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The Skeptic's Guide to Conspiracies: From the Knights Templar to the JFK Assassination: Uncovering the [Real] Truth Behind the World's Most Controversial Conspiracy Theories
Did the noble order of the Knights Templar guard a secret about Jesus’ birth?
Was the moon landing faked in a Hollywood movie studio?
Is the government keeping the remains of an alien spacecraft in the top-secret Area 51?
Monte Cook takes a look at conspiracy theories—ranging from the historically complex to the seriously whacked out. With a disbelieving eye, he traces the history of some of the world's weirdest ideas and even includes a chart showing readers how to make up conspiracy theories for themselves.
Scattered through the book are the paranoid "notes" of an anonymous reader who claims to know what's really going on. You can make up your own mind as to who's telling the truth!
Was the moon landing faked in a Hollywood movie studio?
Is the government keeping the remains of an alien spacecraft in the top-secret Area 51?
Monte Cook takes a look at conspiracy theories—ranging from the historically complex to the seriously whacked out. With a disbelieving eye, he traces the history of some of the world's weirdest ideas and even includes a chart showing readers how to make up conspiracy theories for themselves.
Scattered through the book are the paranoid "notes" of an anonymous reader who claims to know what's really going on. You can make up your own mind as to who's telling the truth!
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
13 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Monte Cook
211 books125 followers
The game designer
Monte Cook started working professionally in the game industry in 1988. In the employ of Iron Crown Enterprises, he worked with the Rolemaster and Champions games as an editor, developer, and designer. In 1994, Monte came to TSR, Inc., as a game designer and wrote for the Planescape and core D&D lines. When that company was purchased by Wizards of the Coast, he moved to the Seattle area and eventually became a senior game designer. At Wizards, he wrote the 3rd Edition Dungeon Master's Guide and served as codesigner of the new edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game. In 2001, he left Wizards to start his own design studio, Malhavoc Press, with his wife Sue. Although in his career he has worked on over 100 game titles, some of his other credits include Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, The Book of Eldritch Might series, the d20 Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game, The Book of Vile Darkness, Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved, Ptolus, Monte Cook's World of Darkness, and Dungeonaday.com. He was a longtime author of the Dungeoncraft column in Dungeon Magazine. In recent years, Monte has been recognized many times by game fans in the ENnies Awards, the Pen & Paper fan awards, the Nigel D. Findley Memorial Award, the Origins Awards, and more.
The author
A graduate of the 1999 Clarion West writer's workshop, Monte has published two novels, The Glass Prison and Of Aged Angels. Also, he has published the short stories "Born in Secrets" (in the magazine Amazing Stories), "The Rose Window" (in the anthology Realms of Mystery), and "A Narrowed Gaze" (in the anthology Realms of the Arcane). His stories have appeared in the Malhavoc Press anthologies Children of the Rune and The Dragons' Return, and his comic book writing can be found in the Ptolus: City by the Spire series from DBPro/Marvel. His fantasy fiction series, "Saga of the Blade," appeared in Game Trade Magazine from 2005–2006.
The geek
In his spare time, Monte runs games, plays with his dog, watches DVDs, builds vast dioramas out of LEGO building bricks, paints miniatures, and reads a lot of comics.
Monte Cook started working professionally in the game industry in 1988. In the employ of Iron Crown Enterprises, he worked with the Rolemaster and Champions games as an editor, developer, and designer. In 1994, Monte came to TSR, Inc., as a game designer and wrote for the Planescape and core D&D lines. When that company was purchased by Wizards of the Coast, he moved to the Seattle area and eventually became a senior game designer. At Wizards, he wrote the 3rd Edition Dungeon Master's Guide and served as codesigner of the new edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game. In 2001, he left Wizards to start his own design studio, Malhavoc Press, with his wife Sue. Although in his career he has worked on over 100 game titles, some of his other credits include Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, The Book of Eldritch Might series, the d20 Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game, The Book of Vile Darkness, Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved, Ptolus, Monte Cook's World of Darkness, and Dungeonaday.com. He was a longtime author of the Dungeoncraft column in Dungeon Magazine. In recent years, Monte has been recognized many times by game fans in the ENnies Awards, the Pen & Paper fan awards, the Nigel D. Findley Memorial Award, the Origins Awards, and more.
