The 37th Parallel

The Secret Truth Behind America's UFO Highway

By: Ben Mezrich

Narrated by: Ben Mezrich

Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

This real-life The X-Files and Close Encounters of the Third Kind tells the true story of a computer programmer who tracks paranormal events along a 3,000-mile stretch through the heart of America and is drawn deeper and deeper into a vast conspiracy.

Like Agent Mulder of The X-Files, computer programmer and sheriff's deputy Zukowski is obsessed with tracking down UFO reports in Colorado. He takes the family with him on weekend trips to look for evidence of aliens. But this innocent hobby takes on a sinister urgency when Zukowski learns of mutilated livestock and sees the bodies of dead horses and cattle - whose exsanguination is inexplicable by any known human or animal means.

Along an expanse of land stretching across the southern borders of Utah, Colorado, and Kansas, Zukowski discovers multiple bizarre incidences of mutilations and suddenly realizes that they cluster around the 37th parallel, or "UFO Highway". So begins an extraordinary and fascinating journey from El Paso and Rush, Colorado, to a mysterious space studies company and MUFON; from Roswell and Area 51 to the Pentagon and beyond; to underground secret military caverns and Indian sacred sites; beneath strange, unexplained lights in the sky; and into corporations that obstruct and try to take over investigations.

Inspiring and terrifying, this true story will keep you up at night, staring at the sky and wondering if we really are alone and what could happen next.

©2016 Ben Mezrich (P)2016 Simon & Schuster

cmon Ben pay a professional to narate! please do

really enjoyed this story and your other books. You didn't act in the movies that were made from your stories so why narration? Go ahead and hire professional so there's some custo to the great story

Irrelevant story of grassroots UFO hunting.

Any additional comments?

This was an entertaining book but the story didn't have a traditional narrative. I'm not sure what made Ben Mezrich choose this story for his next book as it is so far removed from his normal subject matter. He didn't do a bad job with the story there just wasn't much story to tell. The book sets up a situation where the reader thinks some kind of conflict will arise to make the "plot" more interesting but it never happens. The "characters" are exactly the same at the end as they are at the beginning. I know this is a "true" story so it won't follow traditional story line but usually when someone's story is true and worth telling is is because of its extraordinary situation. While the subject matter is extraordinary the story itself was not. If someone is deeply interested in the UFO or government conspiracy subject matter then this book is a worthy read but for someone who is either a Ben Mezrich fan or someone looking for a UFO based fiction than there are much better books out there. For the UFO and/or government conspiracy reader there are also better books to read first but this is a decent addition to ones library for simply its grassroots UFO hunting storyline.

I thought it was a study or documentary

Bought it expecting a study or documentary instead I got a novelised account of the life of someone that felt 99% fiction. Not at all what I expected or hoped for.

Great Lakes Native

As a person who grew up on an Indian Reservation, with Native teachings and lore... And someone who also is fascinated with science... This book echos everything I personally feel to be not just coincidence but also in concert with the beliefs of my people. If you too feel there's much more to "the story" than the authorities would lead you to believe, then this book is for you!

Where are we going??

I found some of this book interesting. Did it lead me to do investigations from his data? No! I didn't hear anything that would be considered new or revealing. In the end will you find that the 37th is truly what he thinks it is? Only if you decide to spend the summer on it. Can't truly recommend the book.

Interesting stuff! About *that* ending tho...

For anyone remotely interested UFOs & associated phenomenon this is a great read. Lots of interesting tales & anecdotes.

But yes, that ending is a little irritating. I guess with the nature of the tale ending a book of this kind of tricky and I'm certain the author will have agonized over the end.

Could he have ended it better? Probably
Could the end ruin your previous enjoyment? No, don't be silly.

If you're reading this review then the chances are you'll really enjoy the first 6 & a half hours or so. The last 5 min, not so much. But don't let some of the other reviews put you off. It's not a deal breaker by any stretch.

Not Perfect, but Has it Where it Counts!

This was a very interesting listen, and Mezrich does a good job of rendering an intriguing story that keeps you gripped from start to finish. There are some structural flaws here and there in the writing, but overall it's a fun book, especially for those of us who are into far-out alien conspiracy stories.

Good book

Helps educate about UFO key historical events while bringing the reader up to speed on modern developments. I did not find the ending disappointing, it mirrors where ufology movement is today.

Worth a listen and then another and another 👽💫

This book opens up curiosity for believers, experiencers, and skeptics alike. It will introduce you to other influential names in the paranormal field to further your research. Offers you many different paths to dive deeper into. Narration is also welcoming, personal, and passionate. I recommend this to anyone I meet who expresses even a slight interest in anything under the UFO/UAPs/Paranormal umbrella at all. 💫💫💫

Don't listen to the negative reviews!

What made the experience of listening to The 37th Parallel the most enjoyable?

Inside perspective without too much unnecessary drama.

What did you like best about this story?

The balance of Naive American stories come-to-life by non-native ranchers and citizens. And the list of longitude/latitudes of incidents.

Which scene was your favorite?

Chapter 19. Hands down chapter 19. Rarely does this type of book touch on Native American Skin Walkers. Specifically Ute and Nez Perce.

If you could give The 37th Parallel a new subtitle, what would it be?

A calaboration of scientifically researched experiences along North America's UFO Highway

Any additional comments?

I can't wait to re-read, and listen again on my next road trip through these areas of rural NM, CO, AZ!