Book Review: Havana Syndrome by Robert W. Baloh & Robert E. Bartholomew

“Havana Syndrome: Mass Psychogenic Illness and the Real Story Behind the Embassy Mystery and Hysteria is a scientific detective story and a case study in the social construction of mass psychogenic illness.”

Goodreads blurb for Havana Syndrome

Review:

The Havana Syndrome incident has fascinated me, although I don’t claim to be an expert on what happened. I’d hoped this book would further inform me on the subject, but it felt far too dismissive. 

Less of a book about what happened (or what likely happened) and more of a book about mass hysteria. While I’m not in a position where I could say that is or is not what it was, I didn’t like the belittling of people who assume or even ask if this was an attack. I didn’t find it to be educational aside from the collection of mass hysteria events throughout history. While that topic was interesting, I would have rather had it under another title.

Aggressively biased, I would recommend exploring other books on this topic for study. This reads more like a commentary with no room for questions. The authors have decided their hypothesis is fact, and whether or not that’s true (because the book doesn’t prove anything) is irrelevant. What happened in Havana could very well have been an episode of mass hysteria, but it was the tone in which the theory was presented that raised some red flags.

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• I liked the compilation of different mass hysteria instances throughout history.

What I didn’t like:

• Extremely biased and condescending.
• Offers very little evidence for the claims made, counting on what comes across as bullying the reader to agree with the authors based on credentials alone.
• Dismissive of the victims.

Afterthoughts:

Again, I want to stress that I am not claiming to know the definitive answer to this incident. I think mass hysteria is quite plausible. My issue with this book is the combative tone and the expectation to, essentially, just take their word for it or else you’re dumb and brainwashed.

Where to buy the book: