Perhaps I need to read more of Freke and Gandy's commentaries on Gnosticism to get a fuller picture of their philosophies, but this book didn't impress me. I felt like Freke and Gandy's understanding of Gnostic literature and its historical context were elementary at best. The continued reference to Mary of Magdala as a penitent prostitute showed a somewhat juvenile understanding of a topic that has been resolved for quite some time. There is no evidence that Mary Magdalene and the prostitute named Mary were the same person. The "muddle of the Mary's" was even commented on by John Paul II, who called Mary of Magdala the apostola apostolorum (The Apostle of the Apostles) and admitted that Pope Gregory's reference to her as a prostitute was incorrect.

Additionally, the Monty Python-esque comedic approach to this topic was really forced. Even as a practicing Gnostic and a HUGE Monty Python fan, I wasn't amused as often as they would've liked me to be.

I found myself rolling my eyes way too often while reading this book to recommend it to anyone. If I had submitted this book to any of my writing classes in college, I would've been laughed out of the classroom. You don't set the mood of the reader by telling them that a particular song should be the soundtrack. You set the mood with well-written sentences, designed to create an emotional reaction.

Topical references are okay, but they can date your book and diminish its relevance pretty quickly if used incorrectly. Such is the case with this book. Even the reference to G.W. Bush and Osama bin Laden sleeping together was passe.

So, I really can't recommend this book, even for folks with a burgeoning dissatisfaction with their experience with traditional, mainstream religion, to whom (I think) this book was written.