Product Description

Entering the world of conspiracy theories and secret societies is like stepping into a distant, parallel universe where the laws of physics have completely changed: black means white, up is down, and if you want to understand what’s really going on, you need a good reference book. That’s where Conspiracy Theories & Secret Societies For Dummies comes in.

Whether you’re a skeptic or a true believer, this fascinating guide, packed with the latest information, walks you through some of the most infamous conspiracy theories — such as Area 51 and the assassination of JFK — and introduces you to such mysterious organizations as the Freemasons, the Ninjas, the Mafia, and Rosicrucians. This behind–the–curtain guide helps you separate fact from fiction and helps you the global impact of these mysterious events and groups on our modern world. Discover how to:

• Test a conspiracy theory
• Spot a sinister secret society
• Assess the Internet’s role in fueling conspiracy theories
• Explore world domination schemes
• Evaluate 9/11 conspiracy theories
• Figure out who “they” are
• Grasp the model on which conspiracy theories are built
• Figure out whether what “everybody knows” is true
• Distinguish on assassination brotherhood from another
• Understand why there’s no such thing as a “lone assassin”

Why do hot dogs come in packages of ten, while buns come in eight–packs? Everybody knows its a conspiracy, right? Find out in Conspiracy Theories & Secret Societies For Dummies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #108188 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 362 pages

From the Back Cover
What do Skull & Bones, the Kennedys, and UFOs all have in common?

Your guide to an undiscovered world of arcane rites and rituals

Whether you′re a skeptic or a true believer, this fascinating guide, packed with the latest information, walks you through some of the most infamous conspiracy theories — such as Area 51 and the assassination of JFK — and introduces you to such mysterious organizations as the Freemasons, the Ninjas, the Mafia, and Rosicrucians. Sorting out fact from fiction, you′ll be able to explore their global impact on society today.

Discover how to:

• Test a conspiracy theory

• Spot a sinister secret society

• Assess the Internet′s role in fueling conspiracy rumors

• Explore world domination schemes

• Evaluate 9/11 conspiracy theories

About the Author
Christopher Hodapp is a 32° Freemason and a member of the Masonic order of the Knights Templar. His first book, Freemasons For Dummies, has quickly become the most popular modern guide to the ancient and accepted fraternity of Freemasonry. He’s also the author of Solomon’s Builders: Freemasons, Founding Fathers and the Secrets of Washington D.C., and co–author of The Templar Code For Dummies. He attended Indiana University, the University of Southern California, Los Angeles Valley Community College, and California State University Northridge. In 2006, Chris received the Duane E. Anderson Excellence in Masonic Education Award from the Grand Lodge of Minnesota. He has written for Templar History Magazine, Masonic Magazine, The Scottish Rite Journal, The Indiana Freemason, and Indianapolis Monthly, and he’s a monthly columnist for Living Naturally First magazine. Chris has also spent more than 20 years as a commercial filmmaker.

Alice Von Kannon has been an advertising executive, a teacher, a writer, and even a greedy and villainous landlord. A history junkie beyond the help of an intervention since the age of 14, her studies of Near Eastern religious cults and sects led to her first book, The Templar Code For Dummies, co–written with Chris Hodapp. She’s studied film production at Los Angeles Valley Community College and history at California State University Northridge, and she’s worked for many years in advertising as a writer and broadcast producer. Alice has traveled widely in Europe and the Middle East and written on the subject of the Barbary Wars and the birth of the U.S. Navy. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and the Order of the Grail, the fraternal body of the International College of Esoteric Studies.

Customer Reviews

Authors not objective about alternative 9/11 theories
I turned directly to the section on 9/11 and was suprised by what I found. I was hoping for an unbiased account of the actual events and the current conspiracy theories. Instead I found the author(s) described the 'alternative' accounts with a derisive/condescending tone. For exmaple, when talking about 'Truthers' (those involved in the Truth Movement and who believe 9/11 was an "inside job") the author states: "Among the first and crankiest of the Truthers was Austin, Texas, talk radio personality Alex Jones." [page 141] The air of contempt for 'Truthers' continues throughout the chapter.

Another example of the authors' blatant bias is when talking of Al-Qaeda: "So as for the Truthers who contend that bin Laden and Al-Qaeda are innocent, we have only this to say: Bin Laden's coy denials in videotapes released to Arabic Al Jazeera TV Network were deliberate messages to the West..."[page 142]. This reeks of a parent talking to a child who doesn't know any better.

Whether or not the reader agrees with the 'Truthers', the authors leave no room to respect both perpectives. Instead they constantly portay the 'Truthers' beliefs as nonesense rather than a possible alternative. It is as though the section on 9/11 should have been called 'Those silly Truthers and their ridiculous 9/11 conspiracy theories'.

I looked to see what 'qualified' the authors to write on such topics and see if they were in a position to be impartial. The first author Christopher Hodapp is an active Freemason and the other author, Alice Von Kannon was an Advertising Executive...

I haven't read any other sections yet, but I wonder if the section on Freemasons will be just as one-sided in it's coverage.

This has really knocked my confidence in the For Dummies series.

informative
it could be informative in terms of outlining in general the UFO incidents,and the secret societies's history and their connection to conspiracy theories and according to the authors some of them are just smoke and mirrors.One point to bear in mind that one of the major conpiracy theories debunked by the authors is assassination of JFK as conspiracy despite their aknowledgement that more than 2000 books which had been published about the incident are rather supportive of the conspiracy theories in which i agree espcially that some of the researchers worked for the company or assosiated with them.Neverhteless, this book is very informative and has enlarged my appetite fo further reading more conspiracy theories books such as memoires illustrating the histories of jacobinism and tomb of Jacque de moley.