[.ca] Faith Healers (ISBN 0879755350)

Very good reading:
Randi methodically goes through all the con tricks that Faith "healers" play on their victims leaving the reader with no doubt what kind of people they are - brazen, ruthless and despicable robbers of the gullible and desperate. God, guilt and desperation are their levers to extract as much money as possible from some very sick people. The writing style is a little awkward but Randi has a compelling subject and he does a very good job of nailing these creeps. The book is not done justice by the paper quality or printing which feels very cheap.

Very enlightening book:
For the skeptics that may think this book is an attack on religion or Faith in general this book does not attack either. This book is an angry outcry against those unscrupulous individuals that prey upon those in need. I love the almost scientific scrutiny that is used to debunk these men. He carefully examines several of these so called "Faith Healers", and makes a poiant argument that those that take advantage of others in the name of religion should be prosecuted. Being a magician himself he is aware of many tricks of the trade when it comes to manipulating an audience, and uses his own personal experience to unveil when others use similar techniques. This book reminds me of the movie "Leap of Faith", but there is no happy ending in this book. Granted those of us that will read this book are the ones that are inclinded to not believe in the laying on of hands, or other types of "Healing". This is a good read and I highly recommend this book.

Prophets For Profit: Let Us Prey!:
If only I could give it 10 stars.... This book by James Randi is a godsend (please excuse the expression) for those skeptics out there. Mr. Randi has written a wonderful work on the parasitical purveyors of the ultimate pseudo-science: faith healing. Whether it's exposing Peter Popoff's spirit-filled earpiece, Oral Roberts' death-defying bid for 8 million dollars, to Donald Grant's literal leg-pulling or Pat Robertson's hucksterism, Mr. Randi has the guts and intellect to stand up for those too gullible (or desperate) to defend themselves. Highly recommended!!!

Heal Thyself:
Randi is an American icon and institution. He has successfully debunked New Age spokemen, paranormal "scientists", ESP, UFO, psychokensis claims, Uri Geller...and done so with a sense of humor and humanity. Here, though, Randi is angry. It is not that the people who fall for these charlatans are any worse than the Hollywood morons who attend "channeling" session. No, what makes him so furious is that these hypocrites (faith healers, not Hollywood morons) play on the most vulnerable of our society in the most vulnerable area of their lives. He recounts the behind-the-scenes misadventures of these "men of God" (and their women folk). I am sure at one time or another we have all seen some guy in a Gucci suit standing before a crowd of country bumpkins proclaiming that if they believed (and gave) they could be HEALED. Randi tells of the actors who work this pitiful bunch, the hidden microphones, the power of the Big Lie. And all of this is done in the name of religion! Miracles, the act of suspending the laws of nature, may occur. But Randi contends that they cannot be reproduced in a closed environment following normal scientific procedures. When faced with having to perform under these circumstances the results are as one can imagine. If you want to confirm what you always thought then rush out and get this book.

Another good one from Mr Randi:
Unfortunately, the people who would benefit from this book probably don't read much. Still it serves as a good reminder of how downright rotten certain people are. Not as well written as some of Randi's other books, but every bit as entertaning.