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The book was released on 19th July 1999. Since then I have
received a number of comments from those who have read it. A balanced review by a Reader This review below is from one of the first people to read the book thoroughly. It is very balanced and insightful. I have even placed his name and e-mail address here for those who are interested: Book Review by: Al Feyerabend (E-mail: skred@cajun.net) Could the Earth (and other planets) be hollow? I'm not sure, but Jan Lamprecht's book, HOLLOW PLANETS, provides plenty of reasons to at least not dismiss the idea out of hand. First, the negatives: A self published book, it has a number of typos and grammatical errors. Also, it seems to me that an editor's help could improve readability and reduce the 596 pages without any loss of substance. However, to anyone with an interest in the subject, these are not major problems. This book approaches the subject from a variety of scientific viewpoints. There is a chapter on legends, but no channeled material, spirit guides from inside Mt. Shasta, or other esoteric topics. Even without these subjects, though, this is not a one dimensional presentation. By my count, the book covers close to 120 different topics relating to the possibility of hollow planets. Beginning with a history of the idea, which includes hollow earth theories of Sir Edmund Halley and Leonhard Euler, it moves on to cover anomalies and alternative theories regarding gravitation, and then to geological and seismological considerations, the single most impressive section of the book. The next few chapters deal with observational anomalies regarding Mercury and Venus, followed by explorations of the earth's magnetic field, natural nuclear reactions, the aurora, radio waves, weather, legends, arctic exploration, polar hole speculation, plate tectonics and pole shifts. All of these areas touch upon multiple sub topics. While some topics are not so convincing on their own, they become more impressive when seen within the overall picture created by the author. This comprehensive view from several disciplines is the primary aspect that separates this from other books on the subject -- it is definitely not a re-hash of Gardner or Bernard. Also, the author's rejection, with supporting reasons, of previously held ideas, including some of the more popular ones (e.g., large openings near or at the geographic poles), is an indication of the effort he has put into his investigation, and his admission of having been mistaken about certain things is a refreshing change from the arrogance all too common among the scientific community. He doesn't claim to be a scientist himself, but the book is well documented with scientific references. Even if this book doesn't convince you that the earth is hollow, it should at least produce some question as to whether it is really so certain that it is indeed solid. At a minimum, it provides many questions which must be answered before the matter can be considered settled. I recommend it to anyone interested in this idea. For more information, including the author's own chapter summaries and ordering information, visit Jan Lamprecht's Hollow Planets website. The Frederick A. Cook Society: Some of the chapters in the book dealt with Polar exploration, and it focussed on the anomalous findings of a number of Polar explorers, especially Dr. Frederick Cook who claimed to have been the first to reach the North Pole. A number of the prominent members of the Cook Society read my book and encouraged me to continue with my polar research. In the first quarter of 2000, the Cook Society did a nice review of Hollow Planets in their journal Polar Priorities. It was a very nice and supportive review. I hope to get the text of it and to publish it on this website soon. Russell Gibbons, the Editor of the Frederick Cook Society's Journal wrote the following message in my Guest Book: Dec 24, 1999 Dear Jan: Congratulations for a fine piece of scholarship. I have the deepest respect for someone like you who has grasped so many disciplines or the understanding of them to discourse with scholars and researcers in such diverse fields. I must qualify my understanding of much of the book, but do appreciate your style and ability to reach out to lay readers. I do hope that HOLLOW PLANETS is reviewed in some scientific and/or academic venues -- these journals should challenge their readers and not exclude throught and investigation of new ideas. The chapter on Polar explorers is splendid, and one which I feel comfortable responding to -- and you have a wonderful grasp of this history!! Best of luch in your work. Russell W. Gibbons Another important member of the society, Dr Ralph Myerson wrote this in my Guest Book: Wonderful job. You successfully maintained objectivity while using a delightful personalized approach and writing style. As a supporter of Dr. Frederick A. Cook, I especially appreciated your handling of the issues that have confronted him over the years. Ralph Myerson Scientists comments: None of the scientists I interviewed originally actually knew what the topic of the book was. I merely asked them for