Paul Spencer Sochaczewski

NANYANG GARDENS: How the Chinese won the war of the South China Sea without a shot being fired

Posted on 01. Feb, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in Environment, Environment EarthLove

This short article is inspired by EarthLove. The book is fiction, the issues are real. NANYANG GARDENS How the Chinese won the war of the South China Sea without a shot being fired The fictional creation of Nanyang Gardens in my new novel EarthLove is a satiric extrapolation  of a hard fact.  China has taken […]

BRUNO MANSER: Swiss “Robin Hood” back from the dead

Posted on 01. Feb, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in Environment, Environment EarthLove

This short article is inspired by EarthLove. The book is fiction, the issues are real. BRUNO MANSER Swiss “Robin Hood” back from the dead Bruno Manser is a minor character in EarthLove, but his real-life story is the stuff of legend. He disappeared in the Borneo rainforest in May 2000 and has been declared dead. […]

Dead, but Still Kicking

Posted on 18. Nov, 2023 by Paul Sochaczewski in Books

Do you believe in spirits?

Paul Sochaczewski travels to Indonesia, Myanmar, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland to speak with mediums, shamans, and, yes, spirits of dead folks. In this innovative work of personal journalism, Sochaczewski—a self-described Agnostic Spiritualist—creates the Three Tenets of Spiritualism. He gets a personal mandate from Moses, speaks with Alfred Russel Wallace about his relationship with Charles Darwin, gets frustrated by conflicting messages given by Wallace’s assistant Ali, encounters a female vampire ghost who wants to follow him home (it’s his own fault), converses with nature spirits, and is invited on a date with the Mermaid Queen of Java.

Announcing: Dead, but Still Kicking – a new book about conversations with mediums, shamans, and spirits by Paul Sochaczewski

Posted on 18. Nov, 2023 by Paul Sochaczewski in News and Events

Do you believe in spirits?

Paul Sochaczewski travels to Indonesia, Myanmar, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland to speak with mediums, shamans, and, yes, spirits of dead folks. In this innovative work of personal journalism, Sochaczewski—a self-described Agnostic Spiritualist—creates the Three Tenets of Spiritualism. He gets a personal mandate from Moses, speaks with Alfred Russel Wallace about his relationship with Charles Darwin, gets frustrated by conflicting messages given by Wallace’s assistant Ali, encounters a female vampire ghost who wants to follow him home (it’s his own fault), converses with nature spirits, and is invited on a date with the Mermaid Queen of Java.

Exceptional Encounters

Posted on 03. Mar, 2024 by Paul Sochaczewski in Books

Can an army of orangutan guerillas save the Indonesian rainforest? Why is China creating a retirement haven in the South China Sea for rich despots?  What happened when the descendant of the over-sexed first White Rajah of Borneo returned to claim his throne? Did Filipino “love sorcerers” help swing a U.S. election?  Can an American pilgrim find enlightenment through carnal escapades? How can Asia’s first “shaman university” repel attacks by rogue black-magic wizards?  And why is Indonesia’s Mermaid Queen really angry and not going to take it anymore?

The search for Ali

Posted on 29. May, 2025 by Paul Sochaczewski in Alfred Russel Wallace and his assistant Ali

This article is excerpted from a chapter in Dead, But Still Kicking. Part I–The Set-Up contains an extensive review of Ali’s background and how he assisted Wallace, Part II-The Conversation with Spirits reviews my frustrating attempts to “speak” with Ali with the help of various mediums. The Search for AliCan eager shamans solve the […]

Exceptional Encounters-Announcing launch of new book by Paul Sochaczewski

Posted on 18. Oct, 2020 by Paul Sochaczewski in News and Events

Can an army of orangutan guerillas save the Indonesian rainforest? Why is China creating a retirement haven in the South China Sea for rich despots? What happened when the descendant of the over-sexed first White Rajah of Borneo returned to claim his throne? How did Filipino “love sorcerers” help swing a U.S. election? Can an American pilgrim find enlightenment through carnal escapades? How can Asia’s first “shaman university” repel attacks by rogue black-magic wizards? And why is Indonesia’s Mermaid Queen really angry and not going to take it anymore?

Special birthday offer — all Kindle (ebooks) for 99 cents

Posted on 18. Oct, 2020 by Paul Sochaczewski in News and Events

To celebrate my birthday I’m offering a special price on Kindle editions of all my books for 99 cents each (with the exception of Share Your Journey, which is $2.99).
Offer valid through August 4.

Share Your Journey wins prestigious global award

Posted on 29. Jul, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in News and Events

Share Your Journey – Mastering Personal Writing has been awarded the Gold Medal in the Writing/Publishing category of the U.S.-based eLit Awards.  According to the judges, these awards are “dedicated to honoring the best e-books published each year for the North American market.” Click here for the full awards list. Share Your Journey is an easy-to-use […]

Summary of major editorial coverage with links

Posted on 29. Dec, 2023 by Paul Sochaczewski in News and Events

An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles: A selection of media coverage, interviews, reviews, and original articles. BBC RADIO SCIENCE CAFÉ Half hour broadcast of interview. June 2017 BBC Radio Wales’s flagship science programme. Weekly audience of 373,000. HUFFINGTON POST Interview. Published April 24, 2017 More than 12 million unique users per month DAILY […]

Launch of An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles – 2nd Edition

Posted on 18. Oct, 2020 by Paul Sochaczewski in News and Events

Announcing a new edition of Paul’s classic “campfire conversations” with Alfred Russel Wallace: An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles Special ebook launch price of 99 cents through May 2, 2017 (paperback also available—see below for ordering information) ISBN: 978-2-940573-25-7 Buy on Kindle US Buy on Kindle UK An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles follows the Victorian-era explorations of […]

Why travel far?

Posted on 11. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Curious Travel

IN SEARCH OF A “MORE VIRGIN” DESTINATION A traveler’s dream — being the first foreigner to trek in Nagaland. LAHE, Myanmar My travel agent friend in Yangon sent me an itinerary for a trek to Nagaland, with a comment every traveler dreams of: “This place is more virgin; you will be first to visit.” […]

On the yeti trail

Posted on 11. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Curious Travel

ON THE YETI TRAIL Chasing a wisp, a legend, a key to who we are. OGYEN CHOLING, Tang Valley, Bhutan “If you want to look for a yeti just climb the mountain behind the village. That’s where they’ve been sighted.” I was enjoying a post-dinner whiskey with Kunzang Choden and her husband Walter Roder, […]

Civet coffee – do you know where that coffee’s been?

Posted on 02. Feb, 2026 by Paul Sochaczewski in Curious Travel

Paul Spencer Sochaczewski A captive civet in Vietnam. Recently excreted civet-coffee dung, Herry Setiawan at the blind-tasting of kopi luwak in Indonesia. YOU KNOW WHERE THAT COFFEE’S BEEN? Searching for the perfect dung-delicious civet coffee. BUON MA THUOT, Central Highlands, Vietnam Oysters. Termites. Camembert. Snails. Snake blood. Brains. Broccoli. On the long list of strange […]

Almost last shaman

Posted on 11. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Curious Travel

THE (ALMOST) LAST SHAMAN It’s been a good ride, but Iban healer doesn’t expect many others to follow his path. SERUBAH ULU, Sarawak To the untrained eye he seems an unlikely magician.  Frail, but with a hundred-watt smile. He has two wispy whiskers, short grey hair, and holes in his earlobes where he once […]