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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Intellectual Sourcebook, July 13, 2002
This review is from: Everything Is Under Control: Conspiracies, Cults, and Cover-ups (Paperback)
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.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The book THEY don't want you to read, September 26, 2005
This review is from: Everything Is Under Control: Conspiracies, Cults, and Cover-ups (Paperback)
`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.
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17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conspiracy Theories Galore! The "Lone Gunmen" Handbook ?, June 2, 2002
This review is from: Everything Is Under Control: Conspiracies, Cults, and Cover-ups (Paperback)
Unplug the phones and find a safe corner, away from The Big Screen. Prepare to be enthralled and sucked into the Paranoid world of Conspiracy Theory. All the "Secret Societies," supposed CIA / FBI "cover-ups," assassinations, occult groups, mind control scenarios, banking, NWO, UFO-related, "regression therapy" theories, delusions and confusions you can handle. This book is an Amazing collection of all the most popular Conspiracies, urban myths, paranoid delusions, Cult Weirdness and valid info, imaginable. It's up to YOU to decipher the Truth from the fiction.... R.A.W. just lays the info on the table--You sort it out. Anyone interested in "Secret Societies," Anthropology, Psychology or simply seeks an entertaining read, should add this encyclopedic tome to their collection. You will laugh, you will cry, you will hide under the bed & build a bomb shelter in your spare time. (and don't forget to unplug the phone.... "they" are listening). This is absolutely the best resource for entertaining (and sometimes scary) "Conspiracy Theories." It is an Anthropologist's delight !!! Two thumbs-up to R.A.W. * Note: OTO, Thelema, Sub-Genius & Discordian members will treasure this book, forever.... & F&AM members will enjoy it, if they have a sense of humor <g>
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