Dan Brown's Day

Today is a nice day to own a bookstore as the new Dan Brown book is out. Janet Maslin of the New York Times is happy with the book. Lev Grossman has a review at Time, he thinks it works too, although he says the ending is weak. It looks like if you liked the last one, you will like this one. As lots of people liked that one, I bet sales will be through the roof. I am sure I will read it at some point.

Apparently, the Masons are at the center of this plot. Going from the Catholic Church to the Masons is a bit like going from the Empire to the Trade Federation, but at least they are cloaked in some level of mystery. Jay Kinney has a new book called the Masonic Myth that hopes to burst the conspiracy bubble. It lays out the history, the activities and the future of the Masons. Kinney's book is dispassionate, but I bet conspiracy theorists inspired by the Brown book will enjoy trying to read between the lines and to know the real truth.

On the topic of Masons, if you ever visit Alexandria, VA, you should stop by the giant George Washington Masonic Temple. Well worth your time.