zombies. There is also included an examination of the missing maps of Atlantis.

"Colin Wilson looks at the troubled history of charlatan messiahs, taking as a starting point the most famous ''prophet'' of recent times. But Koresh was neither the most excessive of cult leaders, nor was he the most misguided. Others trod the path before him, and Colin Wilson looks at the lives of cult leaders from the earliest days of Christianity, through the stories of, among many others, the ''Rev'' Jim Jones - some 900 of his followers died ''committing suicide'' - and Jeffrey Lundgren, who tried to back his claim to be a Mormon prophet by brutally killing an entire family." "Colin Wilson goes on to consider what it is that makes these messiahs believe they are who they claim to be; and why there are those prepared to follow them - a messiah is nothing without someone to believe in him. What starts out as a study of self-delusion and powermania, leads Colin Wilson into an exploration of the human psyche, as he untangles the history of the charlatan messiahs and explores their world view."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Carl Gustav Jung is one of the seminal figures in the history of depth psychology. An enormously influential and original thinker, Jung was for some time Freud''s principal disciple, but he became more and more critical of the Freudian emphasis on repressed sexual tendencies and after the publication of "Symbols of Transformation" in 1912, Jung broke away from Freud to develop his own technique of ''analytical psychology''.

"Despite research on the brain, the mystery of the mind remains, since modern science refuses to formally address the problem of consciousness. "The human brain has two halves that are almost identical and the question of why this should be remains unsolved." Colin Wilson likens these halves -- left and right hemispheres -- to a Laurel & Hardy relationship, a classic interaction in which one takes its cue from the other. But trouble arises when there is a failure of cooperation; then it seems as if the brain contains separate selves. What is important is not dominance or a comic assertion for independence but a new understanding of individual function: how conscious effort of control, or cooperation, based upon a change of attitude, can "bring about immediate changes in the quality of human consciousness.""--Page 4 of cover.

This fascinating, in-depth account of how serial killers are tracked down and caught is by Colin Wilson, one of the world''s leading authorities on the subject. Wilson''s thorough tome covers the tried-and-true methods from the beginning of the 20th century to the cutting-edge, innovative processes now featured on shows such as CSI. The illustrated book includes 15 black-and-white images of victims, killers, and crime scenes. This is an exceptional book for a society morbidly fascinated by this unsettling topic.

A Fascinating Look into the Psychology of Serial Killers and the Men Who Hunt Them Down Colin Wilson opens this illuminating psychological discussion with the development of the 1977 Behavioral Science Unit at the FBI, which was set up in order to answer the many questions surrounding serial killers: • How does someone become a serial killer? • How do they choose their victims? • Why do they not feel remorse? • How are they caught? Wilson interviews FBI Special Agent Robert Ressler, coiner of the term “serial killer” and one of the pioneers of criminal profiling, as well as Ted Bundy and Charles Manson in order to figure out the motives behind their grisly actions. In Hunting Serial Killers, by tracking the BSU’s development of psychological profiling and genetic fingerprinting, Wilson reveals the forensic investigations that caused the seizure and arrest of some of the most vile and villainous people in the world, including Jeffrey Dahmer, William Heirens, Peter Sutcliffe, John Duffy, Jerry Brudos, Wayne Williams, and many more. As he divulges the details of each case, the murderers’ fantasy worlds, sadistic motives, and monstrous psychological tendencies emerge. For anyone who wants to understand the motives, investigations, and eventual arrests behind fifty serial-killing sprees, Hunting Serial Killers will not disappoint.

In these pages one of the most controversial of modern writers examines one of the most controversial phenomena of recent years - the young Israeli psychic Uri Geller. In previous books, most notably "The Occult, '' Colin Wilson has examined all aspects of so-called supernatural events. Here he brings his understanding of this field to bear on the baffling feats and intriguing personality of this mystic-cum-showman who can bend forks and duplicate drawings - among other accomplishments - apparently through the exercise of mental energy. ufeffOne of the most controversial of modern writers here examines one of the most controversial of modern phenomena - the young Israeli psychic Uri Geller. Writers and scientists are sharply divided over the seemingly miraculous feats Geller performs Now Colin Wilson weighs up the evidence and offers his own balanced interpretation.

An examination of the motives for murder from the bestselling author of The Outsider—“Colin Wilson puts the Manson murders in coldly sharp perspective” (Evening Standard). Why is the “motiveless” murder an increasing phenomenon today? What is the mentality behind the Manson massacres and other shocking cases of brutal killing—too frequent to be written off as isolated cases? In his penetrating exploration of murder, Colin Wilson suggests that the apparently meaningless violence so frighteningly prevalent today is the result of boredom and frustration induced by a repressive society. Particular individuals of high creative potential are thwarted in their natural drives and ambitions and are forced to tread the deadly path of homicide. Colin Wilson traces this path, describing in detail many instances of violent crime, and provides valuable insights that may point to an explanation.

Wilson, who shares his home with over 20,000 books, pinpoints the books that have made a difference in his life and challenged him to learn.

This account of holy sites and mysterious ruins aims to capture the spirit of the places themselves. It explains their myths and legends and shows their continuing importance down the ages. Part One examines over 100 key sites and shows how they came to be regarded as sacred and their subsequent history. The sites are divided geographically into sections, such as Africa and the Middle East, Europe and Australia, and the Pacific. Each of these areas is introduced by a hand-drawn map showing all of the sites described and other areas of interest, such as ancient burial grounds, temples and natural sites. Part Two is a map-based gazetteer of over 1000 sacred sites. The sites are plotted over 20 maps, which are then followed by listings giving information about each holy place. The maps show the location of each site and the period in which it was built or used.

Levensbeschrijving van de in Oostenrijk geboren Amerikaanse psychoanalyticus (1897-1957)

Of all the important thinkers of the twentieth century, Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) is perhaps the most difficult to come to grips with. For the unprepared reader, his work presents a series of formidable obstacles, from the dauntingly abstract style to the often bizarre pronouncements on the nature of man and his cosmic destiny. And yet, Steiner was perhaps the most influential and charismatic occult philosopher of his generation and the movement he launched, Anthroposophy, with its educational, agricultural, and artistic applications, still has many thousands of followers worldwide. No one interested in esoteric thought can ignore Steiner, but until now there has been no genuinely accessible introduction to his ideas. This lucid and sympathetic account describes Steiner''s development from shy scholar to the international figurehead of Anthroposophy, his break with Madam Blavatsky''s Theosophy, his struggles to find a voice, and the essence of his insights into the supersensible world.

What were the achievements of the ’angry’ writers who emerged in the fifties? Historically, they gave birth to the satire movement of the 1960s-Beyond the Fringe, That Was the Week that Was and Private Eye. Their satire and irreverence aroused enthusiasm in man, and a new ‘anti-Establishment’ mood developed from Look Back in Anger and The Outsider. All literary movements acquire enemies, but the Angry Young Men of the 1950s accumulated more than most. Why? Wilson takes us on a journey back to this era, and reveals fascinating and sometimes disturbing stories from the Greats, including John Osborne, Kingsley Amis, Kenneth Tynan and John Braine-to name but a few. At all events, the story of that period makes a marvellously lively tale which, most importantly, was recorded by someone who was actually there.

In this classic book on UFOs, bestselling author Colin Wilson, a renowned authority on the paranormal, examines the evidence and develops a definitive theory of the alien contact phenomenon. Alien Dawn covers Wilson''s investigation into documented evidence of strange and unexplained phenomena, including UFOs, poltergeists, ancient folklore, time slips, out-of-body experiences, mystical awareness, and psychic travel to other worlds. The result: a fascinating and encyclopedic study of the complex nature of reality. This is one of the most comprehensive explorations of the subject undertaken, with conclusions sure to shock the reader, whether believer or skeptic. Features a new introduction by the author.

The renowned criminologist and author of The Outsider delivers a penetrating study of serial killers as a uniquely modern phenomenon. In this fascinating study, Colin Wilson explores the roots of the serial killer mindset, and the origins of this terrifying modern personality. The term "serial killer" is still relatively new, coined by the FBI to describe those who murder repeatedly and obsessively, usually with a sexual motive. Who are these killers? What social and psychological pressures drive them to their crimes? Can we understand and learn to predict their behavior? Wilson offers revealing profiles of some of the most infamous killers in modern history: from Jack the Ripper to Jeffrey Dahmer, the monster of Milwaukee; Reginald Christie to Dennis Nilsen, who killed for company; the Boston Strangler to Donald Gaskins, who murdered more than 100 victims; as well as Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker and many more.

Hoping to prove that the universe of the paranormal is as consistent and comprehensive as that of modern science, Wilson discusses the unseen powers of the human mind, poltergeists, spirit possessions, and reincarnations

Presents the author''s ideas on literature, philosophy, religion, and human freedom

Kit Butler, a composer in his late thirties, is drawn by a girlfriend into a secret interaction group operating in the Highlands of Scotland, where experiments in sensory deprivation are probing new frontiers in the mind.

Recounts a variety of cases in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and elsewhere, including the death of Julia Wallace as told by Dorothy Sayers and the story of Ma Barker

Examines various explanations and evidence related to UFO sightings and alien encounters throughout history.

One of the most infamous decades in the history of murder, the 1930s brought to the fore such infamous criminals as Peter Kurten, the most sadistic killer in the annals of crime; Buck Ruxton, the dismembering doctor; & Albert Fish, the first convicted cannibal killer. You''ll meet Bruno Hauptmann, the man who kidnapped the Lindburgh baby, & Tony Mancini, acquitted of a horrifying murder, but who confessed afterwards in the pages of a national newspaper. These & many more shocking & fascinating stories of killers & the men who caught them combine in this portrait of a classic era of crime.