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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best of its kind, August 4, 2009
This review is from: Conspiracy Theories and Secret Societies For Dummies (Paperback)
I've read loads of conspiracy books over the years, some for fun, some out of a serious desire to understand where and why conspiracy theories are so popular and persuasive to a broad cross section of the public.
I am dismayed at the negative reviews of this book. The authors in an overwhelming majority of cases are absolutely fair and balanced in their reporting of what the conspiracy or secret society being discussed is (or might be), where it came from, who was involved, etc.
I have a small shelf in the dark recesses of my bookshelf, out of the eyes of visitors to my home, with a row of "_______" For Dummies books. I usually buy them for a simple reason: they are an introduction to the subject, not the be-all-and-end-all of available knowledge on the topic. This book does just that. The negative reviews on Amazon seem to be from people whose personal favorite boogeyman got dissed. That's an unfair representation of the reality behind this book.
Conspiracy Theories and Secret Societies For Dummies has an incredible range of topics. UFOs, Mafia, Ku Klux Klan, Illuminati, Freemasons, Rosicrucians, Nazi treasure hunters, Jewish Bankers, Irish revolutionaries, the Lincoln and JFK assassinations, apocalyptic doomsayers, 9/11 Truthers, occult groups, religious groups, business and creepy geopolitical committees--the sheer scope is broad, and yet, this is not like so many others in this genre. It's not just a running list of entries that get a few sentences. I also like the conversational and humorous tone.
An interesting personal side note. When I first read this book, I wasn't a Freemason, but my father and grandfather were. After I read this book cover to cover, I went back and re-read the Freemason chapter. I've seen accusations against the Masons for much of my adult life, and it just didn't make sense that my grandfather and dad were involved in something evil, Satanic, nefarious or underhanded. I've read the books with wild conspiracies against them, but it all seemed so contrived. This book motivated me to talk to my dad about it. I went out and bought Hodapp's other book, "Freemasons For Dummies," and read it cover to cover as well. I've done a lot of research, read all sides, met other Masons, and talked it over with my family. I petitioned a lodge in May, all because I picked up this book first.
Sounds crazy, but I trust these authors. They are calm, reasoned, fair-minded, and really present all sides in their books. It's a shame the nuts seem to be attacking this book and are able to drag down its ratings, because out of the lineup of introductory books on the subject (Rough Guide, Encyclopedia of Conspiracies, Jim Marrs' fantasies) I honestly believe this to be the best.
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good treatment of a massive topic, March 18, 2009
This review is from: Conspiracy Theories and Secret Societies For Dummies (Paperback)
I wanted to hate this book. It was one of those moments in the bookstore, like when I came across 'The Complete Idiot's Guide To The Kennedys,' when I said, 'You've got to be kidding' right out loud. Judging from the cover (yes, yes, I know better than that), I figured this book swallowed the whole New World Order / FEMA camps / 9-11 inside job / Zionists / Freemason / World Domination / Denver Airport line of Alex Jones style balderdash. Instead, what I got was a popcorn-like experience of standing in the bookstore for almost an hour reading, unable to put it down. (Yes I bought it.)
'Conspiracy Theories and Secret Societies For Dummies' is a truly rare find in a shelf full of drivel. I was already a fan of Christopher Hodapp and Alice VonKannon's book 'The Templar Code For Dummies', and they bring the same evenhanded approach to this material. Face it - it's easy 'or I assume it's easy' to write a book that does nothing but heap contempt on what are fringy beliefs, like shooting fish in a barrel. But this book is frankly densely packed with a huge range of subjects, crammed into a small, easy to like package. They manage to cover most topics with humor, without venturing into scorn or snarkiness (with the possible exception of the 9/11 truthers movement, which IMHO deserves all of the scorn it can get).
This book avoids being a laundry list of subjects, and the chapters have a quirky logic that seems to work. I have probably 30 Dummies books on a vast assortment of subjects at home, and I always marvel at the way one author will totally get how to organize and write these books, while others seem clueless. Hodapp/Von Kannon are fast becoming favorite authors in this series of books. It makes me curious about how these books are created, but that's another topic.
