Gregory Shaw

Repetitive and fluffy - but informative, if zealously so. I prefer Algis Uzdavinys' work on the topic (and even the author's previous book on the topic). There are better, less new agey works assizing similarities in neoplatonic and Hindu/shaivic philosophy.

This is a heavy slog. Platonism is not intuitive at all. The author seems mainly concerned to defend Iamblichus against charges that theurgy was more primitive than other forms of Platonism. No real guide to practice.

Very academic work, however, filled with much interesting and detailed information.

Whoa, this author's in depth knowledge of Platonic and Theurgic thought blew me away. He made these long lost ideas and philosophies come back to life. This is one of my favorite books.