Sunday, October 5, 2008

355: Goats

I took a break from The Black Swan to read The Men Who Stare At Goats. A great read, which manages to be both hilarious and disturbing, and difficult to put down.

The book investigates stories of military research to develop a new type of "psychic warrior" who were capable of various supernatural feats. The title comes from a persistent rumor that one of these men demonstrated the ability to kill a goat by simply looking at it.

In trying to verify this story, the author meets with psychics, Special Forces operatives, and martial artists. His story takes him from Special Forces training to detainee interrogations at Gitmo, and even into the CIA MK-ULTRA experiments with LSD and mind control.

A highly entertaining account and a fascinating look into the world of secret military research.