Review Excerpt:

I was extremely nervous when "Best Evidence" was finally published. You write seriously about the paranormal at some risk to your journalistic reputation. I was especially worried about how scientists and academics would react. I sent off review copies and held my breath. Their overwhelmingly kind responses surprised and delighted me. Science is indeed in the middle of a paradigm shift.

“Michael Schmicker's Best Evidence is indeed one – if the not the best itself – of the major books explaining and offering proof that psi phenomena are here to stay whether we like it or not. The book is written in a friendly reporter style with brief but clearly explained concepts, proofs, documentation of evidence, and yes, even skeptics' rebuttals. I highly recommend this. Whether you are a skeptic (goat) or a believer (sheep) you will find much to deal with here.” – Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D, physicist, American Book Award-winning author of Mind into Matter and Taking the Quantum Leap

"Best Evidence is an excellent, comprehensive compilation of several decades of outstanding research into anomalous human phenomena which have no explanation in classical science. New advances in quantum science, however, offer theoretical and experimental evidence to silence a century of naysayers, as well as change our concepts of human functioning. Best Evidence is an important book to provide background for the profound changes in thinking now taking place.” – Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut; Founder, Institute of Noetic Sciences; author, The Way of the Explorer

"A historic development is occurring: compelling evidence is being produced by admirable scientific experiments revealing a dimension of consciousness which has been ignored within conventional science. This aspect of the mind functions infinitely – non-locally - beyond the body and outside the present moment. These findings are of incalculable importance because of their implications for the nature, origin, and destiny of consciousness. Skeptics may moan, bellow, and howl - but the evidence, as Michael Schmicker shows in Best Evidence, continues to accumulate and is increasingly precise. Best Evidence is a dazzling journey into one of the most important areas of science that has ever existed.” – Dr. Larry Dossey, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Healing Beyond the Body and Reinventing Medicine

"The author throws down the gauntlet, challenging scoffers to rebut his findings...For skeptics and cautious believers alike, a splendid introduction to "impossible phenomena that refuse to disappear." – Stanley Krippner, Ph.D, Co-Editor, Varieties of Anomalous Experience: Examining the Scientific Evidence

“Sometimes, the most astonishing events are not found on the front page of the newspaper or on the nightly television news. Sometimes, earth-shattering discoveries hide in plain sight, or languish in obscure publications, until a persistent investigative journalist uncovers the story. In Best Evidence, Michael Schmicker has uncovered not just one, but a half-dozen astounding stories, any one of which can change the way we think about the nature of reality. I give this book my highest recommendation for anyone interested in following a sound, sober investigation of a piece of the "paranormal" that is fast becoming normal.” – Dean Radin, Ph.D, engineer, psychologist and Senior Scientist at the Institute for Noetic Sciences; author of The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena

"If you are interested in the unexplained, this book is a great place to start. Hard line skeptics won't be pleased, but Michael Schmicker has done his homework and produced an excellent popular but not sensationalistic survey of the strongest evidence for many fascinating psychological anomalies. Scoffers will not be comfortable with the 'heretical' research findings Schmicker describes, but 'orthodox' science is going to have to find ways to deal with them." – Marcello Truzzi, Ph.D, Center for Scientific Anomalies Research; author of The Blue Sense: Psychic Detectives and Crime

"Michael Schmicker's Best Evidence is a well-researched and absorbing overview of psychic phenomena. I recommend it highly." – William Roll Ph.D, Founding Member of the Parapsychological Association and author of The Poltergeist

“Michael Schmicker has produced an excellent book for all interested in the study of psi phenomena. Not only does he provide interesting descriptions of evidence supporting these events, he lists the reference that may be used to obtain more veridical data. The first section addresses important issues about belief systems as they relate to phenomena. You may be surprised at the famous scientists who have explored these areas. You may also be surprised at pronouncements made by other scientists deriding advances only to be proven wrong. After all, Lord Kelvin thought X-rays were a hoax. My favorite quote attributed to a chief skeptic was "An open mind is an empty mind." If you are wondering if there is scientific data to support unusual paranormal claims, there's a lot more than you might think -- and this book will give it to you.” – John Alexander, Ph.D, National Institute of Discovery Science; former president of the International Association for Near Death Studies (IANDS).

“Of the many dozens of books I have read about parapsychology and the entire paranormal realm, Michael Schmicker's Best Evidence stands out for me as especially attractive, important, and effective. It is the kind of book I can see myself giving to many people I know who are just opening to the non-ordinary realms of expanded human experience and ability….Schmicker does a clear, balanced, trustworthy, and eminently accessible job of presenting the whole spread of anomalous experiences, phenomena, and abilities in a nutshell for the average reader…. I think this may be the best single book to recommend to anyone who is just opening to this subject area. It meets the need for a growing portion of our population to have information about the more mysterious aspects of our experience, addressing curiosity, doubt, and skepticism straight on and even handedly. Best Evidence may well become the best "starter" book in the field of the paranormal and new paradigm studies. I recommend it highly for this reason.” – Jon Klimo, Ph.D, author of Channeling: Investigations on Receiving Information from Paranormal Sources

“You may not agree with all of the author's conclusions, but you are not likely to find a more accessible and up-to-date summary of the evidence. Schmicker has done his research well and provides both a handy summary of the "best evidence" for the casually interested and a useful source book for those who wish to dig deeper into these scientific challenges.” – Richard Broughton, Ph.D, former Research Director, Institute for Parapsychology, Rhine Research Center and author of Parapsychology: The Controversial Science

"Best Evidence is an investigative reporter's three-year quest to uncover the best scientific evidence for paranormal phenomena. Based on his findings, it is time to consider that such experiences are, in fact, ‘normal’ phenomena." – Janet Cunningham, Ph.D, former President of the International Association for Regression Research and Therapies

“Refreshing, in a word! This remarkable book helps science remember an old language with new applications for the changing paradigm shift. Right-brainers and those who experience paranormal events are no longer considered crazy, just because they can't "prove" their experience according to scientific norms. Here, the scientific method is not limited to investigation by using the five senses. Rather, Michael Schmicker goes back to scientific traditions and expands the realm of proof to include all available methodologies and tools to study unexplainable phenomena. This is a must-read for scientists and paranormal experiencers.” – Dr. Jeff Long, MD, Founder, Near Death Experience Research Foundation

”Do you have an open mind– and are you ready to explore one of the most interesting collections of scientific evidence for paranormal phenomena ever assembled between the covers of a book? If so, you're in luck! Michael Schmicker's book Best Evidence presents a comprehensive overview of a wide range of "psi" phenomena including: extra-sensory perception, psychokinesis (PK), dowsing, mental and faith healing, death bed visions, near death experience, out of body experiences, ghosts and poltergeists, mediums and channelers, and reincarnation. What makes Best Evidence such a gem is that it not only clearly describes each kind of psi phenomena along with the facts supporting its existence and references to the original studies and sources, but it also includes some intriguing insights about why people sometimes avoid investigating the evidence surrounding paranormal phenomena. For example, Schmicker cites the work of researchers like Kenneth Batcheldor, who has identified two blocks to the production of psychokinesis effects (ownership resistance and witness inhibition). I find it just as interesting to examine the reasons why people find the subject of the paranormal disquieting as it is to see such a thorough review of the evidence showing how psi is a real phenomena which simply won't go away. If you've ever wanted to tell your friends, colleagues and family that there is an ever-increasing body of scientific evidence proving that the paranormal is part of everyday life, this is the book for you!” – Cynthia Larson, physicist and editor, Reality Shifters online e-zine.