The Little Book of Secret Societies by Joel Levy

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

The subtitle pulled me in immediately:  The World’s Most Notorious Organizations and How to Join Them.  Not that I would want to join them, since I follow the sage observation of Groucho Marx who once said he’d never join any club that have him as a member.

The book divides the societies into five broad groups:  Elite Societies (Freemasons and Illuminati, for example); Mystical and Occult Societies (Rosicrucians and Druids); Religious Societies (Knights Templar and Opus Dei); Paramilitary and Political Societies (Ninjas, Ku Klux Klan, Al-Qaeda); and Criminal Societies (Yakuza and American Mafia.)

For each entry, there is a box of quick facts, such as when the organization was founded and by whom; a history, insofar as is known; the conspiracy theories; what the skeptics say; an estimate of the global influence of the organization; and finally, a sentence or two on how to join.

Let me be honest and say that I really wasn’t expecting much from this slim volume but I was most pleasantly surprised.  Levy’s histories are succinct but surprisingly informative, and he presents a balanced tone between conspiracy theorists and skeptics, though one can usually determine what Levy really thinks from the “Global Influence” entry. The “How to Join” section is most pithy. If one wishes to become a member of the Chinese criminal fraternity called a Triad, the advice is “Learn to speak Chinese and brush up on your martial arts and invulnerability magic.”  For the Bilderberg meeting, you only have to “Make a billion dollars, get elected to high office, or make friends with a member of the steering committee.” Joining the John Birch Society is even easier—just sign up on their website.

Die-hard consipiracy theorists probably won’t enjoy this book, but if you’ve ever wondered a bit about some of the best known secret societies (now there’s an oxymoron!) this book will give you at least a basic idea.  I hadn’t heard of a number of these, and others I had only heard vague references to so I was pleased to know more.  The book lists books sources, website sources, AND has an index, which warmed my little librarian heart.