After almost two years in the making, my book, Bigfoot in Georgia, arrived today on my front porch. Well, I mean my 20 free author copies. However, what this means is that the book has now been released. Amazon.com has been selling them in advance, but I am not sure if they will reach buyers before Christmas. However, in the south Atlanta metro area, Bell, Book and Candle in downtown McDonough has a few copies. You will have to call and request a copy, however, Give them a call at 1-770-957-1880. If it is after store hours, leave them a message and they will get back to you. They will set up an over the phone payment and arrange for the book to be sent directly to you, and if you call in time, it will be delivered before Christmas if you like. If you would like to come in and get your copy, you still need to call ahead to reserve your copy to make sure it is there when you come by to pick it up. After the first of the year, however, they will have plenty on the shelves for walk-in business. It will take a few weeks before Barnes and Nobles, Borders and Books A Million has it on their sites, but they are going to pick it up as well. There will be other bookstores around the state carrying them in January, but the marketing process has just begun to take place since the books came off the press and were delivered today for the first time ever.
I hope you enjoy it. I sat and read my own book today in four hours straight. I must say that although I wrote it, reading it this afternoon was like seeing it for the first time. Bigfoot stories and material is VERY INTERESTING!!!
32 comments:
This is great my friend. I know you are glad it is finally here for everyone to read. When I get my copy I am sure that I will enjoy reading it as well.
Oh yeah!! I think you will enjoy this book. It has a lot of great material in it. So far, it is the only in-depth book about Bigfoot in the state of Georgia and Georgia only.
Maybe it will help to bring out other sightings that have occurred over the years but people haven't discussed it. There might be some stories passed down in families to help add to this story. There might be enough information out there for a sequel.
I have my copy!! Yea!
I am really enjoying it.
I like how you start off with a personal experience with Bigfoot.
You mention how the eye witness accounts are more frequent over the last 25 years and not so much further in the past. It just makes sense to me that it is because our Georgia population has grown so much over the last 25 years and we've encroached on Bigfoot territory. You hint at having an answer for us later in your book. I cannot wait to find out what you have discovered about Bigfoot's past in GA!!! Thanks for writing this!
congrats and good luck with it Prof!
I don't believe that I would want to be caught in the dark with one of these creatures. From what I have seen and read the old heart might not be able to take the shock.
I am very impressed with the bigfoot encounters that you share in this book. With so many eye witnesses and the few physical evidence, you would just have to ignore the evidence and consider every single witness either a liar or mistaken to not know that there IS a bigfoot creature out there... in the woods... watching us...
I remember years ago working on projects in the Clayton County Sprayfield there were times you felt like you were not by yourself or with your team. Something seemed to be watching. Now it could have been some of the large deer they have there, a bobcat, or this creature. Whatever the case that was the feeling you got.
Hey Doctor,
according to this book I'm reading, feeling like you're being watched is one of the things people associate with bigfoot.
I think there will be a picture before too long. People have cameras on their phones now and when they happen upon bigfoot, they will have a camera at the ready.
LOL Caprice on the 'being watched' comment. Feeling like you're being watched is also a symptom of other things. :)
Wish I could subscribe to the bigfoot 'mania' but gotta say I just don't see it.
However I sincerely wish the prof the best of luck on the success of the book and others!
BTW, Happy New Year to all readers!
Hey Scooter!
Happy New Year to you!
Gee, I was SHOCKED to read that you do not believe in bigfoot! :)
Of course, I feel that I must show you the error of your ways. No, don't thank me! I am just selfless that way.
Hunters go into our woods knowing there are plenty of deer in those woods, but these hunters repeatedly return from those woods saying they saw NO deer. Why? Sometimes they just don't know, if it is late in the hunting season, they say that the deer have learned to stay away from the areas the hunters go. I cannot tell you how many times I've heard that one - the deer learn to stay away! Now take something with just a little higher intelligence, I figure it is possible these creatures could elude humans even better. These creatures HAVE been spotted, though, if you believe the eye witness accounts. Some sound credible.
You need to read the Prof's book and decide for yourself.
