The Secret Societies Bible: The Definitive Guide to Mysterious Organizations

by Joel Levy

The definitive guide to those mysterious organizations that operate in secrecy. The incredible popularity of the Da Vinci Code books and films, and their imitators, has revealed the ongoing fascination with secret societies. The Secret Societies Bible reveals the hidden facts behind the world's most mysterious organizations. Fully illustrated with rarely published photographs and artworks, the book delves deep into the myth and reality of these societies from around the world, describing each group's origin, initiation rites and other rituals. Author Joel Levy also reveals well-known members of these societies and their influence on finances, politics and world events. A code-breaker checklist of secret signs and symbols is especially interesting to the general reader. The book covers the world's most important religious, mystical and occult societies, such

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, History

400 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2010

About the author

Joel Levy is a writer and journalist specializing in science and history. He is the author of over a dozen books, including The Little Book of Conspiracies and Scientific Feuds: From Galileo to the Human Genome Project. Phobiapedia is his first book for children.

Reviews

[Elliot Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember chilling with some girls back in college and they had no clue nor ever heard of Masons. I can't recall when exactly I read this book, but it was some time way after college. This book is as an encyclopedia upon various organizations of the world that are out here. This is very informational. People take conspiracy theories as bogus, but I believe that they are just afraid to face reality. This book is not about conspiracy theories, but about the people and the organizations who are behind them. Knowledge

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is a list of "secret" societies but there is not much information, just history, and NO secrets.

[Smellsofbikes · Rating 4 out of 5]

great wide-ranging book, although it would probably be fair to characterize it as freemasons, anti-freemasons, and kooks. Enormous amount of material, written fairly engagingly, like a text-heavy birdwatching book.

[Sarah Sanity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and right up my alley!

Each section is only a couple of pages long so if you need more on anything you can research further. It is a little limited in that affect but there's always google and an all-nighter for the rest. ;)

It does contain a LOT of societies etc rosicrucians and masons but also it contains occult groups and features crowely and fraternities all with pics and historical facts.

The book is small and you can carry it around for easy access. It's worth having on a shelf to point out things to the uninitiated if they are interested in looking further. It would good if there were more like this on other legends and history that has been watered down by those looking to possibly hide it.

[Cem Yüksel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Çok miktarda örgütü, geçmişten bugüne kadar anlatmaya çalışınca , bir miktar sözlük havası veriyor. Tarihi sıralamada ve anlatımda da bir miktar karışıklık var. Diğer yandan bu tip örgütlerin etrafında yaratılan mit ve hikayeleri bertaraf eden argümanları yerinde. Neler varmış diye bakacaklar için. Detaylar için ayrı kaynaklara başlamadan.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay little reference book. Somewhat unbalanced as Masons got a huge section and the Triads got 5 pages.

[Rudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leuk boek met geschiedenis en weetjes over enkele van de vele stammen verscholen tussen meer openbare stammen

[Миша · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful for figuring out what tf conspiracy theorists aee talking about

[Pvw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting this to be a rather silly overview that relied more on the accompanying pictures and some half-tested rumours, than on solid facts. I was wrong. Levy writes with a sound knowledge of his subject and the text might very well stand by itself, without the aid of the colourful layout.

Though brief, the book offers a good insight in truth and fiction about secret societies, and also in the mechanisms of myth making that surround many occult groups. Sometimes rumours are spread by the enemies of a certain group, either deliberately or out of paranoia. Other times, the memebers themselves deliberately make up their own history, or they do so unknowingly because they themselves don't have a clear picture of the origins of their movement. In general of course, occult organisations are a lot less ancient than they are portrayed in popular belief.

An excellent overview of the nature and the origins of the mysterious organisations that everyone must have heard of.

[Sarah "Kat"]

recycled. didn't read.

[Stuart]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13089541

[Halina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, it's kinda just the basic stuff.

[Rania]

Interesting

[Alexandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice introductory book to the well-known secret societies in the world.