Rethink your view of the world with The Teachings of Don Juan, the first book in Carlos Castaneda's spiritual journey into the world of sorcery... The Teachings of don Juan is the story of Carlos Castaneda's extraordinary experiences. In 1960 Carlos Castaneda was a graduate student when he met Don Juan, a Yaqui Indian feared and shunned by the ordinary folk of the American Southwest because of his unnatural powers. During the next five years don Juan's arcana knowledge led Castaneda into a world of beauty and terror, ruled by concepts far beyond those of Western civilisation. Using medicinal herbs Castaneda lived through encounters with disembodied spirits, shamans in the form of huge wolves, and death in the shape of silver crows. Finally, after a night of utter terror in which he knew that his life was threatened by forces which he still cannot fully explain, he gave up his struggle to become a 'Man Of Knowledge'. 'It gives a different view of the world and challenges the ideas and beliefs that we have be taught, whilst also providing simple methods to changing the way we interact with the world on a day to day basis.' - 5* Reader Review

"Fascinating. . . . A fun and thorough look at how humans have tried to communicate with the dead over time."-Library Journal "An impressive piece of research. . . . A must-read for anyone fascinated with Spiritualism."-Alma Katsu, author of The Deep and The Hunger Calling the Spirits investigates the eerie history of our conversations with the dead, from necromancy in Homer's Odyssey to the emergence of Spiritualism, when Victorians were entranced by mediums and the seance was born. Among our cast are the Fox sisters, teenagers surrounded by "spirit rappings;" Daniel Dunglas Home, the "greatest medium of all time;" Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whose unlikely friendship was forged, then riven, by the afterlife; and Helen Duncan, the medium whose trial in 1944 for witchcraft proved more popular to the public than news about the war. The book also considers Ouija boards, modern psychics and paranormal investigations, and is illustrated with engravings, fine art (from beyond), and photographs. A hugely entertaining contribution from the supernaturally adept Lisa Morton, Calling the Spirits begs the question: is anybody there . . . ?