Book Description
How to satisfy the endless hunger for information among the millions of readers caught up in The Da Vinci Code mania? Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code is the most comprehensive, literate guide available for interpreting the intellectual intricacies of Dan Brown's bestselling novel. This unprecedented volume provides a wealth of fresh insight from the world's most respected authorities on the novel's controversial historical, religious, artistic, and scientific themes. Interviews and commentary from renowned scientists, theologians, archeologists, philosophers, historians, and art historians address such provocative topics as: * What was the true identity of Mary Magdalene? Was Mary Magdalene a disciple of Jesus and did she write her own gospel? * Was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene? Did they have a child together? * In the late 1960s, the Church publicly reversed its 1,400-year-old position that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, but this revised history was never effectively communicated to the public. Has there been a "cover-up" of the role of women in church history? * Did some geniuses of art and science--like Leonardo DaVinci and Isaac Newton--belong to secret societies that had the most compelling "insider information" in history? Did Leonardo convey some of the ideas in The Last Supper and other paintings? Packed with excerpts from many original works, all-new material, and interviews with prominent scholars, Secrets of the Code will satisfy readers'curiosity, engage their imagination, and provide them with insights to better understand the multi-facted mysteries, secret codes, and messages embedded in the novel. Meticulously researched and compulsively readable, this volume is an excellent choice for book clubs and discussion groups. CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE: Diane Apostolos-Cappadona * Michael Baigent * Esther de Boer * David Downie * Betsy Eble Bart Ehrman * Timothy Freke * Peter Gandy * Deirdre Good * Susan Haskins * Katherine L. Jansen * Karen King * Richard Leigh * Henry Lincoln * James Martin, S.J. * Richard McBrien * Laura Miller * Sherwin B. Nuland * Elaine Pagels * Lynn Picknett * Clive Prince * James Robinson * Simon Singh * Margaret Starbird * David van Biema * Kenneth Woodward ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dan Burstein is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author of six books on global economics and technology, including Yen! Euroquake, Road Warriors, and Big Dragon. The founder of Millennium Technology Ventures, a New York-based venture capital firm that invests in innovative new technology companies, he has often written about the mysteries and complexities of the future. Secrets of the Code is his first book that explores mysteries and complexities of the past.


From the Publisher
There is no more comprehensive and definitive guide to The Da Vinci Code than Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code. Dan Brown’s bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code, has captivated the imagination of millions of readers. Its provocative story and rich historical background has spurred wide interest in the author’s source materials and has aroused controversies, both public and private, all over America. Readers are fascinated by the questions raised in The Da Vinci Code. Was Jesus actually married to Mary Magdalene? Was she one of his disciples and did she write her own gospel? Did they have a child together? Did some geniuses of art and science, people like Leonardo Da Vinci and Isaac Newton, belong to secret societies that had the most compelling insider information in history, and did Leonardo convey some of these ideas in The Last Supper and other paintings? What is fact? What is fiction? Dan Burstein’s Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code sorts out fact, informed speculation, and fiction, by presenting the views of the experts—archeologists, theologians, art historians, philosophers and scientists—many of whose works Brown himself relied upon in developing his intriguing tale. Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code is the definitive guide to the novel and provides the curious reader with an authoritative sweeping tour, guided by renowned experts, through the many provocative ideas raised in the bestselling novel. With excerpts from many original works, all-new material, and interviews with prominent scholars, exploring the themes underlying the Dan Brown novel, Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code will satisfy your curiosity, engage your imagination, and provide you with insights to better understand the historical and religious issues of the novel. CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE DIANE APOSTOLOS-CAPPADONA MICHAEL BAIGENT ESTHER DE BOER DAVID DOWNIE BETSY EBLE BART EHRMAN TIMOTHY FREKE PETER GANDY DEIRDRE GOOD SUSAN HASKINS KATHERINE L. JANSEN KAREN KING RICHARD LEIGH HENRY LINCOLN JAMES MARTIN, S.J. RICHARD MCBRIEN LAURA MILLER SHERWIN B. NULAND ELAINE PAGELS LYNN PICKNETT CLIVE PRINCE JAMES ROBINSON SIMON SINGH MARGARET STARBIRD DAVID VAN BIEMA KENNETH WOODWARD


From the Author
"My goal in writing Secrets was to explore all the major mysteries of history--from religious history to art history--suggested by the plot of The Da Vinci Code. I assume there are a lot of other readers out there like myself who want to know what is fact and what is fiction in The Da Vinci Code. Secrets will give everyone the tools to be able to develop their own ideas in response to many of the provocative questions the novel touches on."


About the Author
Dan Burstein is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author of six books on subjects ranging from China and Japan to the digital technology revolution. He is currently developing books on the future of the Internet, blogs and blogging, and nanotechnology. He is founder of Millennium Technology Ventures, a New York-based venture capital firm that invests in innovative companies. Burstein has often written about the mysteries and complexities of the future. This is his first book that focuses on mysteries and complexities of the past.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

How to satisfy the endless hunger for information among the millions of readers caught up in The Da Vinci Code mania? Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code is the most comprehensive, literate guide available for interpreting the intellectual intricacies of Dan Brown's bestselling novel.

This unprecedented volume provides a wealth of fresh insight from the world's most respected authorities on the novel's controversial historical, religious, artistic, and scientific themes. Interviews and commentary from renowned scientists, theologians, archeologists, philosophers, historians, and art historians address such provocative topics as:

* What was the true identity of Mary Magdalene? Was Mary Magdalene a disciple of Jesus and did she write her own gospel?

* Was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene? Did they have a child together?

* In the late 1960s, the Church publicly reversed its 1,400-year-old position that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, but this revised history was never effectively communicated to the public. Has there been a "cover-up" of the role of women in church history?

* Did some geniuses of art and science--like Leonardo DaVinci and Isaac Newton--belong to secret societies that had the most compelling "insider information" in history? Did Leonardo convey some of the ideas in The Last Supper and other paintings?

Packed with excerpts from many original works, all-new material, and interviews with prominent scholars, Secrets of the Code will satisfy readers'curiosity, engage their imagination, and provide them with insights to better understand the multi-facted mysteries, secret codes, and messages embedded in the novel. As Dan Burstein explains, "My goal in writing Secrets was to explore all the major mysteries of history--from religious history to art history--suggested by the plot of The Da Vinci Code. I assume there are a lot of other readers out there like myself who want to know what is fact and what is fiction in The Da Vinci Code. Secrets will give everyone the tools to be able to develop their own ideas in response to many of the provocative questions the novel touches on."

Meticulously researched and compulsively readable, this volume is an excellent choice for book clubs and discussion groups.

CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE:Diane Apostolos-Cappadona * Michael Baigent * Esther de Boer * David Downie * Betsy Eble Bart Ehrman * Timothy Freke * Peter Gandy * Deirdre Good * Susan Haskins * Katherine L. Jansen * Karen King * Richard Leigh * Henry Lincoln * James Martin, S.J. * Richard McBrien * Laura Miller * Sherwin B. Nuland * Elaine Pagels * Lynn Picknett * Clive Prince * James Robinson * Simon Singh * Margaret Starbird * David van Biema * Kenneth Woodward