What I really found interesting was that they take the trouble to analyze where conspiracy theories actually come from. That sounds simplistic, but believe me, it's rare in books like this. Likewise, they don't just write little blurbs about secret societies, but go to the trouble of explaining their history and development, along with whatever they are accused of. There's deadly serious material here, along with the truly frivolous, and the breadth is truly amazing: Freemasons and Rosicrucians, UFOs, Tesla, HAARP, Skull and Bones, the CFR, Bilderbergers, Trilateral Commission. and even stuff like subliminal advertising, JFK, 'Paul Is Dead,' and Elvis spottings. There's a whole chapter on the Mafia that is the best explanation on the subject I've ever read. Likewise, the KKK gets covered in a brief, but very detailed manner.
On and on it goes, and that's why I think this book is so good at a difficult subject, The authors keep it moving fast, but don't skimp on the details. And in the end, they seem to be letting the facts speak for themselves, instead of having a dismissive point of view. To me, that makes this book one of the best introductions to the subject.
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23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Truly Gullible Need Not Apply...., April 5, 2008
This review is from: Conspiracy Theories and Secret Societies For Dummies (Paperback)
Having read all three of Chris' prior books and being a pretty active conspiracy scoffer, I'd girded my loins for a disappointment this time around. Just more Freemason conspiracy (Solomon's Builders) and more Templars conspiracy (Templar Code for Dummies) with a little lettuce thrown around on the edges to make it look fancy and different....
HARDLY!
Whether it's organized crime, the Illuminati, or world domination, Chris and Alice take you down the dark alleys of mystery and fear but always keep a flashlight focused carefully so you won't get grabbed by the hobgoblins. Trying to put a coherent order to the 'weird things of the world' would be a daunting task for anyone but the authors start with a very plausible premise: it all began with the French Revolution. They frequently reach back to that touchstone as the net grows wider in explaining the bizarre and while you might not accept it at face value, you soon realize that the premise has LOTS of merit.
In the basic areas of foolishness (such as the Hoaglund 'Face on Mars'), the authors are wryly dismissive but in the more controversial or confusing things there's a calm and deliberate presentation of facts and a laying out 'common knowledge' interspersed with 'the rest of the story' (i.e., the FACTS!). In few cases they do pull out the 'tin-foil hat' award but otherwise it's basic exposition with an admission that there's no answer when, in fact, there is none. There's no doe-like innocence to be found but neither is there overt criticism. It's reminiscent of Sergeant Friday: "Just the facts, ma'am." - but this time with some humor added.
It's clear that Chris and Alice have read from the major skeptics before beginning and they regularly refer to specific (and qualified) debunkers. Apropos of the subject, the book cries out for an annotated bibliography. Sadly, such is not the style of the 'Dummies' series. I'd happily pay extra for that because it would save me wearing out the binding looking back for things all the time. Sadly too, there aren't NEARLY enough Rich Tarrant cartoons here to satisfy: when you're knee deep in alien space monsters or gangland retribution, a little graphic levity can help!
Because the author's three prior works were so steeped in Masonic 'stuff', I was expecting to simply skip over the Masonic section as 'old hat'. What a mistake that would have been. Somehow this book has managed to circumvent the 'old wine - new bottle' conundrum and has included a fresh and relevant approach coinciding with the book's title. They've got what essentially could be called the 'elevator pitch' on Freemasonry with explanations that are simple and understandable - and something any Mason could use when asked that question "What is Freemasonry?" that brings even long-term members to the point of stuttering.
I did have a couple of small quibbles. One was the mention of a meeting between two 18th century conspiracists, John Robison and Abbe Barruel. My prior reading indicated that this had never occurred but they simply acknowledged (belatedly) the work done by the other (and, in fact, Barruel was quite dismissive of Robison's work. Vernon Stauffer's seminal work on this topic provides a quote in support of this. It's a bit of minutiae we can arm wrestle over elsewhere and it does not in any way lessen the assumptions, conclusions or assessments which cover FAR more ground more accurately and intelligently than any other work on this topic. The other quibble involved the loss by the town of Roswell, New Mexico of some 5,000 souls between the start of a paragraph and the end. Then again, who knows: maybe it was a conspiracy!
Like the Hodapp family predecessors, this is a book with an easy to read style and it's one you can consume in small pieces at your leisure. I'll bet, though, that like me you'll devour it within a few pleasant hours and set it down having learned a bunch of things about events and organizations you thought you had thoroughly understood prior to that. If you're looking to debunk things like the origins of the Rosicrucians or your friend who's convinced he has all the facts about 9/11, then this is the book for you. Of course, if you think that David Icke is the true messiah or that Coast to Coast is more factual than National Public Radio, you won't enjoy it AT ALL! Move along: there's nothing to see here....
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