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UFO's in Space: Anatomy of a Phenomenon
UFO's in Anatomy of a Jacques UFO's in Anatomy of a Ballantine FIRST First Edition Thus, 4th Printing (March 1978). Not price-clipped. Published by Ballantine Books, 1974. Octavo. Paperback. Book is very good with library stamp on half title page, tape along bottom of spine, and shelf/edgewear. Lovely copy of Jacques Vallee's book on the mysteries of outer space. 100% positive feedback. 30 day money back guarantee. NEXT DAY SHIPPING! Excellent customer service. Please email with any questions. All books packed carefully and ship with free delivery confirmation/tracking. All books come with free bookmarks. Ships from Sag Harbor, New York.Seller 326142 Paranormal We Buy Books! Collections - Libraries - Estates - Individual Titles. Message us if you have books to sell!
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227 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
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About the author
Jacques F. Vallée
67 books406 followersExcerpted from wikipedia: Jacques Fabrice Vallée (born September 24, 1939 in Pontoise, Val-d'Oise, France) is a venture capitalist, computer scientist, author, ufologist and former astronomer currently residing in San Francisco, California.
In mainstream science, Vallée is notable for co-developing the first computerized mapping of Mars for NASA and for his work at SRI International in creating ARPANET, a precursor to the modern Internet. Vallée is also an important figure in the study of unidentified flying objects (UFOs), first noted for a defense of the scientific legitimacy of the extraterrestrial hypothesis and later for promoting the interdimensional hypothesis.
In mainstream science, Vallée is notable for co-developing the first computerized mapping of Mars for NASA and for his work at SRI International in creating ARPANET, a precursor to the modern Internet. Vallée is also an important figure in the study of unidentified flying objects (UFOs), first noted for a defense of the scientific legitimacy of the extraterrestrial hypothesis and later for promoting the interdimensional hypothesis.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 11, 2015
(If you are wondering why I might read anything on UFO's see my truth, written below).
This book is good. Vallee's proposed methodologies are interesting. Vallee is university science professor (at Northwestern University at the time he wrote this)and a former French military officer mucky muck.
France then, and now, has been more open to the public investigation and national reporting of their federal studies than other nations, certainly more so than the U.S.A..)
Vallee does not claim to know what UFO's are, nor does he claim they are figments, swamp gas, or the planet Venus. He considers what can we study of this phenomenon using the Scientific Method, and decides the aspect of UFO's that can be recreated under controlled circumstances are the reports from witnesses, themselves.
He asserts (as most reputable researchers do) that something like 70 - 90% of all sighting reports can be debunked (or demonstrated to be something other than what we call UFO's - which are truly 'unknown' objects). Statistically, that tends to be so in reputable scientifically conducted and studied data sets. And Vallee looks at the UFO phenomenon scientifically. He's a critical thinker, Vallee makes no assumptions, and does not seek to find a specific outcome from the data that he has carefully considered (most of it occurring world-wide and before 1970).
The book gets a bit slowed down, in the middle, with a chapter that outlines how to index or organize one's data sets (sighting reports), given his proposed methodology. It is a bit detailed. But that information should be in a book in which a scientist postulates a method to study UFO's. The proposed methods and theories only lend more credibility to the mode of observation he proposes.
If you're at all interested in a serious, scientific, open mind objectively but fairly considering the UFO phenomenon, then this book is for you.
Jacques Valleee postulates where scientific minded observers may take UFO study next, in Anatomy of a Phenomenon, and it is a compelling interesting read.
(I am interested in UFO's.
(As a critical thinker, I am interested in the UFO phenomenon, and enjoy reading sighting accounts given by credible witnesses who offer compelling information and evidence.
(I am not fond of the UFO books that say, include chupacabras, attribute UFO's to heavenly angels, or attribute the building of the Egyptian pyramids to off world visitors. Humans are incapable of many things, but our species being unable to build tremendous edifices is not one of them. What's more, when driven, we humans figure things out, and quickly.
