Secrets of a Telephone Psychic by Frederick Woodruff

This title barely qualifies as a "telecom book", but sounded amusing enough, so thought that I would give it a try. I'm glad that I did.

Secrets of a Telephone Psychic turned out to be an amusing look inside the world of telephone psychics. Written by a veteran telephone "psychic", the book seems to confirm our worst fears... that people at the other end of psychic hotlines aren't really psychic!

This is not a journalistic expose' of the telephone psychic industry, but the personal account of one man who made his living as a telephone psychic for several years. Over time, he began comparing notes with fellow psychics and learned all the tricks of the trade. The author exposes himself as much as anyone else, and actually makes you feel some sort of empathy for the trials that these low-paid independent contractors are forced to go through.

Besides giving an overview of the industry in general, and an insight into the minds of telephone psychics themselves, the author also delves into psychological issues surrounding hotline callers. After answering thousands of phone calls, the author has been able to gain great insight into what type of people call these numbers, why they call them, when they call, why the general public is fascinated by them, etc. The book reveals just as much about psychic hotline callers and the general public as it does about the telephone psychic industry itself.

For anyone considering calling a psychic hotline, this book is a must. The chapter titled "How to Call a Psychic and Not Go Broke" should save you much more time and money than this book sells for.

For anyone considering becoming a telephone psychic, this book will reveal the sometimes dark world that you may be getting into, and provides tips on how to handle difficult situations. It isn't exactly a "how-to" guide for aspiring telephone psychics, but it comes darned close.

About the only downside of this book is the author's occasional meanderings into new age culture, psycho-babble and spirituality. If you are in to that kind of stuff, it may make the book more enjoyable. To me, it was just a temporary distraction from the rest of the story.

Overall, the book was extremely educational and enjoyable to read. The author's wry sense of humor is prevalent throughout the book, and his colorful stories are ones that you will end-up repeating to your friends. Carrying a cover price of only $9.95, this book is a bargain. Well worth your time and money. I'd recommend it to anyone that is curious about the telephone psychic industry, or who just needs a good laugh.

- William Van Hefner, Editor

Part One: My Day and How It Got That Way
A. Dial Tone: An Introduction
1. Gossip: The Soul of Conversation
2. The "F" Word
3. Take This Job and... Love It
4. Heaven Can't Wait
5. Dear Camille Paglia
6. The Body Electric
7. A Little History, a Little Sex
8. I Was a Teenage Pagan
9. Tonight, I Make It Lowbrow
10. Flesh and Blood, or Electricity and Anonymity
11. The Heart of the Matter

Part Two: But Enough About Me - Here's the Meaning of Life
12. The "Real" Thing
13. Pick a Card, Any Card: The Secrets of the Tarot
14. Celestial Poetry: The Secrets of Astrology

Part Three: Unplugging
15. Private Numbers: A Summation of Sorts
16. Click, Dial Tone

Appendix:
How to Call a Psychic and Not Go Broke
Recommended Reading
Acknowledgements
About the Author

Amazon: $9.95
Barnes & Noble: $9.95
Powell's: $7.95