An interesting and diverse look at the different secret societies and cults in the world. Many I have heard of, but didn't know much about them and many I had never heard of before. Full of facts, quirks and history of the different groups.
For the groups that I had heard of before, I was able to get a better understanding of who they are, what they represent and the known ins and outs of them. So many times we hear of these groups in passing or bits of them are picked up and used in movies, tv shows and the such, but we just don't really know too much about them to understand if they are being treated incorrectly.
I would like to see this book in a larger binding. This is more of a coffee table type book than a sit down and read through, because it doesn't go into the full history of each group, but does give quite a bit of information to get one through the basic understanding of them. I could honestly see this book sparking many a debate in a social atmosphere when friends are getting together. It's also a great book to give to anyone who has such interests, because it gives the reader enough to go on if they want to do further searching on them.
Format wise, I liked the back and white photography throughout the book. Something about B&W creates a more classic look and crisper look. I enjoyed the history and where each are now and further info on each group. I didn't like the pages with all the eyes on them though. They started to bother my own eyes after a bit.
I recommend this to just about any reader. Yes, there are some cults that it deals with, but it doesn't get into the nitty gritty of them that may affect one adversely. For the spiritual and religious ones, you don't have spirituality thrown in your face, it grazes over it. A good read for just about everyone. The book is marketed for ages 12+ and I agree with that. An interesting, informative and fun read for the masses.