Before you get any ideas, let me tell you that this is not a book that-you-don't-put-down-till-it's-over. I didn't do it in one read. Heck, even TV serials proved more interesting sometime in the middle. I only say that this is much better than the rest of his books; Angels & Demons included. If those could manage to sell themselves, this baby sure can!
This look into the world of Masons from a third person's point of view works wonders at times. If only Dan Brown had realised that there was no need for him to create a build-up before coming up with a Scientist's name, the book would have been much better. Considering there are references to so many scientists, there is no point in explaining all their achievements, stories behind them and their link to the Masons before giving out their name. This was not only so stupid that I skipped most of it, but also irritating. Though it is easier to make a twelve hour event more dramatic and interesting compared to tales of whole lives, the book drags on at times.
Still, the book manages to retain its 'Utterly predictable' tag. (Spoiler ahead, duh !) Except for the fact that Inmate 37 is Zachary, there is nothing else you can't predict twenty pages earlier. Even in that case, it doesn't make any damn difference, except to aid a ridiculous part of the story.
What I like about this book is the part about 'One True God' and yeah, the last word (not Lost. Last). Hope; good messages by any religious / non-religious standards. This would make one great movie! It was a good account of History, many parts of which I didn't know and my introduction to Noetic Sciences. I'll start reading up on that for sure.
Overall, if you have any expectations at all from this book, you'll only end up thinking it's not entirely a waste of your time. If you haven't read or heard anything about Freemasonry before, you might even end up loving this.
