Customer Reviews

Secrets of the Code (Running Press Miniature Editions)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

SECRETS OF THE CODE by Dan Burstein describes itself as the unauthorized guide to Dan Brown's THE DAVINCI CODE, apparently because Brown has a website that acts as the "official" guide for readers interested in the source material he used to construct his book. However, rather than point to a long list of books, many of which I have read, Burstein's book also focuses on passages of those books that are relevant to the script of Brown's book.

Most amazingly Brown's book did not include as much as it could have. Although he may have relied on some sources more than others, it becomes apparent on reading Burstein's book that Brown (and Burstein) faced an almost overwhelming amount of material.

Burstein has excerpted relevant passages from many works, interviewed a notable list of authors including Dan Brown, and included material from articles about Brown's book or some aspect of the book found in various respected publications. Probably one of the most interesting sections includes reflections, comments and articles by individuals who currently belong or have belonged to Opus Dei. Theologians, art historians, and at least one "symbologist" have been included in the list of folks to comment on varous topics in the book.

In one section, the journalist David Shugarts responds to questions he has previously researched concerning the technical aspects of the plot. He reports on "geographical positioning systems (GPS), maps, automobiles, logistics, aircraft, weapons and computer search engines, and other technological plot elements. According to Shugarts, Mr. Brown got many thing right and several things wrong.

I liked this book very much because I found it informative without being judgmental, and sections of it are as interesting as the original Brown book. Although the various contributors have their own often opposing points of view which they often express, Mr. Burstein, as nearly as I can tell, has no position one way or another, and thus acts as a reasonable mediator.

I suspect that it was inevitable that with the success of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code it was only a matter of time before the copy-cats began showing up. Secrets of the Code by Dan Burstein isn't exactly like a copy-cat, but it does bang on the points made by Brown. In fact, this is really the fourth book dealing with some aspect of Grail mythology.....

Burstein has pulled together contributors from a wide range of disciplines....archaeology, art history, religion, philosopy among others. While I don't recognize the contibutors, we are led to believe that they represent of leaders in their respective fields.

If you've been captivated by Browns book, then Secrets of the Code is a must read for you. A quick look around book stores or public libraries will reveal a wide range of other books on the general topics of Mary Magdalene, the Holy Grail, and Templar mythology....but honestly, Secrets of the Code is among the best.

Dan Browns Da Vinci Code is probably one of the most controversial books to appear since I've been dealing with the reading public as a librarian. Secrets of the Code, if read and heeded, will give you the facts you need to debate Browns book intelligently.

Get the book....read it.

Out of all of the books out there that attempt to explore the ideas from The Da Vinci Code, this one is by far the best jumping off point.

Many of the books out there are written very one-sided, either trying to discredit all of Dan Brown's work or taking it to the extreme. This book takes the ideas one at a time and presents many different opinions on them -- conservative, extreme, and opinions in between.

The author is basically a person who didn't know much about this stuff prior to reading The Da Vinci Code. Like many of us, he wanted to learn more. He went out, researched all the material he could get his hands on, and presents all the ideas he found here.

He doesn't take the arguments, and try to draw conclusions and tell you what happened. He just says here is what different people think and why. It's up to you, the reader, to form your own opinion from all of the different arguments out there.

It is a great way to begin your search for more information. It presents many different viewpoints, using excerpts from books, magazines, websites, and interviews.

The sources of all the arguments are clearly identified, so you know just where to go to explore certain ideas further.

This is the ultimate starting point to finding your own answers.

I am very impressed with how thorough and intelligent this book is. After reading a couple of other books claiming to answer the questions asked in Dan Brown's book (Hanegraaff and Maier's "DVC: Fact or Fiction?" and Lunn's "DVC Decoded") I was hungry for a book that didn't just blindly believe conspiracies or biblical word. Burstein has collected a full range of essays that cover all sides of this argument. I feel like I have learned a lot about the early Christian church, Gnosticism, the Templars, and the controversy behind the Priory of Sion. And I feel prepared for many "water cooler discussions" when the upcoming movie is released.

As others have said, this book is not for anyone encumbered with religious blinkers. Neither will it answer the big question of exactly how much of "The Da Vinci Code" is truth and how much is fiction - though you will be able to classify quite a lot of it.

What it will do is clarify what is known, what is speculative and what is unknown. And it will give you a head start into a lot of history which is fascinating and was never taught in any religious classes I attended. Had it been, I would likely have been and remained a lot more interested.

