Everything Is Under Control: Conspiracies, Cults, and Cover-ups (Paperback)

by Robert A. Wilson (Author) "A random telephone survey of 800 American adults in September 1996 found that 74 percent-virtually three out of four citizens-believe that the U.S. government regularly..." (more)
Key Phrases: demonic duck, noon blue apples, potere occulto, New York, United States, Priory of Sion (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Robert Anton Wilson is the grand pooh-bah of late-20th-century conspiracy theory, but regular Wilson fans may find Everything Is Under Control inchoate in comparison to such masterworks as the Illuminatus! trilogy. The format may be encyclopedic, but the information isn't; to note one glaring omission, the only entries on Ronald Reagan refer readers to three other entries in which Reagan is briefly mentioned--none of which has anything to do with Iran-Contra. (Actually, there is a listing for Iran-Contra, but again, it merely points to some of the pieces of the puzzle.)

The book's primary value, then, apart from the snippets of conspiracy "proof" it does provide, is in Wilson's playful yet insightful articulation of the psychology and linguistics of conspiratorial thinking. "Because we can say 'the Jews' or 'the New World Order' or 'the Patriarchy,'" he writes, "we can believe, or almost believe, that these grammatical abstractions have the same kind of reality as basketballs, barking dogs, and baked beans." There are also some fun private jokes, including a lot of data on the Discordians. It's not the best Wilson book--that, perhaps, is Masks of the Illuminati--but it's an adequate introduction to his imaginative philosophy. --Ron Hogan

From Library Journal
To call Wilson (b. 1932) merely a prolific sf writer is both to underrate his output?at least 2000 articles and 20 books by 1996?and to limit what he does in generic terms. Most famous for two trilogies that are indeed identified mostly as science fiction?Illuminatus! (1984) and Schroedinger's Cat (1988)?Wilson revels in alternate consciousness, 1960s-flavored mysticism, the Internet, and making connections among phenomena that often appear to be disconnected. All those concerns make this book both fascinating and useful but perplexing. Wilson has always had great fun mining contemporary conspiracy cultures (his best-known works are based on millennium-old notions that all of human history is shaped by secret societies), but the problem with this encyclopedia of plots and plot-discoverers is his thorough authorial embrace of irony and humor. Just when a reader is convinced that Wilson's aim is to deflate a particular canard, he seems to affirm another's legitimacy. In the final analysis, this exhaustive work provides both fun and information; each entry closes with a source citation, often and appropriately a website. While not exactly balanced, this work is a good addition to libraries with strong science fiction or popular culture collections. Academic libraries with browsing or "lighter entertainment" sections should also consider.?Scott H. Silverman, Bryn Mawr Coll. Lib., Upper Darby, PA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Collins; 1 edition (June 23, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062734172
• ISBN-13: 978-0062734174
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #110,419 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Intellectual Sourcebook, July 13, 2002

By	OAKSHAMAN "oakshaman" (Algoma, WI United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

Ordinarily, I would not touch anything sub-titled "Conspiracies, Cults, and Cover-ups" with a ten foot pole. However, I noticed that it was written by Robert Anton Wilson- I had already read all three of his _Cosmic Trigger_ books plus his excellent _Coincidance_. I had Wilson to thank for explaining the work of James Joyce to me so that I could finally comprehend him, so I knew that this book ,too, must be written with intelligence and perception. I was not dissappointed.
If you are jaded and believe that there is nothing new under the sun that you have not already heard of, then get this book. It has been the starting point for so much of my personal research and developement over the last few years that I don't know where to start. It was this book that introduced me to Noam Chomsky's work. And there is just so much more: the Illuminati, the Federal Reserve, the Bank of America Conspiracy, the Bilderbergers, the Great Satanic Conspiracy, the gnostic thought of Phillip K. Dick, the corruption index, the Council on Foreign Relations, Daimonic Reality, the Merovingian Kings, Fletcher Prouty, the "Great Pirates" of Bucky Fuller, LAWCAP, etc., etc., etc.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The book THEY don't want you to read, September 26, 2005

By	E. David Swan (South Euclid, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

`Everything is Under Control' is an A to Z listing of hundreds of conspiracy theories and cover-ups that pervade the minds of paranoids. The main issue I had with the book is how quickly the author cruises through topics. Some items are touched on so lightly that I'm not even sure what Mr. Wilson is talking about. It's disappointing not because the subject matter is boring but because it's so interesting that the short descriptions left me wanting more.

Although the author is clearly a skeptic concerning many of the classic conspiracy theories not all conspiracies are equal and his lack of commentary may leave some readers confused. The Church of the Sub-Genius is fairly self evident as parody while others like the Discordian Society may be less so and the author doesn't discern between parody and sincere conspiracy theories. The other problem is that he doesn't differentiate between the absurd and the likely, for instance when Noam Chomsky claims that the media is owned by a handful of billionaires it's not really a conspiracy theory since it's pretty much true. On the other hand the Illuminati's relationship with extra-terrestrials is clearly the product of some overactive imaginations. When Mr. Wilson talks about a seemingly legit conspiracy like the P2 in Italy (which I had never heard of) it's hard for me to know whether or not to take it seriously. I think the book would have been improved if the author had gone into more detail on less subjects. Do people really care about Howard Hughes's legal difficulties with TWA or whether John Hull ran guns through Costa Rica or that psychologists spent a million dollars to avoid government regulations?

In some ways the author is like a magician who doesn't want to reveal his tricks. There is a tiny bit of debunking and some subtle tweaks to the reader but the conspiracies are generally presented as is leaving it up to us to decide. Did our government really do extensive testing with chemical agents on unsuspecting American populaces during the 50's and 60's? There is enough known evidence that it is certainly plausible.

Despite any issues I had with the organization and focus of the book I found it absolutely fascinating and had a difficult time putting it down. I suppose it might fall under the category of a reference guide or introductory primer to the world of paranoia. I look forward to reading other books by the author that go into more detail.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Primo Overview, July 30, 2003

By	Mandy (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews

"Everything is Under Control" may not be the most handy conspiracy reference book possible, but the breadth of what it covers is remarkable and it's as funny and accessible as all Wilson books. I read most of the book in coast-to-coast transit, and I was singled out to be searched at every airport while this book was in my carry-on. I can't help but interpret that as meaning that "Everything is Under Control" is the kind of book that Big Brother worries about, and that speaks pretty highly for it.