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The Men on Magic Carpets: Searching for the Superhuman Sports Star
Ever wondered if the mind tricks used by Luke Skywalker or his Star Wars brethren were real? Ed Hawkins did. A Jedi-wannabe and sports nut, he pondered: what if a coach or athlete had tried to harness such mysterious powers? They would be unstoppable.
This set Ed off on an extraordinary adventure across the West Coast of America in search of a superhuman sports star. He discovers cosmic thinkers who, back in their 1960s heyday, believed that through the power of thought alone a superhuman could be created. One that could see into the future, slow down time and control minds. So successful were their tactics that they attracted the attention of the US government. Meanwhile in Russia their Soviet counterparts were employing equally bewildering brain power. Their goal? To win the Cold War.
And so from the 1970s and into the Eighties the underground free-thinking movement became a fully-funded state secret in an 'inner space race' between the US and the Soviet Union. Both sides attempting to create the perfect human killing machine. It worked. Sort of. Instead of building a super soldier, the mystics from both sides came together to preach peace and love to their political paymasters.
After the thaw, the search for the superhuman sports star began again and continues to this day. In The Men on Magic Carpets Ed goes deep into a secret network of supernatural sages and is told about a mysterious American football coach who made it to the top by teaching his players The Force. But can he be found? Will he admit to what he truly believes? And how does our intrepid author cope with his own brush with the Dark Side as the shadowy military once again attempt to use the mystical powers for ill?
This set Ed off on an extraordinary adventure across the West Coast of America in search of a superhuman sports star. He discovers cosmic thinkers who, back in their 1960s heyday, believed that through the power of thought alone a superhuman could be created. One that could see into the future, slow down time and control minds. So successful were their tactics that they attracted the attention of the US government. Meanwhile in Russia their Soviet counterparts were employing equally bewildering brain power. Their goal? To win the Cold War.
And so from the 1970s and into the Eighties the underground free-thinking movement became a fully-funded state secret in an 'inner space race' between the US and the Soviet Union. Both sides attempting to create the perfect human killing machine. It worked. Sort of. Instead of building a super soldier, the mystics from both sides came together to preach peace and love to their political paymasters.
After the thaw, the search for the superhuman sports star began again and continues to this day. In The Men on Magic Carpets Ed goes deep into a secret network of supernatural sages and is told about a mysterious American football coach who made it to the top by teaching his players The Force. But can he be found? Will he admit to what he truly believes? And how does our intrepid author cope with his own brush with the Dark Side as the shadowy military once again attempt to use the mystical powers for ill?
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
305 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2019
6 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Ed Hawkins
13 books4 followersEd Hawkins is an author and journalist, known for his investigative reporting. His work has appeared in The Times, the Guardian, and the Daily Mail.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 31, 2019
Infuriating.
Maddening.
This is a book about Ed Hawkins (a) having yarns with a bunch of guys who believe in magic mental powers; (b) cobbling together two years of said yarns; and (c) pretending he's written a book about something other than yarns.
There's no framing of these yarns nor any critical analysis of the accuracy of these yarns. In terms of wider relevance outside sport, the U.S. government might be in on these guys and their yarns, employing them in mission critical roles such as telling Iraqis not to get so stressed out about living in Fallujah.
Oh, and Uri Gellar has some sweet yarns such as telling Hawkins that Muhammad Ali got Parkinsons as a side effect of Ali's magic mental powers rather than repeated punches to the head.
Uri Gellar. The guy Hawkins tells us convinced the Soviets to sign nuclear arms limitations treaties through telepathy.
Theoretically (and I am guessing here), there are two elements to this book:
1. How, and to what extent, can a sportsman engage in mental gymnastics to improve his own performance? Can he trigger the right chemicals that slow down time? Can he perceive events in advance?
2. Is it possible to positively or negatively influence either inanimate objects (moving a soccer ball before a player kicks it) or other players by directing mental energy at it or them.
These are two very different things, yet Hawkins skips between them with no delineation nor sober analysis of the probabilities of either. He just scribbles down what is dictated to him by a grab bag of men with "successes" that seem remarkablely mediocre in respect of their self-professed powers:
"Gibson had an ability to see inside people's bodies and tell them about their injuries, past or present."
I mean, c'mon man. I know that's a crock, you know it's a crock, yet you expect the reader to swallow that and say "I can't believe that's not butter"?
Unfortunately, when Hawkins does go to the effort of seeing an actual experiment, it only makes the book worse. Hawkins retains a mind blowing level of credulity at embarrassingly amateurishly conducted test:
1. He doesn't know what is actually being tested.
2. He sees squat but "apparently" something happened because the person invested in the success of the test told him it did.
3. He repeats as fact something the test never proved, nor sought to prove, as though the test did prove it.
This is really basic stuff.
Because the protagonists are American or American associated, the narrative focuses on American sports, particularly the unconventional methods of Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.
You know who are astoundingly good sports writers, especially about American sports? Americans.
Hawkins' inadequacies as an Englishman show up really badly. In idolising Carroll's weird methods that may have won the team a Super Bowl, once, Hawkins is uninterested talking about any actual football. The key takeaway we are supposed to accept is that because coach Carroll tries not to be mean to his players, he's unlocked the Konami code to winning the Super Bowlat will once and making the playoffs from time to time.
This book meanders to the "climatic" moment of Hawkins getting a second phone conversation with Carroll, a final moment of cringeworthy fandom. In the end, I'm not angry about the content of this book, I'm angry that the book is without content.