The author
A graduate of the 1999 Clarion West writer's workshop, Monte has published two novels, The Glass Prison and Of Aged Angels. Also, he has published the short stories "Born in Secrets" (in the magazine Amazing Stories), "The Rose Window" (in the anthology Realms of Mystery), and "A Narrowed Gaze" (in the anthology Realms of the Arcane). His stories have appeared in the Malhavoc Press anthologies Children of the Rune and The Dragons' Return, and his comic book writing can be found in the Ptolus: City by the Spire series from DBPro/Marvel. His fantasy fiction series, "Saga of the Blade," appeared in Game Trade Magazine from 2005–2006.
The geek
In his spare time, Monte runs games, plays with his dog, watches DVDs, builds vast dioramas out of LEGO building bricks, paints miniatures, and reads a lot of comics.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 26, 2013
This was interesting...written for those who don't know a lot about conspiracy theory or who are skeptical (both true of me). It goes into many of the most common conspiracy theories (such as alien abductions, assassination of JFK, 9/11, the Templars and Masons and Illuminati, and The New World Order.) I appreciated that at the end of each chapter he included a ranking about how plausible the conspiracy is, how strange it is, as well as resources to find more information. Most of the conspiracies he ranked as not very plausible, but a few were ranked as very plausible (7/10 or 8/10 likelihood).
One of the entertaining parts of the book is that along the sides in red pen are written comments by a true believer, a real conspiracy theorist who believes all the theories.
At the end, Cook includes a brief chapter about why people are skeptical and don't believe these theories. He says there are at least 3 reasons:
1. The truth is complicated. There are so many conflicting facts, and most people don't have an intricate enough knowledge of government, economics and legal processes to follow all of the facts.
2. Conspiracies paint this world as a very bleak world. If they are right, our politicians are so corrupt. He writes, "As cynical as we can be, we really don't want to believe that our authority figures are up to no good. It's bad enough that someone killed Martin Luther King, Jr., but it's far worse to think that it might have been a conspiracy of many people, some working under the auspices of our government. To accept a conspiracy theory is to accept that we've been lied to, and that we've bought into it until now. ...The world is awful and we're stupid. No one wants to believe that." (page 261) I fall firmly into this camp. Is it possible that some of this is true? Yes. But do I want to spend my time feeling afraid and feeling like the world and the government are that evil. No.
3. Conspiracy theory requires believers to question everything and to change your whole world view. That is hard to do.
I'd say for me there is at least one other reason (besides as he mentions that many conspiracy theorists act paranoid and crazy). If much of this is true (and I'm still very skeptical about most of it), there is little or nothing I can do to control it or to change it. Yes, I can carefully choose who to vote for and so on, but really I can't stop the CIA from using mind control or prevent aliens from taking over the world or protect myself or others from government supported assassins. So, I prefer to have at least some trust in the government and to hope/believe that it is very imperfect and even corrupt but not truly amoral and out to get all of us. I choose to live in faith and to have a more optimistic and trusting world view. It brings more peace of mind...and really, I have a very good life. I try not to worry about things I can't control or change.
One of the entertaining parts of the book is that along the sides in red pen are written comments by a true believer, a real conspiracy theorist who believes all the theories.
At the end, Cook includes a brief chapter about why people are skeptical and don't believe these theories. He says there are at least 3 reasons:
1. The truth is complicated. There are so many conflicting facts, and most people don't have an intricate enough knowledge of government, economics and legal processes to follow all of the facts.
2. Conspiracies paint this world as a very bleak world. If they are right, our politicians are so corrupt. He writes, "As cynical as we can be, we really don't want to believe that our authority figures are up to no good. It's bad enough that someone killed Martin Luther King, Jr., but it's far worse to think that it might have been a conspiracy of many people, some working under the auspices of our government. To accept a conspiracy theory is to accept that we've been lied to, and that we've bought into it until now. ...The world is awful and we're stupid. No one wants to believe that." (page 261) I fall firmly into this camp. Is it possible that some of this is true? Yes. But do I want to spend my time feeling afraid and feeling like the world and the government are that evil. No.