(And I like a good chupacabra story and even a good angel one (thanks, Amy), but when I read about UFO's I want to learn not just what witnesses, but credentialed, reputable, and open scientific minds ponder and observe of UFO's. Nothing against those who believe UFO's are x, y, or z. I just think we can wonder scientifically what the phenomenon is, and that we humans have some serious questions to ask before we come to at all being close to "knowing" what they definitely are. I like UFO ideas, questions, and debate from reasonable minds.)
This book is good. Vallee's proposed methodologies are interesting. Vallee is university science professor (at Northwestern University at the time he wrote this)and a former French military officer mucky muck.
France then, and now, has been more open to the public investigation and national reporting of their federal studies than other nations, certainly more so than the U.S.A..)
Vallee does not claim to know what UFO's are, nor does he claim they are figments, swamp gas, or the planet Venus. He considers what can we study of this phenomenon using the Scientific Method, and decides the aspect of UFO's that can be recreated under controlled circumstances are the reports from witnesses, themselves.
He asserts (as most reputable researchers do) that something like 70 - 90% of all sighting reports can be debunked (or demonstrated to be something other than what we call UFO's - which are truly 'unknown' objects). Statistically, that tends to be so in reputable scientifically conducted and studied data sets. And Vallee looks at the UFO phenomenon scientifically. He's a critical thinker, Vallee makes no assumptions, and does not seek to find a specific outcome from the data that he has carefully considered (most of it occurring world-wide and before 1970).
The book gets a bit slowed down, in the middle, with a chapter that outlines how to index or organize one's data sets (sighting reports), given his proposed methodology. It is a bit detailed. But that information should be in a book in which a scientist postulates a method to study UFO's. The proposed methods and theories only lend more credibility to the mode of observation he proposes.
If you're at all interested in a serious, scientific, open mind objectively but fairly considering the UFO phenomenon, then this book is for you.
Jacques Valleee postulates where scientific minded observers may take UFO study next, in Anatomy of a Phenomenon, and it is a compelling interesting read.
(I am interested in UFO's.
(As a critical thinker, I am interested in the UFO phenomenon, and enjoy reading sighting accounts given by credible witnesses who offer compelling information and evidence.
(I am not fond of the UFO books that say, include chupacabras, attribute UFO's to heavenly angels, or attribute the building of the Egyptian pyramids to off world visitors. Humans are incapable of many things, but our species being unable to build tremendous edifices is not one of them. What's more, when driven, we humans figure things out, and quickly.
(And I like a good chupacabra story and even a good angel one (thanks, Amy), but when I read about UFO's I want to learn not just what witnesses, but credentialed, reputable, and open scientific minds ponder and observe of UFO's. Nothing against those who believe UFO's are x, y, or z. I just think we can wonder scientifically what the phenomenon is, and that we humans have some serious questions to ask before we come to at all being close to "knowing" what they definitely are. I like UFO ideas, questions, and debate from reasonable minds.)
May 21, 2024
VALLEE’S FIRST BOOK ABOUT UFOS
Jacques Fabrice Vallée (born 1939) is a French astronomer, computer scientist, ufologist, and author. He also was the person who served as the model for ‘Claude Lacombe’ in the movie, ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind.’
He wrote in the Preface to this 1965 book, “Ever since the amazing series of sightings of unidentified flying objects in France in 1954, I have been deeply interested in the problem of the origin, behavior and physical nature of the UFO phenomenon. When I was authorized to study the general files of the United States Air Force I welcomed this opportunity to clarify my ideas concerning the official approach to the sightings and to understand better the attitude of he scientific and military authorities toward this problem… I soon reached a point in my personal research at which … it was becoming increasingly important for me to receive the advice of specialists of other disciplines. Unfortunately, communication between scientists still follows medieval patterns and any attempt on any part to bring the subject into the open would have resulted in misunderstanding…
“I then came to believe that one should not try to ‘prove’ that UFOs constitute a new phenomenon of an unknown, possibly artificial, nature before one has made an attempt to understand why such violent reactions are provoked by the thought of extraterrestrial intelligence. My writing this book in a popular form is deliberate, because it is my opinion that my subject is important and concerns not only the scientist but the military man, the philosopher, the man of the cloth and the general public as well… I have endeavored to write a book that will help interested researchers become seriously acquainted with the problem, and I have tried to be objective in presenting summaries of all current theories related to the main points in the discussion.”