Just let me say one more thing - remember the mountain gorillas!!!
In a debate like this, I prefer to encourage people to be skeptics, not cynics. A skeptic is someone who chooses to look at the evidence, as much of it as possible, weigh it, and then come up with a conclusion based on that evidence, yet still says that there is a possibility and wants to continue to explore that possibility. For example, Jason and Grant on Ghost Hunters are skeptics. A cynic dismisses an idea without totally weighing out the evidence. I hate to make this reference, but most cynics end up sounding like Archie Bunker.
My problem with the idea of a "bigfoot mania" is just that, some have labeled it that when it really isn't a mania. We should not judge the whole field of study by hoaxers like Dyers and Whitton (remember August 2008 in Atlanta). But truthfully, there really is no mania. If you take a look at the sightings reported versus the people who live in an area where a sighting is reported, you will find that the percentage is tiny tiny. And that sort of fits because the experts on this subject tell us that there are not that many of these animals in existence at all. One researcher told me if he had to put a number on it, which would be difficult, he would say that there may be 5,000 in the United States alone. So that could help explain why there are not a lot of incidents.
Another thing I want to mention is that there are true experts in this field who are learned men of science. The late Dr. Grover Krantz (Ph.D from Univ of Minnesota), Dr. Jeffery Meldrum (Ph.D. from Univ of New York at Stony Brook), Dr. John Bindernagel (Ph.D. Univ of Wisconsin-Madison), and the late Dr. John Napier (D.Sc from the University of London) just to name a few. There are other credible learned people such as Matthew Moneymaker, the founder of the BFRO who holds a law degree from the University of Akron and right here in Georgia, Steve Hyde of GeorgiaBigfoot.com who holds an engineering degree from Georgia Tech, as well as Wayne Ford, reporter for the Athens Banner-Herald who holds a bachelors degree in journalism from the Univ. of South Carolina. He is discussed in detail in my book.
Other researchers from the past, such as Rene Dahinden, did quite a bit of research on sightings and reports from the past. Interestingly enough, one thing some researchers have found is that old reports that came in during the 1800s and early 1900s, were printed in papers that did not have anything other than local circulation and were not picked up by the national press, such as it existed in those days. However, reports from different parts of the country in the 1800s and early 1900s (keep in mind the term bigfoot was not even coined until the late 1950s) were very similar and people were describing pretty much the same thing. However, because of the remoteness of the papers and locations where the sightings were reported, it was highly unlikely that other people who reported things in other parts of the nation were reading each other's reports, so we kind of rule out the copycat idea. Also, one needs to keep in mind that recent reports and sightings are just that-RECENT. These things have been seen and encountered here for a LONG time. Read the reports of the explorer Leif Erikson, as well as do an in-depth study of Native American legends and nature stories. A good start would be my book. :)
I wanted to clarify one thing, or at least point out something that might have gotten scant attention in my last comments above. Dr. John Napier was a very big skeptic, and I use the word skeptic here in the sense of the definition I gave earlier. He was medical doctor, as well as a primatologist. He did not think the Patterson/Gimlin footage was real, and he said evidence about sasquatch (bigfoot) was inconclusive, although at one point in his life he did start thinking a huge hoax was involved, but was unable to give any real ideas on how and why the hoax was perpetuated and how it looked so convincing to so many learned people. I include him because he was a tried and true scientist who did have an open mind and thought the subject merited a good look using scientific principles. Although he leaned toward nonexistence for the most part, you can read his work and ideas and still tell that he was not 100 percent sure it wasn't real and did leave the door open a little. I just wanted to clarify that.
I used to be a skeptic.
After looking into the Bigfoot mania-I mean phenomenon- :) I just cannot believe that every person interviewed was lying or mistaken. What are the odds that 100% of the eye witnesses are lying or mistaken? Now, I do not believe that the pictures in your book, Professor, are of Bigfoot activity, but I do find the eye witness accounts to be intriguing. And not just a little disturbing.
"Edith, hold it! You are invading the issue."
LOL Prof....Archie, eh?