3. Conspiracy theory requires believers to question everything and to change your whole world view. That is hard to do.
I'd say for me there is at least one other reason (besides as he mentions that many conspiracy theorists act paranoid and crazy). If much of this is true (and I'm still very skeptical about most of it), there is little or nothing I can do to control it or to change it. Yes, I can carefully choose who to vote for and so on, but really I can't stop the CIA from using mind control or prevent aliens from taking over the world or protect myself or others from government supported assassins. So, I prefer to have at least some trust in the government and to hope/believe that it is very imperfect and even corrupt but not truly amoral and out to get all of us. I choose to live in faith and to have a more optimistic and trusting world view. It brings more peace of mind...and really, I have a very good life. I try not to worry about things I can't control or change.
November 17, 2013
The Skeptic's Guide to Conspiracies, from the knights templar to the JFK assassination: uncovering the (real) truth behind the world's most controversial (covered up) conspiracy theories by Monte Cook is both a humorous and interesting read. It lays out the most common and most outrageous conspiracy theories in a 'factual' and amusing way. In this case, factual means by factually presenting the conspiracy theories of others. Monte makes no claims to the veracity of the various theories, and in fact makes a point in the introduction to say that he's not saying any of these are true, he's simply presenting them for the reader. In fact, he presents so many different theories on each conspiracy that they couldn't all possibly be true, as they present mutually exclusive points of view (or even realities.) In addition, both for comedic effect, and to emphasize that his tongue is firmly in cheek as he writes, throughout the book, there are comments "written" in the margins and laced throughout the text from the point of view of a true believer, who wants the reader to wholly believe all of these theories. Monte not only uses this second voice to play up the humor, but to show the reader a taste of how the actual conspiracy theorists think and communicate in their own sub-culture.
The book does a good job of giving an overview of lots of different conspiracies, from the classic Freemasons and JFK assassination, to UFOs, secret Nazi moonbases, various occult theories, as well as more recent fare, such as theories about 9/11. For each short chapter in the book, Monte presents 4-6 theories, as well as a chapter summary that contains his take on the plausibility and 'high strangeness' of the theories, and also some of the more accessible books and websites on the subject, in case the reader wants to dig deeper. It's particularly fun to see connections to real world conspiracies in a variety of pop culture entertainment, such as the X-files, Fringe, the Da Vinci Code, and of course the movie Conspiracy Theory.
I strongly recommend this book. It's a relatively quick read, and is bound to have some information that is new, even to someone with more than a passing familiarity with some of the subject matter. Also, for any gamer, the book is filled to bursting with great ideas for your game. The conspiracies fit best in a modern themed game, but can easily provide inspiration for creating conspiracies in fantasy or science fiction games as well.
The book does a good job of giving an overview of lots of different conspiracies, from the classic Freemasons and JFK assassination, to UFOs, secret Nazi moonbases, various occult theories, as well as more recent fare, such as theories about 9/11. For each short chapter in the book, Monte presents 4-6 theories, as well as a chapter summary that contains his take on the plausibility and 'high strangeness' of the theories, and also some of the more accessible books and websites on the subject, in case the reader wants to dig deeper. It's particularly fun to see connections to real world conspiracies in a variety of pop culture entertainment, such as the X-files, Fringe, the Da Vinci Code, and of course the movie Conspiracy Theory.
I strongly recommend this book. It's a relatively quick read, and is bound to have some information that is new, even to someone with more than a passing familiarity with some of the subject matter. Also, for any gamer, the book is filled to bursting with great ideas for your game. The conspiracies fit best in a modern themed game, but can easily provide inspiration for creating conspiracies in fantasy or science fiction games as well.
September 25, 2015
Interesting overview of conspiracy theories marred by interlocutions by a purported "true believer" and the brevity of each overview. Many explanations for "conspiracies" are overlooked /ignored. Not sure entirely skeptical, but a good introduction to the topic.
July 16, 2024
AN OVERVIEW OF POPULAR CONSPIRACY THEORIES, WITH "COMMENTARY”
Author Monte Cook wrote in the Introduction to this 2009 book, "This is a book about conspiracy theories... This book will present you with different viewpoints from conspiracy theorists... You won't find anything here attempting to convince you that conspiracies are real. This book is not going to change your worldview, but it will provide you with some interesting information. Nothing in this book is made up---at least by the author."
The book is presented in kind of a strange (or at least, unique) way: The author's text is presented in 27 chapters (e.g., Templars and Masons; Dead Celebrities; Alien Abductions; The War On Drugs; Men in Black, etc.), each of which ends with a "Conspiracy Rundown" rating its "Plausibility," "High Strangeness" level, as well as references "For More Information," Internet sites, etc. This aspect is very useful (but be aware that the author presents most ideas with a low plausibility rating [e.g., 2 out of 10 for Roswell, compared to 8 out of 10 against the JFK assassination "magic bullet" theory]).
