From reviews or the blurb of this book or something, I had got the impression that Mary Roach's investigation into scientific proof for the afterlife had resulted in her changing her skeptical stance on proof of life after death. It doesn't - she maintains her skeptical/open minded stance throughout. I think Spook would be enlightening if you were really wondering about the veracity of mediums and so on. For me, the appeal was Mary Roach's hysterical writing style (particularly her asides and footnotes) - this is a really embarrassing book to read on public transport.