So if you know it all and just want your knowledge confirmed, avoid this book. It will just upset you and maybe even confuse you with doubt.

But if you want to hear informed and sometimes conflicting views and arguments and learn a lot of most interesting facts about the foundations of western culture and thought, this is a great read.

Dan Burstein is a business executive pushing venture capital. Yet, he confesses that he found Dan Brown' The Da Vinci Code entrancing and unforgettable as a novel. He says it is because it is a novel of ideas. Thus, he set out to explore those ideas to see what, if anything, was behind Dan Brown's book.

A personal aside, whenever I read a book and the author gets something that I know wrong that should be obvious, I wonder about other stuff in the book where I don't know anything. In Brown's case, it was his geography of Paris on page 15. Having read "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" recently, I was familiar with the argument he was making, but still, I was skeptical.

Burstein has assembled experts and sources for Brown's book and put them into a readable form. In some cases, he selects excerpts from other books. In other cases, Burstein interviews authors and experts. Some of them support Brown's argument and others don't. Even Opus Dei is given a section. My favorite section was a review of the facts and mistakes in Brown's book by David Shugarts. In some cases, Shugarts finds evidence to support Brown. Some interesting facts include that the publisher has set up phony websites, such as the one for the Swiss bank in the book. The bank does not exist, but it has a website on the Internet.

There is also a glossary of characters and words mentioned by Brown with an explanation. In all, Burstein has put together an excellent collection of readings for anyone interested in The Da Vinci code.

There are 75+ short articles, interviews and excerpts in this book all related to key topics in "The Da Vinci Code" such as Mary Magdalene, the sacred feminine, the Gnostic texts, early Christianity, secret societies, Leonardo Da Vinci, codes and symbols. It's a lot of ground to cover: Burstein has done a superb job in finding selections to do that (all in under 400 pages).

The quality of the contributors is very high, including gifted speculators such as the writers of "Holy Blood, Holy Grail", top New Testament scholars such as Deidre Good and Elaine Pagels, and even Dan Brown himself (from an interview).

This is decidedly not a refutation of "The Da Vinci Code" but some negative views of that book are included. Although the overall tone seems liberal, this doesn't appear to be a pro-Brown book either. After reading it, it left me with as many questions as when I started, although often different ones. It also left me with a list of books to go look for those answers in, books I feel I can trust after reading the corresponding excerpt here.

For me, the most impressive selections were from the New Testament scholars Elaine Pagels and Deidre Good. I was impressed that, despite all their knowledge, they both are very open and acknowledge uncertainties. Whoever Mary Magdalene may have been, and whatever role women may have played in the early Church, it is wonderful that women today like Pagels and Good are making major contributions to our religious understanding. Mary Magdalene would not have been surprised.

I have read several books now about The Da Vinci Code, and this one was one of the best. It is unique because Dan Burstein is not an author presenting his own research and biases, but an editor who has compiled a variety of scholars to present their own research (and to an extent, their own biases) concerning the many questions raised by Dan Brown's novel. As in life, we are left to decide the answers for ourselves. Those who are firm in their beliefs may not enjoy all the passages, but, if you are of an open mind, the journey is worth taking.

I'm enjoying this book a lot. I wouldn't say I was interested in the concepts in The DaVinci Code until I read it. Once I read it I became interested in the facts behind Dan Browns fiction.

Previously I read a couple of books that positioned themselves very much against Dan Browns interpretations of history and while the viewpoints were interesting, I felt they were a bit combative.

Enter "Secrets of the Code" by Dan Burstein. This book really digs in depth on many of the mysteries in the DaVinci Code. Most importantly it presents well balanced discussion from both sides. It doesn't sway one way or the other and just provides information from experts on the topics being discussed and how those concepts relate to the DaVinci Code and history in general.

If you are going to read a book before the movie, make it this one. You won't be disappointed.

I had read the Da Vinci Code one year ago. While I was intrigued by the information presented in the book, I didn't know where I can read up/confirm those insights made in the Da Vinci Code. Then I found this book. This book offers the background information I needed to understand the Da Vinci Code better. It covers lots of ground, include those books Dan Brown researched for his book. It contains interviews/literature presented by authorities on the subject as well as unorthodox interpretations/history of the evolution of Christianity. Overall, very interesting to read. I would have given it a 5 star if it had a summary paragraph for each chapter (for example, the Mary Magadelen chapter is at times hard to follow with the opposing view points presented back to back without transitions in between).