Paranormality launches in the USA today……under rather unusual circumstances!

Paranormality takes a scientific look at the paranormal, exploring psychic readings, out of body experiences, mind control, ghosts and dream precognition. It is very interactive and allows readers to develop various ‘superhero’ powers. Richard Dawkins was kind enough to provide an endorsement, writing “Wiseman shows us a higher joy as he skewers the paranormal charlatans, blows away the psychic fog and lets in the clear light of reason”.

The book has done well in the UK and has been bought by publishers in lots of other countries. However, the major American publishers were reluctant to support a skeptical book, with some suggesting that I re-write it to suggest that ghosts were real and psychic powers actually existed! We didn’t get any serious offers and so it looked like the American public (around 75% of whom believe in the paranormal) wouldn’t get the opportunity to read about skepticism. Then I had an idea.

I am going to self-publish an unashamedly skeptical book in America and see what happens. Today the book launches on Kindle and my UK publisher will ship physical editions into America (and it will appear as an iBook very soon). It all feels like a scary but exciting experiment.

If you are in the USA you can buy the Kindle edition here and the physical edition here. There’s more information about the book here. This is the book that lots of people don’t want Americans to read and I hope that you will support the project.

So, I hear you cry, what of the Friday puzzle? Well, I have made this little video to promote the launch. The question is….. can you figure out how the deck is levitating?

UPDATE: Rebecca Watson has just posted a review of Paranormality on Skepchick here.

As ever, please do NOT post your answers but feel free to say if you think you have solved it and how long it took. Solution on Monday.