But the book is filled throughout with ostensible "marginal" references pencilled in by a committed "conspiracy theorist," adding comments such as "The Greys are trying to warn us about the Templar Plot!!!", "The Bohemian Grove is connected to the Illuminati", "Hurricane Katrina was engineered by alien technology" etc. Some of these are humorous, a very few are somewhat illuminating, but the majority I found simply annoying.
But the book text itself is very good; e.g., "Pierre Plantard admitted that he had planted the evidence the Holy Blood, Holy Grail By Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, Henry Lincoln authors found and lied about the whole thing (pg. 42); "When they began investigating the John F. Kennedy assassination, the number of suspicious deaths among witnesses and possible conspirators increased dramatically" (Pg. 82); "emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 may suggest that FEMA isn't so much frighteningly powerful as it is frighteningly incompetent" (pg. 180), etc.
Whether one likes the format or not, this book is still an excellent overview of a number of popular conspiracy theories.
Author Monte Cook wrote in the Introduction to this 2009 book, "This is a book about conspiracy theories... This book will present you with different viewpoints from conspiracy theorists... You won't find anything here attempting to convince you that conspiracies are real. This book is not going to change your worldview, but it will provide you with some interesting information. Nothing in this book is made up---at least by the author."
The book is presented in kind of a strange (or at least, unique) way: The author's text is presented in 27 chapters (e.g., Templars and Masons; Dead Celebrities; Alien Abductions; The War On Drugs; Men in Black, etc.), each of which ends with a "Conspiracy Rundown" rating its "Plausibility," "High Strangeness" level, as well as references "For More Information," Internet sites, etc. This aspect is very useful (but be aware that the author presents most ideas with a low plausibility rating [e.g., 2 out of 10 for Roswell, compared to 8 out of 10 against the JFK assassination "magic bullet" theory]).
But the book is filled throughout with ostensible "marginal" references pencilled in by a committed "conspiracy theorist," adding comments such as "The Greys are trying to warn us about the Templar Plot!!!", "The Bohemian Grove is connected to the Illuminati", "Hurricane Katrina was engineered by alien technology" etc. Some of these are humorous, a very few are somewhat illuminating, but the majority I found simply annoying.
But the book text itself is very good; e.g., "Pierre Plantard admitted that he had planted the evidence the Holy Blood, Holy Grail By Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, Henry Lincoln authors found and lied about the whole thing (pg. 42); "When they began investigating the John F. Kennedy assassination, the number of suspicious deaths among witnesses and possible conspirators increased dramatically" (Pg. 82); "emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 may suggest that FEMA isn't so much frighteningly powerful as it is frighteningly incompetent" (pg. 180), etc.
Whether one likes the format or not, this book is still an excellent overview of a number of popular conspiracy theories.
July 28, 2023
I’ve had this one in my ‘to read next’ box for a while. I truly only got it because of the author’s name who I’m pretty sure I know from gaming books he has written.
As a long time X-Files fan I of course love a good conspiracy bunking. I’ve got another book similar to this one I haven’t gotten to somewhere but I can’t quite remember the name.
One conceit of this book is that you have this writing in the margins in what looks like red ink. It says stuff like “The Conspiracies are REAL!”, or “And that’s TRUE!!!”.
These are neither informative or funny and greatly detract from enjoying the book.
I’m not really enjoying reading this book. It starts out talking about the conspiracies with the Freemason, the Illuminati, the Elders of Zion and that kind of stuff.
The subject is interesting but with a very vague point of view (and those idiotic scribbling in the margins) it feels more meandering that elucidating. I’ll push on.
I’ve finished the first chapter about the “Templars and Masons: Grandfathers of Conspiracy”.
I won’t be continuing reading the book. It’s hard for me to say it’s ‘bad’ especially because I’ve never read another book like this (though I have another similar book on my shelf).
It’s just that a) I don’t know any more about Freemasons, Templars or the conspiracies surrounding them than I already know before I started reading and b) it wasn’t very interesting to read.
I’ll give it two stars and put it back into circulation.
As a long time X-Files fan I of course love a good conspiracy bunking. I’ve got another book similar to this one I haven’t gotten to somewhere but I can’t quite remember the name.
One conceit of this book is that you have this writing in the margins in what looks like red ink. It says stuff like “The Conspiracies are REAL!”, or “And that’s TRUE!!!”.
These are neither informative or funny and greatly detract from enjoying the book.
I’m not really enjoying reading this book. It starts out talking about the conspiracies with the Freemason, the Illuminati, the Elders of Zion and that kind of stuff.
The subject is interesting but with a very vague point of view (and those idiotic scribbling in the margins) it feels more meandering that elucidating. I’ll push on.
I’ve finished the first chapter about the “Templars and Masons: Grandfathers of Conspiracy”.
I won’t be continuing reading the book. It’s hard for me to say it’s ‘bad’ especially because I’ve never read another book like this (though I have another similar book on my shelf).
It’s just that a) I don’t know any more about Freemasons, Templars or the conspiracies surrounding them than I already know before I started reading and b) it wasn’t very interesting to read.
I’ll give it two stars and put it back into circulation.
August 23, 2025
The Skeptic's Guide to Conspiracies is a fascinating examination of various conspiracy theories and their plausibility. It discusses the Knights Templar, the Illuminati, aliens, and more in its pages. I am skeptical by nature, and I have a sufficient understanding of mathematics and science to disregard some of these claims. The end of each chapter has a page remarking on how weird it is and its plausibility.
The book doesn't cover perpetual motion machines and other science-based ideas, but there is plenty of material to use.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
The book doesn't cover perpetual motion machines and other science-based ideas, but there is plenty of material to use.
I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
July 25, 2020
Quick read, partially addresses conspiratorial thinking, but also stops short of offering much insight.
January 3, 2024
It's an older book (2009 publication) so many of the conspiracies in here may seem dated. That is not the point of the book though, it is more a guide of how conspiracies start, with many examples.
September 21, 2012
This was an enjoyable and quick read; well written and presenting many facts and some speculation. The author clearly does not promote any conspiracy or particular world view. In fact, the author frequently calls various conspiracy theorists "nuts", etc. I suspect there was a good deal of witty banter going on while this book was written.
For this review I looked at the 27 separate conspiracy theories presented in the book. Each theory has its own chapter--however, the theories are not presented as a monolithic "whole" theory that is logically developed but as a series of alternate theories or possibilities. You're not getting "the" Elvis conspiracy--you're getting the most common elements of Elvis conspiracies in general. Each conspiracy is given two rankings--probability and strangeness. Probability is how likely there is some element of fact or truth in the various theory combinations. Strangeness is how odd-ball the various theories are. I ranked the 27 theories in descending order of probability and then determined ties by ascending order of strangeness. The book therefore suggests the five "most credible" conspiracy theories to be:
1- The War on Drugs was originated to facilitate CIA drug sells to finance covert operations
2- The JFK assassination was not performed by a single person
3- The MLK assassination was not performed by a single person
4- The JFK assassination resulted in a governmental cover-up
5- Various political assassinations were not performed by the "official" perpetrator
The book suggests the five "least credible" conspiracy theories to be:
23- Christ's life was vastly different than depicted in the Bible
24- The moon landings were faked
25- Numerology rules the world
26- Various dead musicians aren't really dead
27- The year 1947 was a vast nexus, or confluence, of conspiracy
In between are a few oldies but goodies, including:
10- The Nazis decamped to the moon or an antarctic base
12- The Illuminati run the world
15- Area 51 is a secret alien technology base
21- Hollywood movies (usually alien or conspiracy movies) tell the truth and are advance indoctrination for the masses
22- Aliens are among us, sometimes abducting us, sometimes breeding with us, and sometimes abducting us to breed with us
So you can see that believing Christ was married and living in France is only slightly less credible than alien abductions--they both score a probability of 2, but aliens have a strangeness rating of 4 while Christ's alternate lifestyle has a strangeness rating of 6. I'm not sure why aliens aren't as strange as a Christian marriage, but there you have it.
The final chapter is on the Conspiracy Conspiracy; that is, that most conspiracy theories actually are valid but the various "powers that be" denigrate conspiracies and demonize theorists because the shadowy powers have the most to fear from the truth getting out there. Logically, that makes the most sense to me.
A final interesting bit--dead celebrity theories (p=4, S=7) are more credible and less strange than dead musician theories (p=1, s=10). Hmm. Have to ask the Men In Black about that the next time they show up to caution me about openly discussing my latest alien probing.
For this review I looked at the 27 separate conspiracy theories presented in the book. Each theory has its own chapter--however, the theories are not presented as a monolithic "whole" theory that is logically developed but as a series of alternate theories or possibilities. You're not getting "the" Elvis conspiracy--you're getting the most common elements of Elvis conspiracies in general. Each conspiracy is given two rankings--probability and strangeness. Probability is how likely there is some element of fact or truth in the various theory combinations. Strangeness is how odd-ball the various theories are. I ranked the 27 theories in descending order of probability and then determined ties by ascending order of strangeness. The book therefore suggests the five "most credible" conspiracy theories to be:
1- The War on Drugs was originated to facilitate CIA drug sells to finance covert operations
2- The JFK assassination was not performed by a single person
3- The MLK assassination was not performed by a single person
4- The JFK assassination resulted in a governmental cover-up
5- Various political assassinations were not performed by the "official" perpetrator
The book suggests the five "least credible" conspiracy theories to be:
23- Christ's life was vastly different than depicted in the Bible
24- The moon landings were faked
25- Numerology rules the world
26- Various dead musicians aren't really dead
27- The year 1947 was a vast nexus, or confluence, of conspiracy
In between are a few oldies but goodies, including:
10- The Nazis decamped to the moon or an antarctic base
12- The Illuminati run the world
15- Area 51 is a secret alien technology base
21- Hollywood movies (usually alien or conspiracy movies) tell the truth and are advance indoctrination for the masses
22- Aliens are among us, sometimes abducting us, sometimes breeding with us, and sometimes abducting us to breed with us
So you can see that believing Christ was married and living in France is only slightly less credible than alien abductions--they both score a probability of 2, but aliens have a strangeness rating of 4 while Christ's alternate lifestyle has a strangeness rating of 6. I'm not sure why aliens aren't as strange as a Christian marriage, but there you have it.
The final chapter is on the Conspiracy Conspiracy; that is, that most conspiracy theories actually are valid but the various "powers that be" denigrate conspiracies and demonize theorists because the shadowy powers have the most to fear from the truth getting out there. Logically, that makes the most sense to me.
A final interesting bit--dead celebrity theories (p=4, S=7) are more credible and less strange than dead musician theories (p=1, s=10). Hmm. Have to ask the Men In Black about that the next time they show up to caution me about openly discussing my latest alien probing.
February 8, 2015
I picked up this book for two reasons: first, because I saw it was by Monte Cook (of D&D fame), and second, because I work retail, and one of my regular customers (who seemed perfectly normal for the longest time), has recently taken to going on at length about some very...out-there stuff. The Skeptic's Guide to Conspiracies seemed like the perfect crash course into some of the topics this guy's been talking about. And I was right; it's actually a bit scary, how much of what's come out of that guy's mouth, that's covered in this book.
From secret CIA mind-control experiments, to Masonic plots to create a New World Order, to shape-changing, reptilian aliens (who may "actually" be demons) infiltrating world governments, this book is a fantastic (and often quite amusing) introduction to some of the crazier things that some people actually believe. It's not all-inclusive, by its own admission, but the sheer scope of conspiracy theories presented here is quite a good start. And just to shake things up, every so often there's one thrown in that seems like it could almost be plausible.
Throughout the book, there are what are supposed to be handwritten notes scribbled in the margins in red ink, from a "previous owner" who believes every word of every conspiracy. These are kind of hit or miss, but more often than not, they do provide an added level of humor to the mix.
All in all, if you've ever been curious about what the tinfoil hat crowd actually believes in, but you don't want to walk out of a bookstore with a book on Atlantis, or secret Nazi moonbases, The Skeptic's Guide to Conspiracies is the way to go. Definitely an enjoyable read.
From secret CIA mind-control experiments, to Masonic plots to create a New World Order, to shape-changing, reptilian aliens (who may "actually" be demons) infiltrating world governments, this book is a fantastic (and often quite amusing) introduction to some of the crazier things that some people actually believe. It's not all-inclusive, by its own admission, but the sheer scope of conspiracy theories presented here is quite a good start. And just to shake things up, every so often there's one thrown in that seems like it could almost be plausible.
