The Secrets Series

Secrets of the Lost SymbolSecrets of The Lost Symbol
The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind "The Da Vinci Code" Sequel
by
Dan Burstein and Arne de Keijzer

In Secrets of the Lost Symbol the award-winning journalist and bestselling author Dan Burstein and co-editor Arne de Keijzer have once again assembled an impressive roster of world-class thinkers to shed light on the rich and important ideas woven into Dan Brown's latest blockbuster, creating another one of their definitive reader's guides.

"Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol may be a beach read, but underneath the sand, it is a novel of ideas," Burstein declares.

Exploring the mysteries, unraveling the real-life revelations, and helping readers separate fact from cleverly invented fiction has been Burstein and de Keijzer's mission since the publication of their bestselling Secrets of the Code. Snapped up by Da Vinci Code fans, Secrets of the Code quickly became a huge success, appearing on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists and several others. It also became an international best seller translated into more than two dozen languages.

Secrets of the Lost Symbol features the insights of scholars, authors, journalists and leading thinkers from many fields who cover subjects ranging from Freemasons to the Founding Fathers, from the "ancient mysteries" to "noetic science", and from Enlightenment Europe to the cryptic art and symbols of Washington, D.C. Along the way, readers will delve into centuries-old controversies, decrypt codes inside the novel, decode symbols and metaphors, and discover amazing facts about thought-experiments, the art of the Capitol, the Smithsonian, and much more. Contributors include:

  • Rabbi Irwin Kula, whose insightful commentary delves into the ways in which The Lost Symbol connects to the major debates in religion and spirituality today.
  • New Testament expert Deirdre Good similarly parses out a potential problem in the "new age" religious vision of The Lost Symbol: It's the self-absorption of "me" in a world that needs a stronger "we."
  • Commentaries from Lynne McTaggart and Marilyn Mandala Schlitz, the two noetic scientists who are the actual real life models for the Katherine Solomon character in The Lost Symbol. They are each doing intriguing research into the effect of thought on matter, remote healing, the randomness and connectedness of events and people, and the power of intentionality.
  • A rare interview with Jim Sanborn, the sculptor of the enigmatic Kryptos art work referred to by Dan Brown in The Lost Symbol. The sculpture sits outside CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, and has defied all code breaking efforts to decrypt its fourth layer of secret messages.
  • An interview with Michael Parkes, the painter of the Three Graces, a real life art work that figures prominently in the villain Mal'akh's home in The Lost Symbol.
  • Several of Freemasonry's leading intellectuals - Arturo de Hoyos, Mark Tabbert, and Mark Koltko-Rivera - reveal the "real history" of Masonry and also explore what Dan Brown got right and wrong in writing about this society with so many powerful secrets.
  • Mitch Horowitz, author of a notable recent book on the occult in American history, explains why our history is a lot stranger than most Americans think.
  • Eamon Javers from Politico amusingly roams the halls of Congress looking for contemporary members of Masonic lodges.
  • David Plotz, editor of Slate, who grew up in Washington, D.C., offers a witty commentary about why Dan Brown has Washington all wrong in The Lost Symbol.
  • Jeff Sharlet, who wrote about the "The Family," compares the fear in The Lost Symbol that the Masonic membership and bizarre rituals practiced by our nation's highest ranking political leaders might be exposed with his actual experiences trying to raise warnings about a real life cult at the heart of power in Washington.
  • Secrets team investigative reporter David A. Shugarts, who predicted five years ago that Dan Brown's next book would be about the Freemasons and that Washington D.C. would be at the heart of the novel, takes readers on a "Magical Masonic Mystical" tour of Washington, with stops ranging from the Capitol Rotunda with its magnificent fresco of the Apotheosis of Washington to the National Cathedral with its Darth Vader grotesque on its facade.

There is only one Dan Brown. And there is also only one "Secrets" team that has achieved worldwide bestseller success providing the curious reader with compelling and authoritative explorations into the thought-provoking ideas that lie behind Dan Brown's action-adventure novels. Compelling and controversial, Secrets of the Lost Symbol provides plenty of food for thought for Dan Brown's fans as well as his critics. There is no better way to understand The Lost Symbol than to read Secrets of the Lost Symbol.

For more about the book, additional content, and an exclusive Lost Symbol slide show of Washington, DC, please turn to our blog: https://secretsofthelostsymbol.wordpress.com

For the full table of contents, click here.

For the full list of contributors, click here.