Good over view
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It presents a good overview of the various conspiracy theories and elite organizations, but I think it tries to crunch on too many at the same time and falls a little short of the mark in wrapping it all up in the end. I don't think anybody could wrap it all up at the end because it is just too big. But that doesn't detract from the individual sections before that. Jim Marrs is one of the best writers in the genre, and this another good read from the author.
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Brilliant Beginning, Inexplicable Conclusion
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This book is truly brilliant over its first three sections. One might say that it views the history of western civilization through a lens that most of us would rather avoid. That lens is the notion that we are not really free, but are being manipulated by powerful individuals who only have their own best interests at heart. It is very disconcerting to contemplate the possibility that the work we do, the living we make, benefits the power elite more than it will ever benefit us. Moreover, the idea that the living we make, or try to make, actually makes us more subservient to the power elite, would sound like insane paranoia to most people. This is an idea that the vast majority of the middle and working class would never, ever entertain, much less seriously consider. Marrs suggests that such ideas are probably true. In the first three sections he articulates the methods and motives of those that own the political and economic engines that power western civilization. Is Homo Sapiens essentially a pack animal that naturally organizes itself into social pecking orders; and does this pack animal mentality make it almost impossible for most of us to seriously question and defy authority? Can we accept the description of political power that Jim Marrs offers in this book? If you don't seriously believe that such control of the masses is possible you will never be convinced by any argument. Marrs goes beyond mere paranoid conspiracy by describing in great detail the history of political control in western civilization.
If the book stopped after section three it would be a brilliant piece of alternative history. Unfortunately, Marrs inexplicably enters Chariots of the Gods territory to find an origin for the control of human societies by the power elite. He suggests that Sitchen's interpretation of Sumerian creation myths is the most "compelling" explanation for the origin of homo sapiens as well as the origin of the secret societies that currently control the shape and purpose of our society. In a few dozen pages he destroys the credibility of an argument meticulously constructed in the first three hundred or so pages. Why? Perhaps he just didn't know when to stop. It almost seems that the last section of the book is purposefully meant to undermine what preceded it. There is simply no need to extend the "rule by secrecy" argument into aliens-genetically-manipulated-us territory. Why, Jim, why? I can accept the possiblity that humans have developed highly advanced cultures in prehistoric times, since our species has existed with the same capacity for languistic and intellectual expression for tens of thousands of years. I can believe that we have risen to great technical and philosophical heights many, many times only to destroy ourselves. There is no need to bring ET into the equation. We can be as brilliant, stupid, wonderful and ugly as we need to be to create and ruin our societies, and rise from our own ashes time and time again. The hidden history of human evolution and cultural expression is probably fascinating enough without having to turn it into bad science fiction.
Having said that, I highly recommend Rule By Secrecy to anyone that wants to understand who runs the show we call western civilization, how they do it, and why. Come to your own conclusions about the last section; but don't let it sour you on the brilliance of the text that precedes it.
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Brilliant Beginning, Inexplicable Conclusion
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This book is truly brilliant over its first three sections. One might say that it views the history of western civilization through a lens that most of us would rather avoid. That lens is the notion that we are not really free, but are being manipulated by powerful individuals who only have their own best interests at heart. It is very disconcerting to contemplate the possibility that the work we do, the living we make, benefits the power elite more than it will ever benefit us. Moreover, the idea that the living we make, or try to make, actually makes us more subservient to the power elite, would sound like insane paranoia to most people. This is an idea that the vast majority of the middle and working class would never, ever entertain, much less seriously consider. Marrs argues that such ideas are probably true. In the first three sections he articulates the methods and motives of those that own the political and economic engines that power western civilization. If you think that Homo Sapiens is essentially a pack animal that naturally organizes itself into social pecking orders; and that this pack animal mentality makes it almost impossible for most of us to seriously question and defy authority; then you can accept the description of political power that Jim Marrs offers in this book. If you don't seriously believe that such control of the masses is possible you will never be convinced by any argument. Marrs goes beyond mere paranoid conspiracy by describing in great detail the history of political control in western civilization. If the book stopped after section three it would be a brilliant piece of alternative history. Unfortunately, Marrs inexplicably enters Chariots of the Gods territory to find an origin for the control of human societies by the power elite. He suggests that Sitchen's interpretation of Sumerian creation myths is the most "compelling" explanation for the origin of homo sapiens as well as the origin of the secret societies that currently control the shape and purpose of our society. In a few dozen pages he destroys the credibility of an argument meticulously constructed in the first three hundred or so pages. Why? Perhaps he just didn't know when to stop. It almost seems that the last section of the book is purposefully meant to undermine what preceded it. There is simply no need to extend the "rule by secrecy" argument into aliens-genetically-manipulated-us territory. Why, Jim, why? I can accept the possiblity that humans have developed highly advanced cultures in prehistoric times, since our species has existed with the same capacity for languistic and intellectual expression for tens of thousands of years. I can believe that we have risen to great technical and philosophical heights many, many times only to destroy ourselves. There is no need to bring ET into the equation. We can be as brilliant, stupid, wonderful and ugly as we need to be to create and ruin our societies, and rise from our own ashes time and time again. The hidden history of human evolution and cultural expression is probably fascinating enough without having to turn it into bad science fiction. Having said that, I highly recommend Rule By Secrecy to anyone that wants to understand who runs the show we call western civilization, how they do it, and why. Come to your own conclusions about the last section; but don't let it sour you on the brilliance of the text that precedes it.
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Marrs does it again, in black, white and 'Grey'...
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Jim Marrs brings his usual insight to this book, more than any other one the easiest to understand of all of the "Total Truth" books (volumes that aren't just focused on one area, persay). He begins with a basic panoramic view of the world today, and then he brings us, one backstep at a time, throughout history, explaining Wars, Revolutions, myths, (I learned about the origins of the sinister connotations of Friday The 13th here before I read The Da Vinci Code) and, of course, Secret Societies and their hidden agendas. It is all here, probably as well researched as any of this information can be, for you to decide for yourself. The Icke-ish Reptillian theory maybe the hardest for people to buy, but, as one reviewer somewhere pointed out, if we can evolve from Monkeys, why not another animal? And if you have trouble believing huge Reptiles once ruled the earth, go talk to a Palentologist. Four Stars instead of Five because the Civil War chapter doesn't build a strong enough case for the possibility Rothschild influence. Definite must read, great place to start for Hidden Agendas
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Conspriacy theory, little support, suprise?
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Author makes a number of very interesting claims. His support for the claims is minimal, often quotes apparently taken out of context. Does the author understand Greek|Roman|Babylonian|Sumerian mythology? I have to disagree with many of the mappings made by the author trying to pigeonhole these different ways to organize the world as a surjection. I particularly dislike the sparse evidence of alien ancestors and previous nuclear wars on earth. I hope you don't think that my review is a spoiler because I told you that. If there was a previous atomic bomb detonation, show me the evidence. This should not be difficult, there should be a LOT of it. I also wish there were more solid evidence for these secret societies. What really needs to be done is to create a hypertext document with assertions that you can verify by clicking on them and reading the entire relevant sections of supporting documents and judge for yourself.
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