an excellent read.
the book reads simply.
not just for anarchists; everyone should be exposed to this thinking. what you can do for yourself.
-my quick, abbreviated 2 cents. (read it for yourself, duh)

this book presents a lot of ideas that could prevent a lot of people from getting their heads messed up by the world of today. i especially like the chapters on trivialization and heroism.

This book presents a lot of "out of the box" thinking on social freedom to the point that most people on both the left and the right of the polotical spectrum will be disgusted at first, but by the end of the book I experienced a change in the way I think. I no longer look at the world around me and see things the way I've been raised to believe, I see things the way are, and the way I can make them. This book presents aspects of social freedom that simply can't be found anywhere else. So good, I've worn out my copy and am going to buy another!

Author Charles Kipp has earned the title of Master for this truly magnificent book. With a mix of western culture, astrology, science and magick, you get an eye opening experience of pure ecstasy.

This certainly is not a step by step how-to, new age astrology guide. This is a complete book of revelations in the field of astrology that practitioners of the science itself need to experience. Leave behind all you thought you knew. Open the first page and read the introduction by Robert Anton Wilson. Then read the first page from Charles Kipp. You won't be able to put down this book once you start.

Master in his own right, Robert Anton Wilson introduces the book with his own personal experience while studying Crowley. You can see how Wilson has remained objective and open minded in his 28 years of reading and researching a man who, to this day, remains an enigmatic icon. His respect for Crowley shows clearly through the lines as he tries to explain not only who Crowley was, but why he lived his life the way he did. Although no one will ever know for sure Crowley's mindset, Wilson gives an award winning performance in presenting a fresh, very believable point of view.

Following this marvelous introduction isn't easy, but Charles Kipp is equal to the task as he takes you on an enlightened journey through astrology in a way you have never traveled before. Using Aleister Crowley as a test subject for his topic is, in a word, brilliant! Kipp calls on 30 years experience as student, practitioner and teacher of astrology to delve deeply into Crowley's life through his own writings. Intertwining them with Astrology not only makes for easy comprehension but sheer enjoyment!

Never before has such an in-depth book been written to keep the reader aware of each step; it's like taking several courses simultaneously. Kipp expands your horizons with the experience and proves that he really is the new master on the block!

For one who was reared on a steady diet of propaganda which taught that astrology was well-represented by the colorful charts, graphs, and horoscopes on the newsstand rags at the local grocery store, I had my biases. A certain cynicism usually kicked in and got in the way of my even picking up a book with the word "Astrology" in its title.

Silly Me.

Something profound drew me to this book and I have been thankful ever since. This highly impressive work is a benchmark for what makes for truly great reading, in my opinion. A nice coalescence between hard core science and then fanciful, poetic musings. To remain so open-minded while maintaining a well-grounded basis really gives Mr. Kipp an edge on others who have attempted similarly lofty tasks. Kipp elegantly pulls together a symphony of ideas.

Tying together such disparate topics as mysticism, astrology, psychoanalysis, history, and science - no simple task - is performed by Mr. Kipp with unique scholarship, and impeccable flair.

The rascal Aleister Crowley is rendered very human and great sympathy is aroused by Kipp's amusing characterization of Crowley's strange and at times brutal upbringing. We are compelled to understand the psychology and mythology inherent in Crowley's (and our own) universe.

Ultimately, we are brought full circle to a deep insight of the theoretical perspectives - including both critical and expansive views - necessary to establish a sense of "wholeness."

This reader was left amazed at the beauty of the language and the harmonious interplay of really cool, strange subjects.

My amazement at the fact that someone could come up with the idea for this book was superseded by the fact that the idea was so powerfully executed.

Bring us another one, Master Kipp.

The world you think you know doesn't exist. Everything you thought was there isn't. Everything you thought you had done, you haven't. Your past is different, but your future is the same. Welcome to "The Universe Next Door," created by Robert Anton Wilson. This universe is filled with what could have been, and even what should have been. Here, the missing plutonium that a terrorist group turns into nuclear devices, the Mad Fishmonger, the future America known as Unistat, and the hero Benny "Eggs" Benedict are all a part of reality.
While Eggs Benedict writes for the New York Times, the diminutive Markhov Chaney spreads his radical views under the guise of "The Mgt." Juan Tootreego bobbles through life while Cagliostro the Great pleases everyone in their own individual way. We follow each of these people as they meet up with several peculiar characters such as Mary Margaret Wildeblood who is enjoying his newfound life as a woman and Hassan i Sabbah X, leader of the marijuana savvy group, the Illuminatus, and the President of Unistat. As they make their way through life in a confused state, they can't help but wonder what could have been, in the universe next door.
In short, I would honestly recommend The Universe Next Door by Robert Anton Wilson for those who want to learn something without trying, those who want to get a good laugh, and those who are looking for the answer to the question, "what could have been?"

