Odd Books

Here you may read all about some very strange books including those pictured and many more.

Or, you may learn about the notorious rascal Frank Harris (1856-1931), author of that most lascivious and lying autobiography My Life and Loves.

Or, about Amanda McKittrick Ros (1860-1939), considered by some to be the worst ever novelist and poet.

Or, about Webster Edgerly (1852-1926), a misanthropic writer of dozens of books of self-help and pseudo-scientific crankery.

Or, some awful poetry.

Or, about me.

Latest Odd Book Reviews

Brain Regeneration

Pundit Acharya
We shall try to study the phenomena known as nervousness in the human body, some of its causes and a possible cure; and also we shall study the effect of the continual pull of the earth, which is called gravity, upon the human body. Pundit Acharya's trick, which will be a familiar one to… continue reading

File under: brains, pseudoscience, yoga

Business Ideas to Make a Million Dollars

Joyce Shearin
A million dollars! A MILLION DOLLARS! Ideas to make a million DOLLARS!   NUMBER ONE: WRITE A BOOK OF IDEAS TO MAKE A MILLION DOLLARS   How many ideas? As FEW AS YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH.   Use BIG PRINT and WIDE SPACING to spread your ideas across more pages. YOUR BOOK CAN BE AS LONG AS 35 PAGES!  … continue reading

File under: business, inventions, getting rich

Chemistianity

J Carrington Sellars, F C S
Dear Friends, I step forward, to hand you my brief work, With native diffidence and humility; Late Formality is a smiling sick man Mete-ing out Vanity to blind true feeling, I have not the measure, therefore extend My two hands to you as warm friend to friend. My aim in Work was… continue reading

File under: Christianity, chemistry, poetry

The Hands of Children

Julius Spier
Once in a while, someone manages to persuade an apparently reputable imprint to put through the press an example of execrable mumbo-jumbo such as this. The trick is to dress up your end-of-the-pier occultism in academic garb, to make out there is more to it than such low-brow tosh as Dick's… continue reading

File under: palmistry, children, psychology, divination

Psycho-Analysis and The Love Nature

Floyd Foster Barnes
Floyd Foster Barnes wrote and published a number of short pamphlets in the 1920s, of which I have two in my collection: this one and another called Trapping Sunbeams. Barnes was a pretentious character who liked to call himself a "human engineer" and, more formally, a psychologist - though there is… continue reading

File under: psychoanalysis, pseudoscience, cracker-barrelism

Most Popular Reviews

Moles and Their Meaning

Harry De Windt
BUY Moles and their Meaning today. This little book is something of a classic of its kind. It first came to my notice through Ash and Lake's Bizarre Books (1985, 1998), an admirable publication which I strongly recommend, though its authors take a fairly light-hearted approach to their material… continue reading

File under: physiognomy, divination, molesophy

Cyclomancy: The Secret of Psychic Power Control

Frank Rudolph Young
Power. Deep down, isn't that what we all want? Power over others, power to induce them to do our bidding, power to get what we want when we want it. Even better, psychic power, so one can control people with the mind, without resistance or resentment. (Just what I want for my birthday, in case you… continue reading

File under: occult powers, invented terminology, Excessive Use Of Capitalization

Does the Earth Rotate? NO!

William Westfield [pseudonym of William Edgell?]
In the compiling of this little book as a contradiction of the theory of the present Astronomers I have made a special point of being as concise and plain as possible in putting forward my proofs, and to do so I have used simple language not indulging in astronomical terms. My intention is to… continue reading

File under: flat earth, astronomy, theories, delightful illustrations

Earth's Earliest Ages

G. H. Pember
(Please note that this article contains mockery of sincerely held Christian beliefs, albeit of the flakier variety. If that sort of thing offends you, kindly shove off). It is interesting to observe how some misguided souls manage to build vast towers of supposition on the shakiest foundations by… continue reading

File under: Christianity, pre-adamites, Spiritualism, Satan, occult powers

Murdered Heiress... Living Witness

Dr. Petti Wagner
Wagner's account of her kidnapping and miraculous escape is a sort of fairy story for the soft of head. Born into a wealthy family, she became a successful businesswoman in her own right with her Herbagere hydroponics and Menotti permanent wave products. In 1971, though, her life was changed… continue reading

File under: Christianity, conspiracy, hair, crime, the most notorious psychiatrist in Texas