Michael R. Poll

Mike Poll has developed a keen sense of 'what's needed' in the publishing of Masonic books. In this work, he's filled a HUGE gap that has existed practically forever.

When one becomes a Mason, the very first thing they want to learn about is 'symbolism'. What does it all mean? What's behind it all? For several decades, the standard work to address these emergent questions has been Allen Roberts' The Craft and Its Symbols. This book will not take its place but it should easily become the show more SECOND reference for a new or inquiring Masonic mind. While Roberts has addressed the basics, relating them to each degree in a logical, patterned order, this work expands FAR beyond that and joins together essays from the best and brightest minds from the history of Freemasonry into a book which expands the richness of our symbolism in detail. Having these all in one easily handled volume makes it just SO much easier!

This is not to say that these essays themselves are easy: they are, for the most part, ones to which you will return again and again over the years, each time finding new gems of thought-provoking stimulation. They approach the subject of Masonic symbolism from varying angles, allowing the rich prism to shine and glow in your mind.

This is a book that has long been needed: I urge ANY student of Masonic symbolism to add it to their 'read this now' list and to their library immediately. show less

Well-known Masonic author and editor Mike Poll has put together an eclectic series of essays from Freemasonry's past designed to bring the reader a broad spectrum of Masonic thought. Most casual readers of Masonic material will be familiar with some of the authors contained herein while others are obscure. The essays present ideas and opinions on subjects that were of interest decades ago as well as now and offer some interesting perspectives which may spur further Masonic research. An show more initial review of the essay titles may lead one to conclude that this is just a mish-mash of things purloined from earlier sources but I believe that they make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. It's an easy book to pick up and put down depending on time constraints and a worthy addition to any Masonic library. show less

I'm both pleased and a bit disappointed in this work. I'd looked forward to a 'one stop shop' where I could find all of the primary documents relating to the earliest stirrings of organizations similar to Freemasonry but unfortunately, this doesn't entirely fulfill that need. While it is a good collection of the major documents, several of the minor manuscripts are omitted and in some cases, the text has been 'modernized' without an inclusion of the original. While the latter makes reading show more much easier, it also precludes quoting actual manuscript text where necessary. A good reference for the mid-level researcher but incomplete for someone wishing to do in-depth study. show less

A lot of the information was very educational but some dropped into listing simple facts. Overall a good read on the separation of speculative masonry from operative.