Despite their growing popularity, says Goode (State U. of New York-Stony Brook) finds that paranormal beliefs have not received much attention from sociologists. He says that a paranormal belief system is generated as a result of identifiable cultural, social, and social-psychological forces; is linked with social institutions; and has identifiable consequences. He also suggests that exploring why such beliefs are accepted or rejected can reveal much about social structure and dynamics. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)