The Secret of Secrets: A Novel (Robert Langdon)

Robert Langston is looking for his close friend, Katherine Solomon who has vanished from Prague hotel after giving a lecture. She had a dream that seemed to have been precognition and predicted seeing an old hag, dressed in black with a halo and a spear foretelling an explosion All copies of her unpublished manuscript are missing. There's a Golem on the loose wandering the streets but also blending in with other costumed people. This is another mystery to be solved by the famous symbologist.

I have like other books by Dan Brown and I'm giving this a try, but must admit, it did not draw me in and is a little "out there" with magical elements. DNF

One of the best books I’ve read in awhile. It captivated me from beginning relating to the topic of consciousness. I learned so much from this book about science and the literary world. Excellent writing.

“The question at the core of the book—what happens when we die?—is the mystery that all human minds have pondered. It is truly the secret of secrets…The question was, without compare, the greatest mystery of life…the secret we all longed to know…The true nature of death…was the secret we all yearned to understand…across every culture, every generation, and every era. Unlike most of life’s unknowable mysteries, however, this was a secret that was guaranteed to be unveiled to every one of us…yet only at the end. Our last moments of life…become our first moments of truth.” “Fear makes us selfish…The more we fear death, the more we cling to ourselves, our belongings, our safe spaces…to that which is familiar. We exhibit increased nationalism, racism, and religious intolerance. We flout authority, ignore social mores, steal from others to provide for ourselves, and become more materialistic. We even abandon our feelings of environmental responsibility because we sense the planet is a lost cause and we’re all doomed anyway.” “Those who do not fear death, for whatever reason, tend to exhibit behavior that is more benevolent, accepting of others, cooperative, and caring about the environment. Essentially, this means that if we could all free our minds of the burden, of the terror we feel about death…Then we would find ourselves in a dramatically improved world.” “The way forward will require forgiveness—not just on her part—but for everyone involved. Bilateral absolution…If both…can leave the past in the past and agree to a mutual pardon for the greater good, then there exists a shared future that benefits everyone.” “It all funnels into one larger concept…Death is not the end. There’s more work to do, but science continues to discover evidence that there is indeed something beyond all this. That message is one we should be shouting from the mountaintops, Robert! It’s the secret of all secrets. Just imagine the impact it will have on the future of the human race.” “Memento mori…Remember death is coming…and live well.” “Illuminating…startling…universally relevant.” This book could be one of the most important projects of Dan Brown’s career.