Read it for a class on Interdisciplinary Studies. The lens for that class was political hysteria in American society. I loved this book, but it can be a little depressing to see how easily fellow humans can turn against each other out of fear. Really well written. There are a few minor gaps in the logic. I look forward to reading more books in the future from this author. He was quite young when he wrote this. It's always nice to see writers progress with age.

Read it for a class on Interdisciplinary Studies. The lens for that class was political hysteria in American society. I loved this book, but it can be a little depressing to see how easily fellow humans can turn against each other out of fear. Really well written. There are a few minor gaps in the logic. I look forward to reading more books in the future from this author. He was quite young when he wrote this. It's always nice to see writers progress with age.

This book makes some critical distinctions about periods of political hysteria in U.S. history: The Illuminati, the Anti-Masons, the Red Scare, McCarthyism (not including Mortimer Snerd [ha ha]), and The U.S. after 9/11. The author points out that hysterical movements actually represent a fear of the loss of prestige by whatever group is promoting or reacting to the hysteria. Often these hysterical movements will be laughed at—or at least dismissed—by most of the population, but if they’re not t...

This book makes some critical distinctions about periods of political hysteria in U.S. history: The Illuminati, the Anti-Masons, the Red Scare, McCarthyism (not including Mortimer Snerd [ha ha]), and The U.S. after 9/11. The author points out that hysterical movements actually represent a fear of the loss of prestige by whatever group is promoting or reacting to the hysteria. Often these hysterical movements will be laughed at—or at least dismissed—by most of the population, but if they’re not t...

This book makes some critical distinctions about periods of political hysteria in U.S. history: The Illuminati, the Anti-Masons, the Red Scare, McCarthyism (not including Mortimer Snerd [ha ha]), and The U.S. after 9/11. The author points out that hysterical movements actually represent a fear of the loss of prestige by whatever group is promoting or reacting to the hysteria. Often these hysterical movements will be laughed at—or at least dismissed—by most of the population, but if they’re not t...

This book makes some critical distinctions about periods of political hysteria in U.S. history: The Illuminati, the Anti-Masons, the Red Scare, McCarthyism (not including Mortimer Snerd [ha ha]), and The U.S. after 9/11. The author points out that hysterical movements actually represent a fear of the loss of prestige by whatever group is promoting or reacting to the hysteria. Often these hysterical movements will be laughed at—or at least dismissed—by most of the population, but if they’re not t...

This book makes some critical distinctions about periods of political hysteria in U.S. history: The Illuminati, the Anti-Masons, the Red Scare, McCarthyism (not including Mortimer Snerd [ha ha]), and The U.S. after 9/11. The author points out that hysterical movements actually represent a fear of the loss of prestige by whatever group is promoting or reacting to the hysteria. Often these hysterical movements will be laughed at—or at least dismissed—by most of the population, but if they’re not t...

I loved this book and I love the way the author tells the story. He goes through 5 different periods in U.S. History that showed a particular hysteria and explained how it formed, then how it went from the fringes of society to more mainstream outlets, and then it says how all of them were eventually exposed as fraud. They all have common characteristics and similar base story so the individual target is always this underworld powerful cabal trying for global totalitarianism, or something very c...

I loved this book and I love the way the author tells the story. He goes through 5 different periods in U.S. History that showed a particular hysteria and explained how it formed, then how it went from the fringes of society to more mainstream outlets, and then it says how all of them were eventually exposed as fraud. They all have common characteristics and similar base story so the individual target is always this underworld powerful cabal trying for global totalitarianism, or something very c...

I loved this book and I love the way the author tells the story. He goes through 5 different periods in U.S. History that showed a particular hysteria and explained how it formed, then how it went from the fringes of society to more mainstream outlets, and then it says how all of them were eventually exposed as fraud. They all have common characteristics and similar base story so the individual target is always this underworld powerful cabal trying for global totalitarianism, or something very c...

I loved this book and I love the way the author tells the story. He goes through 5 different periods in U.S. History that showed a particular hysteria and explained how it formed, then how it went from the fringes of society to more mainstream outlets, and then it says how all of them were eventually exposed as fraud. They all have common characteristics and similar base story so the individual target is always this underworld powerful cabal trying for global totalitarianism, or something very c...

I loved this book and I love the way the author tells the story. He goes through 5 different periods in U.S. History that showed a particular hysteria and explained how it formed, then how it went from the fringes of society to more mainstream outlets, and then it says how all of them were eventually exposed as fraud. They all have common characteristics and similar base story so the individual target is always this underworld powerful cabal trying for global totalitarianism, or something very c...

http://ensuingchapters.com/2015/05/16...For most, Jade Helm 15 may sound like the newest MMORPG, but for Chuck Norris, recipient of many kicks to the head, the upcoming military training exercise is something straight out of Gray State (in other words, B-grade survivalist porn).“It is neither over-reactionary nor conspiratorial to call into question or ask for transparency about Jade Helm 15 or any other government activity,” Norris wrote in an op-ed for WND.Sadly, it’s not just over-the-hill ac...

This book is so good I could immediately read it over again and enjoy it more. Burt's account of popularized conspiracy theories through the centuries is level-headed, humanizing to all characters involved, and highly entertaining. He picks just five episodes to examine in detail: The anti-Illuminati movement of the 1790s, the anti-Mason movement of the 1820s and 30s, the Red Scare of 1919-20, Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist crusade of the early 1950s, and the anti-Sharia law movement that aros...

This book is so good I could immediately read it over again and enjoy it more. Burt's account of popularized conspiracy theories through the centuries is level-headed, humanizing to all characters involved, and highly entertaining. He picks just five episodes to examine in detail: The anti-Illuminati movement of the 1790s, the anti-Mason movement of the 1820s and 30s, the Red Scare of 1919-20, Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist crusade of the early 1950s, and the anti-Sharia law movement that aros...

This book is so good I could immediately read it over again and enjoy it more. Burt's account of popularized conspiracy theories through the centuries is level-headed, humanizing to all characters involved, and highly entertaining. He picks just five episodes to examine in detail: The anti-Illuminati movement of the 1790s, the anti-Mason movement of the 1820s and 30s, the Red Scare of 1919-20, Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist crusade of the early 1950s, and the anti-Sharia law movement that aros...

This book is so good I could immediately read it over again and enjoy it more. Burt's account of popularized conspiracy theories through the centuries is level-headed, humanizing to all characters involved, and highly entertaining. He picks just five episodes to examine in detail: The anti-Illuminati movement of the 1790s, the anti-Mason movement of the 1820s and 30s, the Red Scare of 1919-20, Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist crusade of the early 1950s, and the anti-Sharia law movement that aros...