Skip.
This tongue-in-cheek look at the Illuminati leaves more questions than answers. Of course, that’s the way they like it.
Secret codes and cryptography are always fascinating, but Keenan’s examination of the supposedly current secret society is a jumble of information told in a sarcastic tone that falls flat. The book starts out well enough, with a brief discussion of the brain and a look at how humans are hard-wired to make connections between seemingly unrelated things, which leads to conspiracy theories. It also summarizes the creation of the original Order of the Illuminati and its Bavarian founder, Adam Weishaupt. From there, readers learn a little about the Templars, a little about the Freemasons, and a little about other secret societies. The book, like most good conspiracy theories, is quick to jump from interesting point to interesting point, but it’s light on evidence along the way. Statements are presented to the reader as facts, but there’s no way to know how Keenan came to these conclusions. For example, while discussing the New World Order, the book states that nearly 1/3 of American voters believe that the Order is “the global takeover by a secret government formed by the Illuminati and maybe aliens”; the part about the aliens is rescinded in the next paragraph, but there is no source for the part that is presented as fact. Keenan frequently alludes to “countless” websites, books, and videos but provides no backmatter for further reading or reference.
Skip. (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Dec. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-8793-6
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
After surveying “competing claims” for the first Thanksgiving from 1541 on, in Texas, Florida, Maine, Virginia and Massachusetts, Colman decides in favor of the 1621 event with the English colonists and Wampanoag as the first “because the 1621 event was more like the Thanksgiving that we celebrate today.” She demonstrates, however, that the “Pilgrim and Indian” story is really not the antecedent of Thanksgiving as we celebrate it today. Rather, two very old traditions—harvest festivals and days of thanksgiving for special events—were the origin, and this interesting volume traces how the custom of proclaiming a general day of thanksgiving took hold. Yet, since many Thanksgiving celebrations in towns and schools are still rooted in the “Pilgrim and Indian” story, which the author calls “true and important,” but which many Native Americans find objectionable, a more in-depth discussion of it is warranted here. The solid bibliography does include some fine resources, such as 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving (2001) by Catherine O’Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac. (author’s note, chronology, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8229-6
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This sophisticated contender in the graphic nonfiction market opens with “The Story So Far,” setting the stage for the events that led to the bloody Civil War battle at Gettysburg. Clearly defined art and sharply delineated panels portray all of the horrors of battle: the numerous casualties, both human and animal, the impromptu and severely unhygienic operating rooms and the impact that this event had on those who lived there. A vast cast of characters—an even and improbable dozen—introduced early on does little to help readers follow the action. Rather, this feature obfuscates things, as many of the men have similar looks, varying only slightly in their coiffed hair or a hat and a mustache. It shines in its closing pages, compressing Edward Everett’s two-hour speech into a few panels and giving Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address a good 20 pages to make itself felt. Undoubtedly smarter and more astute than many of its graphic-nonfiction counterparts, this book should speak to those seeking a visual account. (map, author’s notes; footnotes, bibliography, not seen) (Graphic nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-06-156176-4
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Bowen Press/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
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