Customer Reviews

The illuminati papers

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4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

R.A.W. is my new favorite Writer. This man is a Genius. He is so far ahead of his time, that he will be Immortalized with Einstein, Crowley, etc. Robert Anton Wilson is one of the very few writers I have experienced, who sees through the smokescreens and delves into the mysteries, with a SMI(2)LE on his face <g>
R.A.W. does not take himself too seriously, nor does he take society, government, religion or Secret Societies too seriously. This is one of the most Humorous books I have read recently--however, it will only be funny to those with a fairly decent knowledge base of; Physics, Quantum Physics, The Occult, Anthropology, Psychology, Secret Societies, Conspiracy Theories (see R.A.W.'s "Everything is Under Control"), and a good understanding of the fact that we are, indeed, living on "The Planet of The Apes."
R.A.W. hit the nail on the head, with his theory that we are "Domesticated Primates" --look around, and read the news.
The Essays, articles, quotes, reading lists, poetry, Scientific/Psychological breakdowns of the situation Domesticated Primates have gotten themselves into is fascinating and makes more sense than most of the theories circulating in the media, schools, etc.
I am studying Anthropology, and I have always studied various religions and Psychology...and I find "The Illuminati Papers" to be a revealing and important book to be circulated among the Eggheads. Most folks will not like it, because Americans do not read much and this book will make them feel inadequate. However, many people will "get it" and they will treasure this Tome of Wisdom.
"The Illuminati Papers" contains wonderful articles, essays, etc.--such as "The Abolition of Stupidity," "Quantum Mechanics as a Branch of Primate Psychology," "An Incident on Cumberland Avenue," "Beyond Theology: The Science of Godmanship," "Stupidynamics" & "Hey, man, are you only using half of your brain?"
This book seems small and appears to be a "quick read." However, this is a book that will often have you thinking more than reading. I often found myself wandering back to the pages, after some paragraph or line triggered a series of thoughts that carried me away into Contemplation for a while. I was astounded that I did not finish it in one or two sittings. This is definitely a Thinking person's book. I would raise a suspicious eyebrow at anyone who reads through it, swiftly....or look for Diplomas on their walls, stating that they are a Physicist, Neurologist, or Psychologist.... or, perhaps, a "Super Anthropologist." :-)

You've obviously never used a Ouija Board. By the way, R.A.W. has done it again - telling it like it is (from his point of view, anyway). To those who aren't sure whether or not to take him seriously, just remember - Hermes was a trickster, but he was the only way out of the underworld. Welcome to Wonderland.

Intelligent, nebulous, and amusing but full of contradictions.
Apparently, Wilson is a man of influence backed up by the crown of England. He is a futurist, a psychologist, and a previous playboy magazine editor that have found the answers for everything!! That must be really nice....
One more thing, Wilson should alter his picture at the end of the book that shows him lighting up a cigarette. The photo does not make him look like the intellectual he is, but instead it might be misinterpreted by the paranoid as a plug for the corporate tobacco companies and a promotion for addiction!!!

Once again Robert Anton Wilson provides readers with a textual landscape of guerilla ontology. Like a pit bull, the wit bites sharply, and combined with intellectual determination, it holds firmly... to readers with an open willingness for the progressive thought of RAW. The Illuminati Papers is quite an excellent introduction to RAW for those unfamiliar; and with clever (but honest) essays like "The Abolition of Stupidity" and "The Addiction of Economy," one certainly should be compelled to read this man's other intriguing works.

A compilation of articles and interviews dating back to the late 70s. There's an updated intro by Mr Wilson for this new edition, in which he states that "Generation X" is generally stupid, and that the population has been dumbed down. Hmm, I reckon scientists could have been more stupid in the 70s, as Wilson quotes several who make daft predictions about abolishing work and poverty by the year 2000 and Wilson makes several wildly inaccurate predictions about such matters as the end of work and space migration in language such as: "cybernation plus space colonization plus Leary's I(2) will create an abundance that will make poverty as obsolete in 2001 as smallpox is now." Overall, I would say it is hit and miss, but that there is some interesting stuff in here.

...but entertaining nonetheless and if you are into numerology, synchronicities, physics, and conspiracies, I recommend this book heartily. Near the back of the book is a great graphic that shows the history of physics, as well as one that shows the evolution of secret societies - these are interesting. One thing about the book I find troubling though is the extent to which one might be courting negative energies by investigating them so much. Sometimes, it's best not to play with a Ouija board - you never know what you might dig up. RAW is a unique writer and adds I think a significant degree of signal into an otherwise noisy environment of New Age baloney. But it is hard to tell sometimes when he is pulling your leg....

Yeah, yeah, I liked the book. What I don't get is the one review that said RAW was paranoid but then warned you not to play with a Ouija board because "you never know what you might dig up" (paraphrased). Since when did a stupid toy acquire strange, demonic powers? Now THAT sounds paranoid to me.

Robert Anton Wilson predicted repeatedly since the 1970's, including in this book, that we would have seen the conquest of aging and death by now. The reality check he experienced in January 2007 suggests that people should deeply discount his value as a visionary "futurist" from now on.