Charles Richet

Carlos S. Alvarado has just published a book on the parapsychological research of the French physiologist Charles Richet (d. 1935), entitled Charles Richet: A Nobel Prize Winning Scientist’s Exploration of Psychic Phenomena. (Richet's Nobel Prize was awarded in 1913 in the Physiology/Medicine category, for work on anaphylaxis.)

The publisher, White Crow Books, has a page on the new work here:
http://whitecrowbooks.com/books/page/cha...chic_phen/

The Psi Encyclopedia page on Richet is here:
https://psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/artic...les-richet

Alvarado has a blog post about his book here. It's a collection of previously published essays on different aspects of Richet's parapsychological research:
https://carlossalvarado.wordpress.com/20...phenomena/

In view of some of the personally eulogistic comments about Richet, it's perhaps appropriate to note that (as [Andreas Sommer's*] "Praise For" comment and the Psi Encyclopedia mention) he also held extreme views about race and eugenics, which were considered controversial and offensive even during his lifetime.

(* Edit: Corrected as to whose "Praise For" comment mentioned Richet's views on eugenics and race.)

The SPR website has a positive review by Nemo C. Mörck of Carlos S. Alvarado's book on Richet, which concludes:
"Although Alvarado’s purpose was “… not to present a systematic study of Richet’s psychic interests, but to make more accessible my previously published essays …” (p. xvii) he has produced a readable book, which should be regarded as an introduction to further reading. The included bibliographies will surely be appreciated."
https://www.spr.ac.uk/book-review/charle...a-carlos-s

Only had time for a quick once-over on these, but - where do Sommer or the Psi Encyclopedia acknowledge Richet's unsavory views?

Only had time for a quick once-over on these, but - where do Sommer or the Psi Encyclopedia acknowledge Richet's unsavory views?

Sommer - on the White Crow Books page I linked to (his comment is above his name, not below it).

The Psi Encyclopedia - at the end of the Brief Biography section.

A search of the page for "racism" in the first and "race" in the second finds the comments.

Sommer - on the White Crow Books page I linked to (his comment is above his name, not below it).

The Psi Encyclopedia - at the end of the Brief Biography section.

A search of the page for "racism" in the first and "race" in the second finds the comments.

Thanks.


I've felt for a while that the biggest weakness of the Psi Encyclopedia as it's currently set up is the unwillingness by some of its article writers to be frank over unpleasant facts, whether that's Uri Geller's controversial reputation and fraud allegations or, more seriously, Richet's views on race. As it reads now, his article makes as little of that as possible, with as few details as possible.

Thanks.


I've felt for a while that the biggest weakness of the Psi Encyclopedia as it's currently set up is the unwillingness by some of its article writers to be frank over unpleasant facts, whether that's Uri Geller's controversial reputation and fraud allegations or, more seriously, Richet's views on race. As it reads now, his article makes as little of that as possible, with as few details as possible.

Yes - I agree the coverage isn't always critical enough. It certainly needs to be critical about scientific matters, and for balance to be critical about other matters as well.

Yes - I agree the coverage isn't always critical enough. It certainly needs to be critical about scientific matters, and for balance to be critical about other matters as well.

Off the top of my head, the Arthur Conan Doyle article is the best example of a good balance.