This is the kind of material that bounces off your brain cells long after the last page is turned. You don't have to be a genius to read this book, but I kept thinking, "Robert Anton Wilson had to be a *genius* to write this." Multiple plot lines across many dimensions, a version of history from the age of Atlantis that is supported by a wealth of 2 and 2's that were never previously put together (why was John Dillinger supposedly seen in multiple places at once? Because he was quadruplets), and enough physics and sex to entertain on many levels. If you want an intelligent and captivating read, this is it

This thunderbolt of a tape was once entitled the Jumping Jesus Syndrome, due to Wilson's clever coinage of a leap in human intellect equating to "1 Jesus". Others have called this everything from the "Quickening" to "the Omega Point" to Terence McKenna's "uploaded self into the multiplicitous realm of the Other". Bob, as ever, doesn't say much about what it is, but rather what it seems to him to be in all its facets, these "fast times" we live in, and how intelligence seems to be increasing and time with it. Is it really? He reports from the edge. Brilliant, hilarious and convention-shattering.

Robert Anton Wilson's "Book of the Breast" was his fourth book. Now printed by New Falcon Publishing under the indiscriminating title of "Ishtar Rising." The edition that I am reviewing is of the Playboy Press edition which is quite different, which is why I am making the distinction. Although the text is the same, throughout the book there are pictures of Playboy Pin-Ups which add to the whole delight of the book and serves its purpose in getting across the idea of the book. The New Falcon edition is all type and a few non-Playboy pics inserted. The book on the other hand was great. Wilson makes many fine arguments about the Breast and how we should be adoring the Breast, not abandoning it, or locking it out of society as if it were the Devil incarnate which rose upon women's Breasts for men to gawk and lose their scientific rationale. Throughout history, at least from the Judaica-Hebrew inception on throughout time up until about the 20's was sex, women and any other type of so-called deviant thought was considered heretical. R. A. Wilson gives an amalgum of references and quotations and puts it together in a cohesive logical and thought-provoking manner, which I believe is his specialty. His comprehension and retension level of information fascinates me and this is one more testimony to that trait of his that he utilizes so well in his writing. Highly reccomended! I would suggest, however, that you search for this version before settling for the New Falcon edition. Although I fully support the library of New Falcon (as they one of my favorite publishers). The Playboy edition is a little difficult to find and you may pay a few dollars extra, but for the experience of it, I believe it is worth it.

This product features two audio tapes. One each on Johnson and Carter. Robert Dallek and Hendrik Hertzberg are the speakers. Their speeches from 1995 show great knowledge and insight into their respective Presidents.

Hendrik Hertzberg was a speech writer for President Carter during his last two years in office. Hertzberg is a good speaker and often used humor to describe Carter and his administration. Hendrik describes Carter well. He portrays him as a loner and someone opposed to pomp and glitter. He also stated that Carter was no idealogue. Rather he handled issues one by one as they arose. And he spread himself too thin. Hendrik descibes some of the major events of the Carter Administration. The Panama Canal Treaty, the Israeli/Egyptian peace talks and the failed Iranian hostage rescue mission. Hertzberg portrays Carter as a courageous moral leader. But he also shows that Carter was not a great political leader.

Robert Dallek is a successful author and he shows here that he is also a good speaker. Dallek studied Lyndon Johnson thoroughly and clearly understood him. He states accurately that Lyndon Johnson was a complex man with a seemingly contradictory personality. Dallek quotes several stories about Johnson to show his sense of humor and his temperament.

Dallek provides data about Johnson's popularity over the years. As President, his approval ratings were good. As an ex President he's less popular. Dallek gives three reasons why he thinks LBJ's popularity has fallen. His assessment is probably correct.

Dallek then proceeds to rate Johnson as a President. He gives LBJ high marks in the realms of vision, pragmatism and consensus building on domestic issues. And he states that Johnson was very successful in passing his bills through Congress. Dallek provides a whole list of good bills which Johnson pushed through. In summary, Robert Dallek's assessment of Lyndon Johnson and his Presidency is very accurate and well informed.

May be the best of Wilson's book for summing up his version of how the mind works. An excellent integration of diverse sciences, complete with many experiments you can do yourself. Also try Prometheus Rising, and Coincidance.

Maybe this is what Clinton was referring to in his infamous linguistic/legal moment before the Star Inquisition. All joking aside, this book is a MUST read for anyone wanting to start getting rid of the semantic spooks in their psyche. This undefinable book of wisdom that weaves a coherent thesis out of such diverse topics as semantics, psychology, physics, model agnosticism and subtle humor makes clear better than anything out there just how much our perceptions and behavior are controlled/influenced by embedded language biases. Just learning to write in e-prime (english without the word "is") makes the book a worthwhile experience. Quantum Psychology opened me to a whole new way of thinking and perceiving, and that is something I can say but very few other books. I truly had no idea the robotizing effect language has on our behavior and perceptions--its not a discovery you can be "told"--you must experience it through the exercises in this book. You owe it to yourself to check this one out.

This book follows in the footsteps of Wilson's earlier work, _Prometheus Rising_, with an emphasis on language, psychology, and physics. It makes the intelligent or enlightened reader to smile in acknowledgement; it forces the average to change. How much depends on their ability to do so. Some of the material seems incomplete (with little attention to physics' Anthropic Principle), but in all fairness, one can only go so far before one has written several books, and Wilson certainly has. More careful and insightful than _Prometheus Rising_, it offers fans of Wilson his best work, and serves as a great introduction to his older and newer ideas.

This book has something lacking in most Wilson books, namely a linear plotline and fairly believable characters who aren't merely stand-ins for the author's philosophy. Granted three of the characters are real people but that's besides the point.

An amateur Kabalist who is related to the Hagbard Celine of the original Illuminatus trilogy (and the other Celine of the Historical Illuminatus trilogy) finds himself driven mad by the machinations of Aleister Crowley. On a train he runs into Albert Einstein - the scientist who approached science as if it were art - and James Joyce - the artist who approached art as if it were a science. As he retells his story, Einstein and Joyce slowly unravel the trail of deceit and mindgames sponsored by Crowley.

It's fairly obvious by the second chapter that not only is this not much of a thriller, but Robert Anton Wilson is a major Aleister Crowley fan. Much of this book is a homage to Wilson's favorite historical figures with "Uncle Al" as the star of the show. That may take away from the whole mystery aspect of the book, but you find yourself cheering on Crowley soon as well.

This is not only a great book but a nice controlled storyline. The only complaint is that it doesn't have much to do with the world of the Illuminatus! Trilogy, and the word Illuminatus seems to be tacked on in order to sell this book to fans of that series. However, in many ways this later work surpasses the original trilogy.

Well, this one isn't quite as twisty as some of RAW's other work (ie Illuminatus), in fact, its remarkably linear, a single major plotline. I would definitely recommend reading RAW's "Coincidence", a book of essays, I read Coincidence before reading this book, and it gave me a lot of insight into the symbolism and the way that we could analyze parts of the dream sequences and things (I was so proud when I noticed the ROYGBIVs...). Even if you haven't read Coincidence, this book is enjoyable.. you can skip right over the gnomic and complex dreams and philosophical symbolism and get right into the overt and fun plot.

Masks of The Illuminati is a fast-paced Adventure and Detective Story, with Albert Einstein & James Joyce playing Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, in the historical setting of The Real World. However, the characters also spend a great deal of time in the Metaphysical world, as well. The average reader will not comprehend half of this book--but, that is the excitement of the adventure! Only the Illuminated truly "get it." ;)

Seriously, Students of "The Mysteries" will have a field day (or an Astral Field Trip) with this thrilling "fictional" novel.

Robert Anton Wilson must be a genius to have incorporated so much historical and metaphysical Truth, into this "story" of a young, wealthy, well-educated Englishman being Initiated into a branch of The Golden Dawn, while trying to investigate a series of strange "occult" attacks in Scotland, against a Presbyterian minister....fighting both the forces of Darkness and his own repressed sexual tendencies, simultaneously !

This is a fascinating journey into the world of occult organizations and Initiation, climaxing in a most unusual and exciting manner....leading the reader to strongly desire clapping Aleister Crowley on the back while saying, "Well-done, 'ol chap!"

I strongly doubt that non-occultists will understand this great novel--but, the Story holds it's own and being a student of The Mysteries is not a Prerequisite. For those in the dark, a quick online search can fill in the gaps, as you read.

This book is more fast-paced than Focault's Pendulumn and the scenes with Einstein & Joyce as Sleuths are very well-constructed. You will feel that you are in the room with them...listening attentively and anxiously awaiting the Conclusion !

Robert Anton Wilson has proven to be capable of extraordinary talent with this series. Mixing fiction with non-fiction he weaves one of the most satisfying yarns published. The Earth Will Shake, The Widows Son and Natures God are a type of writing that I had previously not encountered through Wilson. This series is actually very inspiring, and written in such a dramatic way I am convinced it would make a most excellent movie. But, at the end of the series, the reader sees reference to the fourth book "The World Turned Upside Down", and alas, it is non-existant. Whatever reason Bob has for abandoning us devout readers of this series (I have read all three books three times and stolen much wit and demeanor from them) I urge you, dear Bob, please don't leave us hanging! Your Friend, Joey Bridges

This series of books I believe is the best thing that Wilson has ever done, and he still hasn't finished it yet. I believe that he might not be either. This series of books sparked off my interest in history and actually made it fun to peek between the edges of history and find some of the most interesting figures. I have to admit that this series changed my reality-tunnel (as Wilson calls it). This book is something of a coming-of-age story that has a similar feel to Araby, the short story in James Joyce's book "Dubliners." As he is a big fan of Joyce's, it may not be unintentional. The second is the action-adventure book, and the third is the more spiritual side. All of them have these elements, but the strong themes stuck out for me as I just detailed. After you read this series, research it...it is amazing what you find. So much of this is true that it is staggering that Wilson pulled all this together. Plus, the Masonic initiation scene is very true to reality that you wonder how he got away with writing about it.

The Historical Illuminatus Trilogy is Robert Anton Wilson at his most poetic. Combining the essential elements of his other works, (religion, politics, intrigue, mind-control, and the supposed differences between them) he weaves a tale of dashing and daring adventure, describing the growing pains of a young man destined to change the world, mostly against his own desires. Set amidst a vast backdrop of historical events, such as the French, Irish & American revolutions, scientific progress & religious intolerence, with a delightful dollop of sex 'n' drugs 'n' classical music, it's a wonderful series that beautifully suggests, if not illustrate clearly, how we have come to live in the world we see around us. The eternal question of what is good and evil is eloquently dealt with in these glorious books. Read, enjoy, devour the wisdom of R. A. Wilson, and he WILL change your life. Forever. And that is a very long time!

Harness sexual energy to power the world? Of course, the man was mad. Anyone in that time who would proclaim such a thing would be the Victorian equivilant of a Salem witch! Of course, the port-o-potty booth he made to help, um...harness that power, was a little too weird for the time, but he was on to something. He had notes and everything! He was a free thinker! A psychologist! A student of the greatest minds of the time!

But even these days, it would mean a trip to the psyche ward for you to proclaim such a thing. However, I doubt the FBI would burn down his house and destroy all his notes these days...right?

Wilhelm Reich in Hell is an interesting collection of thoughts and ideas regarding the "truth" about Orgone enery, the man behind the ideas and his ultimate downfall. It's a weird read, but sharp, funny and exciting a read as anything Robert A. Wilson puts out. Good stuff.

Wilhelm Reich was many things in his lifetime- a student of Freud, a political activist, a research scientist, and an inventor. His work was decades ahead of its time and is finally being rediscovered and reevaluated by the public. If, like me, you are interested in Reich and his work, you might want to check out a novel called We All Fall Down, by Brian Caldwell. it draws heavily on Reich's theories, particularly Listen Little Man and The Mass Psychology Of Facism. It's a great introduction to Reich's work and the entire novel draws heavily on his theory. It's very interesting watching an author explore his theories in a fictional setting. Well worth reading.

I noticed this book on a roommate's bookshelf at 2:30 AM one night, grabbed it (intending to flip through the preface to find out what it was about) ... and ended up reading the whole thing through before dawn. Wilson's like that.

This play is absolutely vintage RAW. From the lengthy introductions, where I finally found out where most of his tirades against organizations like CSICOP came from (he reveals that they were one of the major forces behind the book-burnings that played a central role in Reich's disintegration), to the play itself, new ideas are thrown out at a dizzying pace. Social commentary (such as the persistent beeping within the play of a computer tracking nuclear arms buildup), philosophy and a detailed and even-handed examination of Reich's later life (and eventual degradation into insanity) meld seamlessly.

The play itself is full of shocks -- both the prurient (some instances of actor nudity and simulated sex) and the brilliant. To avoid spoiling the surprises, I won't go too deeply into the latter, except to say that the boundaries between performance and reality at times disappear. This little gem is definitely worth a read.