information and discussed various topics & problems with them. So what was their reaction when faced with the final completed product? I had no idea what to expect. I sent copies to two of them and this is how they responded:- From: Dr Tom Van Flandern (astronomer, formerly U.S. Naval Observatory) Thu, 19 Aug 1999 Jan, I am just returned from our successful solar eclipse expedition, having left Turkey less than one day before the earthquake struck. I found over 400 waiting e-mails, not to mention numerous other deadlines needing attention. One of the items of waiting mail was your book, which I thank you for sending. I glanced at the book, and despite my backlog of urgent matters, cracked it open, thinking it would be easy to establish that it could be shelved for good. From the title alone, I immediately had two objections that demanded answers -- how to reconclie a hollow Earth with seismic data, and how to reconccile it with Earth's gravity field as established by artificial satellites. I soon found that you had dealt with the seismic data issue head-on, and offerred an intriguing alternate explanation. For merely showing us all that the inferred density profile of Earth's interior is not a unique solution of seismic data -- an important constraint for all theoreticians working in that area -- the book had already made itself worthwhile. [snip] That summarizes my quick first impressions. I hope to look at some of your other chapters after I regain control of my schedule by catching up on deadlines. Best wishes. -|Tom|- [Author's note: I replied to Dr Van Flandern's criticisms regarding gravity. Van Flandern actually contributed to my gravity chapter and the issues can become rather technical. Nevertheless, I impressed upon him the possibility that electricity might be a modifier of gravity which could change things inside the Earth and certain seismic evidence may be the proof that gravity inside the Earth does not behave the way he or others expects. There is much more to the book which he has yet to see.] In the weeks since writing the above Van Flandern told me that he was interested in the nuclear reaction ideas which might tie up with his own investigations into the asteroid belt being caused by an exploding planet. He will be attending a conference next year where this is to be discussed and he will be presenting ideas from this book about naturally occuring nuclear reactions. From: Richard Baum (Director Mercury & Venus Sections, British Astronomical Association) Thu, 5 Aug 1999 Dear Jan Your book has just arrived. A very impressive piece of work. Stimulating and exciting. Of course one may not agree with all it says. But the fact remains you completed what you set out to do and that deserves applause. That you chose a controversial subject is further cause for congratulation. That takes courage. Plainly I have not had chance to read through it. But I shall do and will be in touch. Meanwhile my sincere thanks and congratulations, Best regards Richard Richard wrote again some time later once he had had a chance to do some reading and he seems to be liking it:- From: Richard Baum (Director Mercury & Venus Sections, British Astronomical Association) Sat, 14 Aug 1999 Dear Jan, [snip - private discussion] I must say you have stored your book with an enormous amount of information; much quite surprising, all stimulating. Essentially you are not only obliging us to take a fresh look at things but to observe from an unsuspected different position - the presumed impossible. Will be in touch within a few days... [snip - private discussion] One phrase that sums up much of why people fail to grasp what is being said is - don't bite my finger, look where I am pointing. It is surprising how many fail to grasp directly what is meant. Ever Richard [Author's note: I e-mailed Richard and told him that my book was a Lateral Thinking exercise along the lines advocated by Dr De Bono who has made a career out of teaching people to think.] Geologists, Geophysicists & Seismologists: Currently I have 3 geologists in the USA who are about to review the book. One is a retired Professor of geology. In Canada I have 2 geophysicists lined up. Most are still waiting for their copies to arrive in the mail. The one geophysicist who saw my seismic model thought it was great and will be studying it. The retired professor told me he will get back to me in the next week or so... So things are looking up and I await their comments with baited breath... Copies to Universities: At my own expense I have donated several books to universities in my home country, South Africa. A lecturer at the University of Sheffield in England bought a copy of my book and I am waiting for feedback from him. As things stand I have sent copies to the following Universities:- University of the Witwatersrand Rand Afrikaans University University of Cape Town University of Natal University of Pretoria One of the Librarians at the University of Pretoria sent me this e-mail on 09 Sep 1999:- Hallo Jan! I have just received your book and I am impressed! I never expected such a hefty tome. I am unfortunately not knowledgeable on this topic, but even so, I can appreciate