"The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits (2nd Edition)," by Rosemary Ellen Guiley

Stay in ghosthunting long enough, and chances are you'll come across something you have no clue about -- some aspect of its history, methods, founding fathers (and mothers) or jargon that has you stumped.

Nobody can know everything about a subject -- and those who say they do usually know the least about it of all. Still, even if you pride yourself on being a don't-know-it-all, it's nice to have a place to quickly find out all the answers (and no, Virginia, that place is NOT the internet).

In that respect, Rosemary Ellen Guiley's "The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits" is real gem. A terrific resource for those times when something has you confuzzled, it's one of the rare reference books that also makes for great recreational reading, with some fascinating aspect of the paranormal around the turn of every page.

For example: Want to know the haunted history of Shiloh battlefield, or Alcatraz, or the U.S. Capitol building? It's here, with extensive footnotes. Want to know how a Reciprocal Apparation differs from a Collective Apparition, and how they both differ from a poltergeist? That's here too. Want to know how to navigate the branches of the ghostly family tree, from pretas, manes, dybbuks, gashadokuru or domoviks? This book has got you covered. When Mulder wanted to look cool in front of Scully on "The X-Files," this was the book he thumbed through to get the answers to her questions while she was gone to the can (Mulder: "A kubikajiri, you say? Why everyone knows that's a headless Japanese ghost that lurks around graveyards late at night, trying to steal the heads of the living.")

While sheer information might be enough -- 430 pages of information, to be exact -- the even better news is that this isn't some dusty retread from the 1970's either. Up to date as they come, in addition to profiles of the pioneers in the field the second edition of Guiley's book features entries of such in-the-now ghosthunters as American Ghost Society founder Troy Taylor (who also provides a fascinating foreword to the book) and the Universityof North Georgia parapsychologist Dr. William Roll.

At just $14.95 for the paperback edition on Amazon.com (the hardcover is out of print, but can be had cheap at a place like www.abebooks.com), Guiley's Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits turns out to be one of the most indespensible books a ghosthunter can have in his or her library. Chock full of win-that-bar-bet trivia and in-depth information on nearly every facet of the supernatural, it's a must have for both the casual hobbyist and the serious student of the paranormal.