As a final aside, "sportsman" is a deliberate reference in this review. There are virtually no sportswomen or female mental scientists/gurus in this book. All I can recall are some creepy comments about Ana Ivanovic. 50% of the population have no meaningful voice here. It reflects just how much this book is just some yarns with some guys.
Maddening.
This is a book about Ed Hawkins (a) having yarns with a bunch of guys who believe in magic mental powers; (b) cobbling together two years of said yarns; and (c) pretending he's written a book about something other than yarns.
There's no framing of these yarns nor any critical analysis of the accuracy of these yarns. In terms of wider relevance outside sport, the U.S. government might be in on these guys and their yarns, employing them in mission critical roles such as telling Iraqis not to get so stressed out about living in Fallujah.
Oh, and Uri Gellar has some sweet yarns such as telling Hawkins that Muhammad Ali got Parkinsons as a side effect of Ali's magic mental powers rather than repeated punches to the head.
Uri Gellar. The guy Hawkins tells us convinced the Soviets to sign nuclear arms limitations treaties through telepathy.
Theoretically (and I am guessing here), there are two elements to this book:
1. How, and to what extent, can a sportsman engage in mental gymnastics to improve his own performance? Can he trigger the right chemicals that slow down time? Can he perceive events in advance?
2. Is it possible to positively or negatively influence either inanimate objects (moving a soccer ball before a player kicks it) or other players by directing mental energy at it or them.
These are two very different things, yet Hawkins skips between them with no delineation nor sober analysis of the probabilities of either. He just scribbles down what is dictated to him by a grab bag of men with "successes" that seem remarkablely mediocre in respect of their self-professed powers:
"Gibson had an ability to see inside people's bodies and tell them about their injuries, past or present."
I mean, c'mon man. I know that's a crock, you know it's a crock, yet you expect the reader to swallow that and say "I can't believe that's not butter"?
Unfortunately, when Hawkins does go to the effort of seeing an actual experiment, it only makes the book worse. Hawkins retains a mind blowing level of credulity at embarrassingly amateurishly conducted test:
1. He doesn't know what is actually being tested.
2. He sees squat but "apparently" something happened because the person invested in the success of the test told him it did.
3. He repeats as fact something the test never proved, nor sought to prove, as though the test did prove it.
This is really basic stuff.
Because the protagonists are American or American associated, the narrative focuses on American sports, particularly the unconventional methods of Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.
You know who are astoundingly good sports writers, especially about American sports? Americans.
Hawkins' inadequacies as an Englishman show up really badly. In idolising Carroll's weird methods that may have won the team a Super Bowl, once, Hawkins is uninterested talking about any actual football. The key takeaway we are supposed to accept is that because coach Carroll tries not to be mean to his players, he's unlocked the Konami code to winning the Super Bowl
This book meanders to the "climatic" moment of Hawkins getting a second phone conversation with Carroll, a final moment of cringeworthy fandom. In the end, I'm not angry about the content of this book, I'm angry that the book is without content.
As a final aside, "sportsman" is a deliberate reference in this review. There are virtually no sportswomen or female mental scientists/gurus in this book. All I can recall are some creepy comments about Ana Ivanovic. 50% of the population have no meaningful voice here. It reflects just how much this book is just some yarns with some guys.
July 7, 2019
Exceptional. Just exceptional.
January 19, 2021
“Most people would think it’s weird [being open to the esoteric] but I’d say it’s a part of life and part of the potential”
While on the search for Tyson Fury’s latest book in the hopes of optimising my focus and improving my boxing, this book caught my eye in a sales bin. I didn’t realise it at the time but this was exactly what I was looking for.
My background is in theatre and the reason I love it is because there is an energy unique to live performance with a group of people which can create something electric and much larger than itself which goes on to become it’s own myth over time. Whose recollection of the show is true? Anyone’s/Everyone’s. And yet it if recorded and watched back it would not reflect the events that transpired and the feelings evoked and shared. I recognised the same thing in Hawkins’ exploration of sport and the bizarre/“science” and while never getting a straight answer from any of the questions posed in this I’ve gained something largely intangible but real.
Hawkins’ writing captures the elusive nature of energy and power. There’s no point in trying to pin down the particulars. I’m so glad to have read this book and be reminded of what makes me feel most alive. As such, I've come away with the kernels of a new approach to my goals and broader life. Weird thing to say I guess. Just read the book.
While on the search for Tyson Fury’s latest book in the hopes of optimising my focus and improving my boxing, this book caught my eye in a sales bin. I didn’t realise it at the time but this was exactly what I was looking for.
My background is in theatre and the reason I love it is because there is an energy unique to live performance with a group of people which can create something electric and much larger than itself which goes on to become it’s own myth over time. Whose recollection of the show is true? Anyone’s/Everyone’s. And yet it if recorded and watched back it would not reflect the events that transpired and the feelings evoked and shared. I recognised the same thing in Hawkins’ exploration of sport and the bizarre/“science” and while never getting a straight answer from any of the questions posed in this I’ve gained something largely intangible but real.
Hawkins’ writing captures the elusive nature of energy and power. There’s no point in trying to pin down the particulars. I’m so glad to have read this book and be reminded of what makes me feel most alive. As such, I've come away with the kernels of a new approach to my goals and broader life. Weird thing to say I guess. Just read the book.
December 26, 2019
A highly entertaining read. At times the author was a little self-indulged, especially in the attempt to interview Pete Caroll. Some of the claims and links he made were also a little far reaching at times. Overall a highly interesting and entertaining read though.
October 15, 2019
Absolutely loved it
Read
December 5, 2019Fascinating and entertaining read
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews