Robert Guffey

At the time of this review, I've been dealing a LOT with conspiracy theorists as a result of my personal website about anti-Masonry. About 17 years, in fact, with peaks and valleys seemingly dependent on the state of the national economy (or at least that's what I've seen). As a result, when I saw a book about conspiracy theory as art form, I was keen to read it. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to expectations - and, regrettably, some of the more bizarre conspiracies referenced and elaborated on seem to be there for the titillation of the fruit-cake crowd rather than as an academic or entertainment critique. And it's not as if the author didn't have source material from which to work. In the opening pages he speaks of his own experiences as a Mason and never seeing anything sinister yet in the case of his incorrect conclusions about claimed Ku Klux Klan membership of Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite's Albert Pike, he refers to the specific page on my personal website at http://www.masonicinfo.com/pikesracism.htm where the facts are laid out proving 'It ain't so, Jack!'. Instead he writes snarkily, "Feel free to judge for yourselves." Conflating unrecognized Grand Orient Freemasonry with regular/recognized bodies, he asserts Freemasonry's involvement with political matters in Greece and makes many other leaps of judgement based on siloed facts cobbled together. Assuming that because someone has written a book, Mr. Guffey will accept whatever is written as fact. He also seems to accept as fact the views of the female librarian at the library of the late Manley Hall. Hall, although having written about Freemasonry at 21 didn't actually become a member until he was in his 50s. That notwithstanding, she's quoted as an authoritative source on what Albert Pike did and thought! And the author then further confuses matters by quickly jumping to Madame Blavatsky's behavior - thus likely appearing to a less critical reader that this is somehow relevant to his positions on Pike. It's a jumble - and a not-very-pretty one at that. Truthfully, I think the idea of conspiracy as an art form may have some (albeit limited) merit and some of the examples Guffey uses really make one wonder about the mentality level of those who ignore facts for flights of fantasy but regrettably, the presentation left much to be desired and could quite easily feed the "See, I TOLD you there were aliens in the refrigerator!" fringe for whom conspiracy theory is a living, breathing organism. Additionally, sources cited are, in the vast majority of cases, from those who are/were conspiracy theorists themselves and hardly capable of providing anything but the most biased rendering of facts. Ed King, Grand Librarian, Grand Lodge of Masons in Maine. 6/2015.… (más)