Throughout the book, there are what are supposed to be handwritten notes scribbled in the margins in red ink, from a "previous owner" who believes every word of every conspiracy. These are kind of hit or miss, but more often than not, they do provide an added level of humor to the mix.
All in all, if you've ever been curious about what the tinfoil hat crowd actually believes in, but you don't want to walk out of a bookstore with a book on Atlantis, or secret Nazi moonbases, The Skeptic's Guide to Conspiracies is the way to go. Definitely an enjoyable read.
June 15, 2013
As somebody who knows nothing about various conspiracies but still find the subject fascinating, Monte Cook's The Skeptic's Guide is a perfect reading - well written, with logicaly organised information and humorous observations.
Also, as a role-game player and a gamemaster, I found the book to be basically The Gamemaster's Guide to Conspiracies. It's a treasure-trove of information and plot hooks for any GM who's not up to date on the world of 'para-politics'.
The books gives an overview of 27 different (and possibly linked!) conspiracies, laying known facts along with the most popular speculations by conspiracy theorists. The tone varies from serious and objective to tongue-in-cheek, but never goes overboard. No, that role is assigned to red-pen-using conspiracy theorist who apparently read the book before us and defaced it with his commentary. Funny at the beginning, growing tedious towards the end, it is nevertheless an innovative and very important aspect of the book and lends it much of its light atmosphere. The red-pen markings can also be a very useful tool for a gamemaster, pointing out some of the wackier connections that may actually be true in a conspiracy-oriented campaign.
All in all, I completely recommend this book to anyone who ever wanted to know a bit more about conspiracy theories, but didn't have patience of time to dig through countless websites and books dedicated to the subject.
Also, as a role-game player and a gamemaster, I found the book to be basically The Gamemaster's Guide to Conspiracies. It's a treasure-trove of information and plot hooks for any GM who's not up to date on the world of 'para-politics'.
The books gives an overview of 27 different (and possibly linked!) conspiracies, laying known facts along with the most popular speculations by conspiracy theorists. The tone varies from serious and objective to tongue-in-cheek, but never goes overboard. No, that role is assigned to red-pen-using conspiracy theorist who apparently read the book before us and defaced it with his commentary. Funny at the beginning, growing tedious towards the end, it is nevertheless an innovative and very important aspect of the book and lends it much of its light atmosphere. The red-pen markings can also be a very useful tool for a gamemaster, pointing out some of the wackier connections that may actually be true in a conspiracy-oriented campaign.
All in all, I completely recommend this book to anyone who ever wanted to know a bit more about conspiracy theories, but didn't have patience of time to dig through countless websites and books dedicated to the subject.
April 29, 2010
If you are new to conspiracies (like me), then this is the book for you. This book covers the basic, big conspiracy theories. It covers JFK and MLK assassinations, 9/11, Roswell, Area 51, the Moon landing, and others... or maybe they're all connected!
Each review of the theories contain the basic elements of the theory. I'm sure you could write several books on each topic themselves, but this book is a great introduction. Also, at the end of each chapter/theory there is a plausabilty rating. I'm sure it is based on the author's personal opinion/research, but it's a handy reference. The same page has a list of books and websites for further reading/research and a list of key search terms to google.
The book is fun to read and written in a very conversational manner. It has "pen" notes in the margins from a "theororist" that are occassionaly humorous. The author occassionaly points out some very interesting and sometimes frightful coincidences. For me, there were a handfull of jaw dropping moments. Especially true from the chapter on the JFK assassination.
It's a quick, fun read. However, if you're like me, you'll have a list of further reading material and start crafting your own tin-foil hat...
Each review of the theories contain the basic elements of the theory. I'm sure you could write several books on each topic themselves, but this book is a great introduction. Also, at the end of each chapter/theory there is a plausabilty rating. I'm sure it is based on the author's personal opinion/research, but it's a handy reference. The same page has a list of books and websites for further reading/research and a list of key search terms to google.
The book is fun to read and written in a very conversational manner. It has "pen" notes in the margins from a "theororist" that are occassionaly humorous. The author occassionaly points out some very interesting and sometimes frightful coincidences. For me, there were a handfull of jaw dropping moments. Especially true from the chapter on the JFK assassination.
It's a quick, fun read. However, if you're like me, you'll have a list of further reading material and start crafting your own tin-foil hat...
May 12, 2011
The Skeptic's Guide to Conspiracies was a used-book sale find for me - I was intrigued by the cover art because it included not only the text on the cover, but what looked to be handwritten notes in the margins. How fun, I thought - a conspiracy theory book with a sense of humor! The seemingly handwritten notes appear throughout the text - the typewritten text is presented as the explanations - and debunking - of the more popular conspiracy theories, with the handwritten marginalia apparently penciled in by a conspiracy theorist eager to prove that he knows what is "really" going on. It is a cute and novel premise and was fun to read - for the first five or six theories. After that, the marginalia got rather repetitive and became less fun and more annoying. If you have never read/heard anything about the major conspiracy theories, it is a quick read that hits the high points; if you have any prior knowledge there is not a lot of detail here and not likely to be much to hold your interest - besides the fun factor.
July 15, 2011
I picked up this book because I'd been a fan of Monte Cook's game design products for years, and was curious what his "other" stuff was like.
The "other" stuff in this case was "The Skeptic's Guide to Conspiracies". It's a humorous overview of various popular conspiracy theories (the Templars, the JFK assassination, the "faked" moon landing, and many others). The book has two threads in its authorship: the first is a tongue-in-cheek, "these guys are kooks" sort of description; the second is "hand written" margin notes by a "prior reader" who has dived headlong into believing the conspiracy stories, and is convinced "they" are out to get him. It's a fun technique for a while, but gets a little old by the end.
Really, this is the kind of book you buy as a gift and give to somebody else. It's not the greatest coffee-table book (it's not illustrated), but it works well in a spot where you have quick reading episodes (like next to the toilet...).
In the final analysis, it's sort of okay, but not really spectacular. 2.5 of 5 stars.
The "other" stuff in this case was "The Skeptic's Guide to Conspiracies". It's a humorous overview of various popular conspiracy theories (the Templars, the JFK assassination, the "faked" moon landing, and many others). The book has two threads in its authorship: the first is a tongue-in-cheek, "these guys are kooks" sort of description; the second is "hand written" margin notes by a "prior reader" who has dived headlong into believing the conspiracy stories, and is convinced "they" are out to get him. It's a fun technique for a while, but gets a little old by the end.
Really, this is the kind of book you buy as a gift and give to somebody else. It's not the greatest coffee-table book (it's not illustrated), but it works well in a spot where you have quick reading episodes (like next to the toilet...).
In the final analysis, it's sort of okay, but not really spectacular. 2.5 of 5 stars.
October 10, 2015
Every word of this is obviously true. Except, of course, for the reptiles at the center of the earth- clearly, you must mean Lovecraft's Old Ones, no?
Or you might step over to this fine book by Mackay on Extraordinary Popular Delusions for a much more informative, reality based, and not really much less curious read. People don't actually need conspiracies to drive themselves to ruin. They do that well enough all on their own.
This was good for a few laughs, but not really much more than that. The second star is only because this really did have me in stitches a few times- expect no literary value, aside from that. Props for organization though.
One and a half, really, but that's being generous.
Or you might step over to this fine book by Mackay on Extraordinary Popular Delusions for a much more informative, reality based, and not really much less curious read. People don't actually need conspiracies to drive themselves to ruin. They do that well enough all on their own.
This was good for a few laughs, but not really much more than that. The second star is only because this really did have me in stitches a few times- expect no literary value, aside from that. Props for organization though.
One and a half, really, but that's being generous.
August 18, 2011
Definitely an interesting read. Lays out the biggest/most famous/popular conspiracies in clear, easy to understand terms, and then rates how possible the conspiracy actually is. But you don't really get a sense that he believes any of them, even the ones that seem frighteningly possible. (Such as the Kennedy assassination which he rates as an 8/10 plausibility or the War on Drugs which is a 7/10)
June 2, 2010
This book is a TRIP. Hilarious, and seriously thought-provoking as well. The nature of conspiracies and conspiracy-thinkers, as well as the various Inhuman Plots to Destroy The World (Majestic 12, The Mafia, the 23 Enigma, Reptilians?!!?) are fascinating..!!
December 28, 2011
Very good survey of conspiracy theories. The "handwritten" liner notes from the conspiracy believer make a good counterbalance to the dry and somewhat dismissive conspiracy skeptic author.
October 26, 2016
Always an entertaining read. I love the concept.
January 5, 2013
More like 2.5. The survey was good. The jokes were repetitive and offensive.
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