Book excerpt: This fascinating book is an essential illustrated reference guide to secret societies and cults from every culture and time. From the Freemasons to the Knights Templar and from Rosicrucians to Chinese Triads, this in-depth handbook explains the history, beliefs and secret rituals of some of the most powerful covert organizations ever to have existed. In The Secret Societies Bible you will find: The truth about the Opus Dei and the Priory of Sion, made famous by The Da Vinci Code. A fully-illustrated guide to key rituals, meeting places and individuals. Includes major societies such as the Freemasons and the Knights Templar.Written by an expert author and featuring a code-breaker checklist of secret signs and symbols to help you identify different societies, this book reveals the mysteries behind the world's most elusive organizations.