Most people have hobbies, and Chuck Zukowski, part-time microchip engineer and volunteer sheriff's deputy, is no different. His hobby--turned near obsession--consists of collecting data and evidence on the possibility that aliens visit and inhabit the earth on a regular basis, earning him the nickname "the Mulder of El Paso."
For more than 20 years, Zukowski has collected information and conducted onsite investigations into mysterious sightings of lights in the night sky; hundreds of exsanguinated and bizarrely mutilated cattle and horses; natural geological disturbances; and pranks, hoaxes and mistaken identities. Ben Mezrich, author of The Accidental Billionaires, brings Zukoswki's story of UFOs and dead livestock into the mainstream, allowing readers a look at the incredible amount of evidence that exists to substantiate the idea that we are not alone in the universe.
Case by case--Roswell, Area 51, cattle ranches across the Southwest--Mezrich puts readers in Zukowski's shoes, sharing his excitement and adrenaline rushes, and the fears, frustration and anger that have accompanied the task of investigating events that most people don't believe happened. He includes Zukowski's dealings with the Mutual UFO Network, the Bigelow Aerospace company and its founder, a fellow UFO believer, and Zukowski and his sister's nerve-wracking encounters with government officials in black SUVs. Whether you believe in UFOs or not, Mezrich's professional and entertaining approach to a semi-taboo subject will have readers shaking their heads and checking the night sky for any unusual sights or sounds. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer