I read "Elixir and the Stone" as part of a deep dive into the writing of Baigent and Leigh, following my discovery of "Holy Blood and the Holy Grail". In retrospect, many of Baigent and Leigh's (and Lincoln's) historical facts were a bit far-fetched, and even at my young age, I guessed that I should take "Elixir and the Stone" with a grain of Hermestic salt.

The authors argue that esoteric Hermisticism, which had its heyday a couple of millennium ago, is responsible for alchemy and the present day interest in the occult. Like "Holy Blood and the Holy Grail", famous names are introduced without any great proof beyond their own beliefs and the conclusions they arrive at may not have much relationship with reality. Still, there are no doubt worse books to read about Hermisticism. ( )

A book that trudges through the first part and then in the second part starts sparking off ideas and issues in my head. The first part is history, tradition, where alchemy comes from, the second is modern. A look at the use and abuse of words and music.
Sometimes I wonder if Baigent and Leigh use their books as poking sticks to get people to think. ( )