the tremendous work that must have gone into it. It is truly the result of a quest for knowledge. My congratulations on this vast project. I am going to give this book to Elna Randall later today (I want to dip into it before I pass it along) and she will thank you for your gift. I visited your website and I enjoyed the experience! I think it was a wonderful idea - for various reasons - to have this website in conjunction with the book. The website stimulates one's interest to such an extent, that you simply HAVE to read the book. It is also wonderful for marketing your book. I can go on raving about the website and the book. Thank you for giving this Library such a wonderful gift. I hope that we can make a small contribution to spreading the news about this book. I think it truly deserves an international audience. Best wishes Estrellita Other Reader's Comments: 2 August 2000 I have just finished reading your book about your scientific investigation into the possibility of Hollow Planets. I enjoyed it immensely. It is interesting and revealing. It presents numerous logical and well reasoned points which should be seriously and open-mindedly researched. As you may gather, I am not a scientist and therefore am unable to help you prove or disprove of the main and subsequent ideas of your book. However, I do appreciate it. Sincerely, Vito Carini 28 Sep 1999 I find that the information you write about in your book, very interesting to say the least. I am a student here in Lincoln, and not young by any standards for going back to college. However I do excel in sciences, A+ in geology, not that 48 years experence in the world, working 26 in data commiuncations with a computer background. I also find it interesting just how true the American Indians put it "The greatest fears of man are the unknown, and the civilized world will not go beyond their own intellectuals beliefs." I also find that many of the professers have some of the most closed minds in the world. Some day we as a human race will find that we are only limited by the knowledge that we have our minds open to. Think of the posibilities. I too have been in computers and data communications for the last 26+ years now, here in the US to continue I now must have a degree to do what I did for 26 years. Seems to make a lot of sense! Our educational system is something to look at, by the time I get my BS I will be ready to retire, interesting what our intellectuals can do to a career. Good luck in the sales of your book, keep up the good work. Robert P. Fish Lincoln, NE USA 24 Jul 1999 Dear Jan: I haven't been able to stay away from it since I've had it for a couple of days. I'll be completely finished with it soon and in a position to write a review, blurbs, etc. I love the book! It's such a big advance---at least the equivalent of Dr. Shuker's book that advanced cryptozoology. Except that this illuminates several fields. It's such a gift to be able to transcend the group-think that characterizes the "conventional wisdom" in almost any area, especially and ironically in these days of the knowledge explosion. That's how I talk the book up to people I know: that it's a way to stand near the cutting edge in several fields. What a healthy exercise in independent thinking. Really digesting this book should be one of the most powerful---and pleasant--experiences in continuing education that one could engage in. Jan. I am so proud of you (and Billy) in perservering with this. You'll be increasingly glad you did so over time, I think! As always, I am your supporter in these matters. Godspeed, Kevin 17 Aug 1999 Jan: I sent regular mail, which is never fast enough! The book was waiting for me when I got home last night. You did a tremendous job! Billy Baty was kind enough to email me back yesterday and tell me it was on its way. His diagrams/figures are really effective, btw. I noticed that you have used some of the same satellite images that I used in my article (but not all!). I have a feeling that the info in that PDF file might be particularly interesting or useful for you. It looks like my sources might have misinformed me as to the origin of some of them, though. Some of the ATS images were referenced to me as being from Apollo 16--go figure. I'm sure that your sources are more reliable than mine in that instance. I got started on it last night, and it's a great read so far! A job well-done, and I can't wait to start reading it again tonight! Best, --Mike -- [Author's note: I replied to Mike and informed him that my NASA photo references are indeed correct because all the photos in the book except for 2 come directly from NASA and their catalogue numbers are given in the book] Mon, 23 Aug 1999 Jan, I am two-thirds of the way through your book. It is....Fantastic! I think it safe to say that the definitive book on the topic has finally been written. I just wish we could have corresponded sooner. Regarding my comments about the "Moho" layer, my feelings are that the Moho is not the interior concavity, but is instead one of the locations of the fabled "cavern realms" or "cavern worlds" from folklore and mythology. There are several reasons to believe this, not the least of which is its location between two other worlds (the inner and outer). This relationship is borne out by Norse and other mythologies. The stuff in your book on Venus was excellent! I think you will shake up plenty of astronomers and planetary scientists with your logic! Best, --Mike 25 Aug 1999 Jan: I finished your book last night. In all honesty I must say that I am absolutely blown away by the amount of research, and the obvious amount of personal time and expense that you have put into this project. Your facts and logic seem to be 100% sound, in terms of their collaboration toward supporting your theories. Your pole-shift, plate tectonics, and related chapters did indeed make your point--they won't be popular or supported by "mainstream" scientists, of course, and you can expect some vilification, but they definitely support your contentions. Believe it or not, there are several other books which support your theories in the latter area, including the books of John Keel, who sites numerous instances of unexplainable catastrophism in several of his works (most notably, in Our Haunted Planet). He tends to concentrate on the paranormal aspect of things, but the evidence which supports your views is also there, particularly the pole-shift material. I hope that those in mainstream science who read Hollow Planets will at least consider and/or research your ideas and evidence, before they do the usual dismiss/attack/ridicule song-and-dance. Perhaps those without the courage to openly do so will at least find themselves privately intrigued or convinced. Your case is strong! This was a great read. I hope you sell a million copies. Expect attacks and slander, but don't let it get you down! At some point, people will realize that your book is a milestone in the field of Earth Sciences. Definitely definitive. Best, --Mike 27 Aug 1999 I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered the book, but I've really enjoyed what I've read so far. At first I jumped around a lot, but now I've started with page one. I actually thought it was going to be a little too scientific with pages and pages of formulae, which I sometimes enjoy looking, but I also enjoy looking into the religious and mythical aspects of the hollow earth theory and I was glad to see a number of pages devoted to that. I was also glad to see a good historical review of the many notable scientists who have also showed some belief of the hollow earth theory. I highly recommend the book to anyone with the slightest interest in the hollow earth theory. There really is something in it for everyone who thinks that this theory is at least a possibility. As for me, my sense of being won't be destroyed if it's sometime proven wrong, but to me this theory just makes too much sense with what I believe. I just wanted to put in my two cents and express appreciation to those who made the book, the list and the web site available. Thanks. Keep it up. Dave Sun, 15 Aug 1999 Hi Jan & ALL, The book is really impressive. I have read you great introduction and I am amazed at the number of great people that you contacted and the data you were able analyze. Joe Wed, 11 Aug 1999 Dear Jan, I am having trouble with my PC so I am not sure if you got my mail or not. In case you did not, Thank you for the book. It is great!!!! I am impressed and have recomended it to several friends already. Of which 2 have ordered from your webside. [snip] I am taking it with me and show it to the friends. Again, Thankyou. I will return home on Sept. 3 and get in touch after that. Much Love to you and your family Lilian 3 Aug 1999 Jan, Received your book last night. Thanks for the honorable mention. Your book is a wonderful addition to hollow planets research. You have uncovered many interesting evidences that point to hollow planets. I can hardly wait to dig into it. You obviously have done a tremendous amount of research and work on this fabulous tome. Somehow we've got to dig up several million dollars somewhere to lay out solid proof that planets are hollow, including research expeditions. You certainly have raised some eyebrows with your book. Hopefully, by getting your book out to the world of science we will be joined by serious, well trained scientists, willing to buck the stigma of delving into the unknown and forbidden, and start getting some definitive studies done in hollow earth science. Solid proof would lie in verifying some of your suggested solutions to anomalous phenomena that could be linked to hollow planets. And you, Jan, are opening up this new frontier with your book! Congratulations on a work very well done! Rod Mon, 02 Aug 1999 Jan: Well Done! All the way around! Good choice of photos (I've just perused the book). No slacker are you. I am so proud of you for completing what you set out to accomplish. Laurie Brenner Fri, 30 Jul 1999 Hi Jan, I forwarded your message to Jeff [Rense]. I went over to your page - nice job! And your book for a tome of that size is quite reasonable! Thanks for your note. Keep me posted! Jocelyn Fri, 30 Jul 1999 Jan, thanks so much. I received the big and beautiful HOLLOW PLANETS book in today's mail. I am very happy to have this great book! Mark |