Book Review: Psychic Chicago

Published in 1976, this book is subtitled "Doorway to Another Dimension" and it is a fascinating snapshot of metaphysical culture in the Windy City. When I found the book, the author's name rang a bell, but I couldn't quite place him. Turns out that Brad Steiger has written more than 170 books, many of which are of a similar bent, so I'm quite certain I have read his work before. (Aside: Wikipedia's entry for him is lazily incomplete. It only lists five books, but admits he wrote many more. Tell me again how great Wikipedia is?) The book primarily focuses on the people and characters who support Steiger's assertion that Chicago is "the psychic center of the nation." The profiles he offers bolster his argument as they cover many different areas of psi research and ability. In addition to the characters featured and interviewed, Steiger includes a categorized appendix of fortune tellers, healers, and — to my interest and surprise — a rather lengthy list of spiritualist churches in the…