He says of several ‘bright lights’ sightings, “observations of this type are not very conclusive; enormous orange lights can be caused by reflections or even by phenomena of atmospheric distortion, as Dr. [Donald] Menzel has pointed out. More difficult to interpret in terms of natural phenomena are sightings such as … an object ‘in the shape of a chimney.’” (Pg. 33)
He argues, “Between 1914 and 1946 the phenomenon had not completely disappeared, but no pattern can be established… both the efficiency of communications systems and the growing popular interest in science, as well as the concern for aerial flight and the development of aircraft and balloon technology, were such that all conditions were present for UFO wavs to develop fully if they had been mere consequences of misinterpretation, hallucination, and newspapers’ interest in fantastic stories.” (Pg. 37)
He acknowledges, “The first result obtained in this analysis will probably come as a surprise to most ‘flying saucer’ enthusiasts; we are in firm agreement with the previous statistical estimates of the U.S. Air Force concerning the proportion of sightings which can be explained by conventional effects: generally between 70 and 90 percent.” (Pg. 55)
He asserts, “Another reason astronomers tend to dislike this subject is a direct consequence of their education. [Most] astronomers… have jumped directly from their doctoral dissertation into research and teaching without indulging themselves … with earthly matters… In this book, we oppose a certain method of analysis, namely, the system which distorts a set of unknown phenomena until it is recognizable by ordinary standards… When only individual cases are taken into consideration, this approach… is quite correct. But this type of study is insufficient in cases involving new concepts to be extracted through research; investigation of individual cases should be combined here with general analysis.” (Pg. 112-114)
He notes, “In Vernon… under different circumstances the report made by two policemen would have been judged sufficiently reliable to send a man to jail or to the guillotine. However, since the event had to do with an unusual phenomenon and not with a thief or criminal, the report was treated lightly and forgotten … Thus the present official system uses a reliability factor when it tends to show that a report is poor, but it does not use it when it tends to show that a report is significant.” (Pg. 149)
He summarizes, “These are a few examples of typical behaviors of UFOs seen in all parts of the world. Any valid system of hypotheses concerning the UFO phenomenon should represent them, or at least not contradict the patterns, consistently observed, of their protection. Until such a system of hypotheses is presented, however, these reports can only be defined objectively as elements of a class. As such, their scientific study is indeed permissible.” (Pg. 221)
He outlines, “We would summarize [our system] under the following seven points: (1) It is scientifically permissible to work under the hypothesis that UFOs are material objects…. (2) Under such a hypothesis, the fact that the ‘controlling intelligence’ could not belong to any of the communities which are present today on our planet would be shown by the permanence of UFO activity through changing phases of our technology and even, possibly, through early phases of our historical development. (3) Historically, it would be difficult to determine a starting point for this activity… (4) If the hypothesis that UFP phenomena are manifestations of a controlling intelligence finds serious consideration… we feel that one should THEN accept the idea that UFO operators have been seen on the ground on several occasions. (5)… we would expect intellectual contact to be possible… But we would continue to reject the claim of particular individual that they have been ‘contacted’ and allowed to know the origin of the ‘visitors.’ … (7) a dispassionate, scientific debate cold be established concerning the UFO phenomenon, and that such a discussion would well be conducted within the boundaries set by rationalism …” (Pg. 245-247)
He concludes, “Through UFO activity, although no physical evidence has het been found, some of us believe the contours of an amazingly complex intelligent life beyond the earth can already be discerned. The wakening spirit of man, and the horrified reaction of his too-scrupulous theories: what do they matter. Our minds now wander on planets our fathers ignored. Our senses, our dreams have reached across the night at last, and touched other universes. The sky will never be the same again.” (Pg. 247)
This book will be of great interest to those studying UFOs and related phenomena.
Jacques Fabrice Vallée (born 1939) is a French astronomer, computer scientist, ufologist, and author. He also was the person who served as the model for ‘Claude Lacombe’ in the movie, ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind.’
He wrote in the Preface to this 1965 book, “Ever since the amazing series of sightings of unidentified flying objects in France in 1954, I have been deeply interested in the problem of the origin, behavior and physical nature of the UFO phenomenon. When I was authorized to study the general files of the United States Air Force I welcomed this opportunity to clarify my ideas concerning the official approach to the sightings and to understand better the attitude of he scientific and military authorities toward this problem… I soon reached a point in my personal research at which … it was becoming increasingly important for me to receive the advice of specialists of other disciplines. Unfortunately, communication between scientists still follows medieval patterns and any attempt on any part to bring the subject into the open would have resulted in misunderstanding…
“I then came to believe that one should not try to ‘prove’ that UFOs constitute a new phenomenon of an unknown, possibly artificial, nature before one has made an attempt to understand why such violent reactions are provoked by the thought of extraterrestrial intelligence. My writing this book in a popular form is deliberate, because it is my opinion that my subject is important and concerns not only the scientist but the military man, the philosopher, the man of the cloth and the general public as well… I have endeavored to write a book that will help interested researchers become seriously acquainted with the problem, and I have tried to be objective in presenting summaries of all current theories related to the main points in the discussion.”
He says of several ‘bright lights’ sightings, “observations of this type are not very conclusive; enormous orange lights can be caused by reflections or even by phenomena of atmospheric distortion, as Dr. [Donald] Menzel has pointed out. More difficult to interpret in terms of natural phenomena are sightings such as … an object ‘in the shape of a chimney.’” (Pg. 33)
He argues, “Between 1914 and 1946 the phenomenon had not completely disappeared, but no pattern can be established… both the efficiency of communications systems and the growing popular interest in science, as well as the concern for aerial flight and the development of aircraft and balloon technology, were such that all conditions were present for UFO wavs to develop fully if they had been mere consequences of misinterpretation, hallucination, and newspapers’ interest in fantastic stories.” (Pg. 37)
He acknowledges, “The first result obtained in this analysis will probably come as a surprise to most ‘flying saucer’ enthusiasts; we are in firm agreement with the previous statistical estimates of the U.S. Air Force concerning the proportion of sightings which can be explained by conventional effects: generally between 70 and 90 percent.” (Pg. 55)
He asserts, “Another reason astronomers tend to dislike this subject is a direct consequence of their education. [Most] astronomers… have jumped directly from their doctoral dissertation into research and teaching without indulging themselves … with earthly matters… In this book, we oppose a certain method of analysis, namely, the system which distorts a set of unknown phenomena until it is recognizable by ordinary standards… When only individual cases are taken into consideration, this approach… is quite correct. But this type of study is insufficient in cases involving new concepts to be extracted through research; investigation of individual cases should be combined here with general analysis.” (Pg. 112-114)
He notes, “In Vernon… under different circumstances the report made by two policemen would have been judged sufficiently reliable to send a man to jail or to the guillotine. However, since the event had to do with an unusual phenomenon and not with a thief or criminal, the report was treated lightly and forgotten … Thus the present official system uses a reliability factor when it tends to show that a report is poor, but it does not use it when it tends to show that a report is significant.” (Pg. 149)
He summarizes, “These are a few examples of typical behaviors of UFOs seen in all parts of the world. Any valid system of hypotheses concerning the UFO phenomenon should represent them, or at least not contradict the patterns, consistently observed, of their protection. Until such a system of hypotheses is presented, however, these reports can only be defined objectively as elements of a class. As such, their scientific study is indeed permissible.” (Pg. 221)
He outlines, “We would summarize [our system] under the following seven points: (1) It is scientifically permissible to work under the hypothesis that UFOs are material objects…. (2) Under such a hypothesis, the fact that the ‘controlling intelligence’ could not belong to any of the communities which are present today on our planet would be shown by the permanence of UFO activity through changing phases of our technology and even, possibly, through early phases of our historical development. (3) Historically, it would be difficult to determine a starting point for this activity… (4) If the hypothesis that UFP phenomena are manifestations of a controlling intelligence finds serious consideration… we feel that one should THEN accept the idea that UFO operators have been seen on the ground on several occasions. (5)… we would expect intellectual contact to be possible… But we would continue to reject the claim of particular individual that they have been ‘contacted’ and allowed to know the origin of the ‘visitors.’ … (7) a dispassionate, scientific debate cold be established concerning the UFO phenomenon, and that such a discussion would well be conducted within the boundaries set by rationalism …” (Pg. 245-247)
He concludes, “Through UFO activity, although no physical evidence has het been found, some of us believe the contours of an amazingly complex intelligent life beyond the earth can already be discerned. The wakening spirit of man, and the horrified reaction of his too-scrupulous theories: what do they matter. Our minds now wander on planets our fathers ignored. Our senses, our dreams have reached across the night at last, and touched other universes. The sky will never be the same again.” (Pg. 247)
This book will be of great interest to those studying UFOs and related phenomena.
December 18, 2015
I read Vallee's book right after finishing Hynek's book (The UFO Experience). I think, whereas Hynek's scientific approach is a reaction to the appalling disorganization he witnessed in Project Blue Book, Vallee adds another dimension to Hynek's call to action (before he published it). Vallee recounts the history of the literature of unexplained sightings in the skies from antiquity to the mid-1960's. He not only takes into account the reliability of the witnesses (as Hynek also does) but also the epidemiology, so to speak, of the reporting process, who reports and why, and what processes underlie why people report these sightings. He also proposes using computer-aided statistical processing to determine so-called "invariants" that can determine the incidence of reports throughout the world. His data encompasses not only many US sightings but also others, mainly in France and Spain, but also in other areas of the world. Vallee's treatment of the UFO sighting phenomenon is one that does not limit itself to surface analysis but calls for the use of statistics and historical/psychological analysis as well. Dated but a good read.
July 28, 2023
Essential reading for the ufo-enthusiast.
February 5, 2024
This is the first book from Vallee on the subject of UFOs, it is not a brilliant work but puts him in the same tradition as the most interesting writers of the fifties and sixties, like Hawkin, James McDonald, and other writers, who were discovering ancient anomalies and classifying them in under the possible UFO frame. Somehow this book is much more conservative than the rest of his work, still, there are plenty of interesting thoughts and situations there.
August 14, 2024
This is an extremely enjoyable survey of the UFO phenomenon circa 1965. Vallée would expand his theories as well as his focus in later books but he's already expressing skepticism of the extraterrestrial hypothesis as well as the actions of scientists looking to debunk the phenomenon.
May 18, 2015
Vallée is one of the better students of the UFO and related phenomena. This, his first full book on the subject, is primarily a call for the serious collection and analysis of witness reports. The heart of it is a critique of classificatory methods such as those employed at the time by the Air Force's Project Blue Book and a description of what he believes would constitute a superior coding system which would allow scientific analyses of the the reports. Many examples of witness reports are given, ranging from antiquity to the mid-sixties, and some are used to demonstrate the application of his coding system.
April 10, 2016
Anyone curious about UFOs should read Anatomy of a Phenomenon and Passport to Magonia, by Jacques Vallee, a French scientist and UFO investigator. Vallee is the scientist that the Claude Lacombe character, in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, is based on. Unlike some UFO investigators, Vallee doesn't start with a "pet" theory and then look only at the data that will support that theory, while ignoring other data.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews