Entertaining books and movies often depict Freemasonry as a shadowy, mysterious, and possibly sinister organization, and the TV and magazine specials on Freemasonry that inevitably follow often leave us with more questions than answers.

Mark E. Koltko-Rivera, a practicing thirty-second-degree Mason, has created a simple, authoritative, and easy-to-understand introduction to the history, rites, and meaning of Freemasonry. It may be the single most reliable short guide to Masonry, written by a widely recognized psychologist and scholar of esoteric history.

Koltko-Rivera's trustworthy handbook explores all the basic issues around Masonry, like:

*What is Freemasonry, and what is its history?

*How does one become a Freemason?

*What are some of the most important Masonic symbols?

*What do Masons get from their involvement in Freemasonry? What changes does it make in their inner and outer lives?

*What is it like to participate in the initiatory rituals of Freemasonry?

*What are some of the great historical controversies and myths surrounding Freemasonry?

*How is Masonry relevant today?