The League of Scientists officially knows a famous person
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By Andy Kaiser
Article ID: 149
You remember the book I’m writing, right? It’s “The League of Scientists”, about a group of science geeks who investigate supposedly supernatural mysteries. Well, the book publication process is moving along – we’re now in the final stages of proofing, finalizing the internal artwork, planning advertising, and I’ve also started writing book #2. You’ll be able to buy it soon – the release countdown is less than a year away.
That’s all fine, and it’s old news to some of you. But I didn’t want to write this article without giving you some other important information. I told you before that “The League of Scientists” book #1 will have a “skeptic celebrity” endorsement, a mini-review we could perhaps put on the book cover, website and other advertising copy.
I’ve finally got it. It’s in my hands. I have my book review from a Skeptic Celebrity.
You wanna know who it is?
Take a guess. My original clues: it is a man, he’s appeared on TV (cable and nationally-broadcast), he has written books and has been interviewed by most high-profile skeptical podcasts. This person is not John Stossel, though this person and John share multiple weird similarities.
I told you that the Digital Bits Skeptic audience would be the first to know, and I meant it. I’m putting this here, even before I update LeagueOfScientists.com!
The skeptical celebrity for The League of Scientists is Joe Nickell.
For those of you who don’t know who Joe Nickell is, there’s a lot to learn. Here’s a portion of his bio:
“Joe Nickell, Ph.D., is Senior Research Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) – an international scientific organization – and an investigative columnist for Skeptical Inquirer magazine. He was formerly a professional stage magician and private investigator for a world-famous detective agency. Presently, he appears to be the world’s only full-time, salaried professional paranormal investigator.
Utilizing his varied background, Nickell has become widely known as an investigator of myths and mysteries, frauds, forgeries, and hoaxes. He has been called ‘the modern Sherlock Holmes’, ‘the original ghost buster’, and ‘the real-life Scully’ (from ‘The X-Files’ ). He has investigated scores of haunted-house cases, including the Amityville Horror and the Mackenzie House in Toronto, Canada.
Nickell is the author (co-author or editor) of more than twenty books.
He has appeared on numerous national TV shows, including CNBC’s ‘News with Brian Williams’, ‘Dateline NBC’, ‘TLC’s Best Kept Secrets’, ‘Larry King Live’, ‘Oprah’, ‘Ricki Lake’, ‘Jerry Springer Show’, ‘Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious Universe’, ‘Unsolved Mysteries’, ‘Politically Incorrect’, ’20/20′, A&E’s ‘The Unexplained’, ’48 Hours’, and ‘Exploring the Unknown’, in addition to several documentaries on the Discovery Channel, History Channel, National Geographic Channel, and many others. Nickell has been profiled in the New Yorker magazine and on the Today show.”
That’s just a small sampling from a very large data set. The man is smart, he knows his stuff, and he has helped change the world for the better.
And yes – the reason for this article – he did read and review “The League of Scientists and the Ghost in the Water”. Here’s a portion of what he wrote:
“This adventure of The League of Scientists is… a wonderful introduction to scientific detective work and critical thinking skills – all wrapped up in a delicious mystery! Although the exploits are shared with young readers, this seasoned detective looks forward to the League’s next adventure.”
Joe Nickell
Forensic, Historical, and Paranormal Investigator
One of the reasons I specifically picked Joe to review my book was that, frankly, I really respect the guy and think he does an incredible job in a unique profession. Another reason was just as important: Joe Nickell is a real-life adult equivalent of the stars of my book. Like The League of Scientists, Joe investigates supernatural mysteries with two very important tools: an open mind and the scientific method.
You may wonder at what I said above about Joe Nickell and John Stossel sharing multiple weird similarities. I’m not kidding. They do! Check it out:
“Nickel” and “Stossel” each contain seven letters.
“Joe Nickell” and “John Stossel” each start with the same two letters – “JO”, and end with the same letter – “L”.
While Stossel is a consumer advocate, and Nickel is a paranormal researcher, they both, arguably, are also detectives.
Both Joe and John have mustaches!
…the similarities are frightening, aren’t they?
Special thanks goes, of course, to Joe Nickell. The man is incredibly busy, and not only took the time to read and comment on The League of Scientists, but he exchanged several letters with me in the process.
Thanks, Joe! I hope my work does you proud.
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