You guys old enough to remember him? :)
You make good points on the cynic vs. skeptic idea, but I was basically referring to the hoopla following the Dyers and Whitten deal. The sighting and the hoax that was eventually revealed were heavily covered through the media for days. There always seems to be sensationalism that follows a 'sighting' and it seems that people naturally want to believe Yeti is out there, etc, etc.
As for the being ignorant part(and I use that ignoramus word in a nice way) I agree with that idea too of course; people should be well studied on an issue before they really blurt out an opinion. In my case, I'm no expert, that's for sure, but I'm not totally ignorant either. I've read the book you suggested, have studied some of the other cases, saw the accompanying television show, and none of the information helped me to embrace the idea of a Bigfoot running around in the wild. I just don't believe they exist.
I do believe some of the scientists and scholars you mention are sincere and genuine, but feel that some of the work cited in the book you suggested could be based on fabrication. Oh I'm sure there were standards placed on whether or not to accept some the 'evidence' like footprints, but some of the info used to base a case on seemed shaky at best to me.
Anyway, thanks for the forum here for discussion. I'm sure your book is outstanding, but the truth is I don't intend to dedicate anymore of my time studying on the existence of a species that really is still a mystery. We've captured lions, tigers, bears, elephants, gorillas, etc. and know without a doubt where they live, etc. but we can't capture a Bigfoot or find his home?
If BF does exist, so be it. IF I see one I'll definitely do the responsible thing and report it, but I don't think I'll hold my breath till then.
BTW, Prof!
Feel free to delete any of my posts re: bigfoot if you wish, I have no problem with it. I'll try and refrain from posting on the issue anymore although you might see me posting on your crime stories!
Oh no, I would never delete your posts at all. I always enjoy hearing what you have to say. You are a non-believer, and I have no problem with that at all. We just agree to disagree, but we had an honest discussion on the issue. Some things you said in your last post, I could respond to and continue the debate, but you are convinced, and I have no problem with that at all. At least you do not laugh, poke fun, or impugn. I really do appreciate that about you. Do keep posting wherever you would like. Your comments are always welcome.
Hey Scooter!
I enjoy reading what you have to say. Your opinion is welcome, interesting and I enjoy the humor with which it is given!
... and I really want to know!
You read the eye witness accounts and listened to them on the documentary.
Do you think ALL those people were lying or just mistaken?
I'm honestly asking your opinion, because that more than anything else is what sold me. I just do not believe 100% are wrong/lying.
Ahhh, you are a skeptic, Scooter. I really like what you said about the UFO issue. You mentioned that you are open to the possibility. That means you are not totally ruling out anything. I like that. Skeptics like you are healthy to have around. You make us work harder and have our i dotted and our t crossed. Perhaps one day you will get around to reading my book. I would even be willing to give you a copy personally autographed to my favorite skeptic.
Hey Scooter!
What do you mean, "maybe'?
:)
You make some very valid points.
My niece is about to graduate college with a degree in neuro psychology and she has told me how eye witness accounts are used less and less because of how easily a person is influenced.
But just because your opinion is backed by a well respected science doesn't mean your right!
Oops, did I just sound like Archie?
:)
Well, for me, however, I think some (even if it's a tiny percentage) saw just what they thought they saw - a tall hairy being walking on two feet. I hope we discover what that thing is. I buy into it being a yet undiscovered species of ape or gorilla. Or maybe homo mentalis? The next notch on the evolutionary chain?
"Do you think ALL those people were lying or just mistaken?
I'm honestly asking your opinion, because that more than anything else is what sold me. I just do not believe 100% are wrong/lying."
This is obviously a great question, but in my opinion I'd say these people could be a little of both, mostly inaccurate. I would think that the dishonest ones are in the minority for sure.
I think it's human nature to want to figure things out or discover things unknown. Even though I don't really believe in UFO's(with aliens, EGAD!) for instance, I don't totally rule out personally that they could exist. I even catch myself at times wondering if an object in the sky (particularly at night) could be some alien spacecraft and I suspect MANY people do this. The question, to me anyway is WHY? Why do people think they see things when they possibly don't?
IMO much of it has to do with the power of suggestion. It's pretty widely known that witnesses - even alleged victims - can be coached into claiming something in court is true when it's really not. When you couple the power of suggestion (whether coached or not) with a human need to not be alone you get an increased possibility of an inaccurate sighting.
Caprice, if someone says they were taken aboard an alien spacecraft and their bodies were probed, etc. is it wise to take them at their word?
I appreciate the thought that people should be given the benefit of the doubt in what they say, but I don't really agree that eyewitness accounts should be accepted for what they are.
When you throw in the fact that eyewitness accounts are not always accurate and have been proven in court not to be, it all adds up for me anyway.
Sorry to be confounding or hard to follow, but these are just my thoughts on the matter.
Maybe I am a skeptic. :)
(sorry to delete and repost, tried to clean typos up )
lol on the autographed copy....sounds nice.
Caprice :)lol...I guess anything's possible, but homo mentalis?
oh my......
Okay!
Glad you re-posted it.
I went back to the blog and saw that you removed it and was starting in on yet another mystery! "Why did Scooter remove that post?"
:)
But before I could start an organization called "The Official Scooter Posting Mystery Society", you put it back up.
Don't yell at me Prof, I'm just yucking it up! :)
"Homo Mentalis"
Just planting a little seed...
I DO find it very difficult to believe people who say they were abducted by aliens. I really do. I do not believe 100% of them. I don't mean to be off-putting, but I find it difficult to believe there are other life forms out there at all. (Is this how you feel about Big foot, Scooter?) I had a hard time believing in other life forms before I watched a documentary on what exactly had to take place for Earth to provide a habitable atmosphere for us! and how long does this habitable atmosphere last? Obviously not long enough for US to develop the technology to travel to other galaxies. and everyone knows we are over and done with in just two more years! Gasp!
Yeah, one of the things about Bigfoot is that I think the media and idiot hoaxers have ruined it for well-educated people like Scooter. Bigfoot has become something that legitimate researchers and scientists know it is not. If you look back at the fossil record, and you look at some of the theories put forward by Bindernagel, Meldrum, Krantz, and others, you see that this, for those who believe, is nothing more than a tiny population of primates that stems from an older species like Giganto. These are NOT monsters, demons, boogers, or phantoms. I cannot say everything I have been told by my sources from the book, but very soon, the results of a huge, legitimate research project will be announced that will lead us one step closer to the answer to the mystery. I was told, although I wasn't supposed to know about this, and trust me, when it all comes to light, this thing will be understood for what it really is. I encourage people to forget the monster ideas, the terror factor, and think of this as something totally different.
You are right my friend when people really understand what this matter is about they will have a whole new approach and hopefully a new outlook on how to look at it.
There is something we in the science world called "tater" that is lurking out there and all you need to do is look up to find it.
Say it ain't so! Were Bigfoot's civil rights violated?
NH artist protests halt to Bigfoot project
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
JAFFREY, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire artist and videographer who dressed as Bigfoot in a state park says his rights were trampled by big government.
Jonathan Doyle, of Keene, has complained in a letter to the state parks department that a Mount Monadnock park ranger halted his performance art project in the fall because he didn't have a permit.
Doyle is arguing through the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union Foundation that his free-speech rights were violated when he was expelled from the state park in Jaffrey. He says he and others with him, some also in costume, were on a lesser-used trail and weren't bothering other park visitors.
Doyle says the state hasn't responded to his letter. The Division of Parks and Recreation says it has been forwarded to the state attorney general's office.
:) sorry y'all I couldn't resist when I found this on Yahoo strange news, esp. in light of recent discussions. Maybe next time he'll get a permit!
Either that or get a scarier looking costume so that noone would dare come close enough to ask him if he had one. LOL
Hey Professor I hope all is well. From what I have been reading on this thread it should bare witness to how your book will be received with lots of opinions. But that's what you need in a good discussion is opinions. I look forward to getting a copy. I have had a set back and haven't had a chance to get a copy yet. I am hoping this book will help others to come out who have witnessed this creatue.
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