A lively history of speaking with the other side, featuring colorful personalities and amazing technology. "Late at night you can get a thrill by listening to George on the radio—and then, when it's really late, you can pick up his book . . . I you dare." —Whitley Strieber, New York Times bestselling author of Hybrids Throughout history, people have sought ways to contact the dead and spirits. Such experiences challenge beliefs and often set people on a path of deeper exploration, looking for validation—and ways to have controlled, direct contact. Do spirit communication devices really work? What are the prospects of someday being able to pick up a cell phone or sit in front of a webcam and talk to the Other Side? For more than a century, inventors have been inspired—often by the spirits themselves—to create devices using telephones, video cameras and monitors, radios, and computers to attempt real-time, two-way communication with the dead and other entities. While proof of contact is still elusive, there is an abundance of tantalizing evidence and experience to inspire people. Talking to the Dead explores the colorful history and personalities behind spirit communications, weaving together spirituality, metaphysics, science, and technology. This book examines the idea that new technology can connect to the ancient and universal wisdom of the "music of the spheres."