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SECRETS OF THE CODE:
THE UNAUTHORIZED GUIDE TO THE MYSTERIES
BEHIND THE DA VINCI CODE

Since first published in 2003, millions of readers have been caught up in the The Da Vinci Code mania, debating its controversial themes and wondering what is fact and what is fiction. Now the wave intensifies: the paperback edition of The Da Vinci Code is available, and the movie version will soon be on screens worldwide. Millions more readers and moviegoers will be asking the same questions—and again finding the answers in the world’s best selling companion to the Da Vinci Code phenomenon:  New York Times and worldwide bestseller SECRETS OF THE CODE: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code.

SECRETS OF THE CODE explores the religious, historic, artistic, and scientific questions that emerge in the novel. It features interviews and commentary along a wide spectrum of opinion by renowned scholars, theologians, scientists and historians on such topics as the true identity of Mary Magdalene and feminine influences in the early days of Christianity, the Gnostic Gospels and other alternative scriptures, the meaning of the search for the Holy Grail in history, the facts concerning the secret societies discussed in The Da Vinci Code from the Priory of Sion to Opus Dei, and much more.

First published in 2004, Secrets of the Code spent over five months on the New York Times Bestseller list and has been a bestseller worldwide in nearly thirty foreign editions, with over a million books in print. 

“My goal in writing SECRETS was to explore all the major mysteries of history – from religious history to art history – suggested by the plot of The Da Vinci Code,” said Dan Burstein, the book’s creator and editor. “I assume there are a lot of other readers out there like myself who want to know what is fact and what is fiction in The Da Vinci Code. SECRETS will give everyone the tools to be able to develop their own ideas in response to many of the provocative questions the novel touches on.”

No one has followed The Da Vinci Code’s impact on our culture for the past two years better than Dan Burstein and the “Secrets” team. The result is a substantially revised and updated edition featuring new and exciting material for Da Vinci Code fans, including:

* Updated interviews The team went back to the key contributors to Secrets of the Code--including  Margaret Starbird, Bart Ehrman, and Rev. Richard McBrien--to get their latest insights on The Da Vinci Code phenomenon.

* “In Search of Dan Brown,” by David A. Shugarts
A revelatory mini-biography of novelist Dan Brown: where does he get his ideas? What are the influences on him? How did he come to be one of the world’s bestselling novelist of all time? What are some of his biggest secrets?

* “Secrets of Sand and Stone: The Da Vinci Code and New Archeological Finds” by Gwen Kinkead
A behind the scenes look at symbologists, archaeologists and treasure hunters who are decoding codes, translating ancient documents, interpreting symbols, and making history-changing finds today.

 * “Thank You Lord, May I Have Another?” by Craig Hoffman
Hoffman casts a gimlet eye on the inner workings of Opus Dei, the controversial, secret sect that is the evil heart of The Da Vinci Code.

* “The Da Vinci Code and Jewish Culture,” by Rabbi Asher Jacobson
How Dan Brown uses intriguing ideas relating to Judaism, its history, and its symbols—including background of gender roles, sex and sexuality, and the divine feminine.

* “New Discoveries about the ‘Grand Master’ Himself: Leonardo since The Da Vinci Code,” by Cathleen McGuigan
Learn more about Leonardo and his secrets, including a newly discovered portrait of Mary Magdalene. And meet the German art historian who claims she has found the model for the Mona Lisa.

* “The Cardinal and the Code,” by Dan Burstein
In 2005, a cardinal close to the papacy admonished Catholics worldwide: “Don’t buy this book. Don’t read it because this is rotten food.” Why would the Catholic Church try and censure The Da Vinci Code—two years after publication? And have Catholics been listening?

* “The Case of the Purloined Plot?”
Meet Lewis Perdue, author of The Daughter of God, which, he claimed in a lawsuit, was plagiarized by Dan Brown—right down to the name of the heroine, the death of a major art figure, and a series of deep, dark secrets allegedly covered up by the Catholic Church.

* “What’s Next For Robert Langdon?” by David A. Shugarts
Find out what Dan Brown will do for early American history what he did for early Christian history in The Da Vinci Code. We preview the themes of his next book, “The Solomon Key.”
 
All this, plus the “Thirty Best Books Related to The Da Vinci Code;” a collection of fascinating facts, figures, and ephemera that takes the pulse of The Da Vinci Code effect; and, what Faithful Reader has to say about books that take on the novel from a religious point of view—and finds a secular guide, Secrets of the Code, to be the best of the lot.

Meticulously researched and compulsively readable, SECRETS OF THE CODE provides views and commentary to help readers sort out fact from fiction. The book also captures in one volume the best of all the major media commentary prompted by The Da Vinci Code. With its rich content and diverse perspectives on all the major questions, SECRETS OF THE CODE is perfect for book clubs and discussion groups.

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DAN BURSTEIN is the founder of Millennium Technology Ventures, a New York-based venture capital firm that invests in innovative new technology companies. He is also an award-winning journalist and author of six prior books on global economics and technology, including Yen! Euroquake, Road Warriors, and Big Dragon. He is also the co-editor of Secrets of Angels and Demons, and co-author of BLOG! How the Newest Media Revolution is Changing Politics, Business and Culture.

SECRETS OF THE CODE:
The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code
Edited by Dan Burstein
Publication date: March 2006
544 pages; trade paperback, illustrations, ISBN 1593152736; $14.95
672 pages; mass market paperback, illustrations, ISBN 1593153678; $7.99