We’ve traveled all around the world with Robert Langdon, uncovering history’s biggest secrets. Now Langdon is in Prague, uncovering one of life’s biggest secrets: love. That’s right, Robert Langdon is in love. But Dan Brown didn’t write a whole book about our favorite symbologist having a romantic interlude in Europe. No, The Secret of Secrets starts out with some dreamy love but quickly turns dangerous as someone seems hell bent on silencing his new love’s innovative theories about consciousness and the mind, by any means necessary.
[Warning: My review of The Secret of Secrets contains some spoilers!]
The Secret of Secrets is a nonstop thrill ride
Robert Langdon attracts trouble like a magnet. But what trouble could there possibly be this time? An old friend, Katherine Solomon, has been invited to give a talk on her theories of nonlocal consciousness to fellow scientists. She asks Langdon to accompany her, and off they go to spend a few days in Prague.
After her presentation and a little too much alcohol, Katherine wakes up from a nightmare about the hotel they’re staying in blowing up. Langdon calms her down, and they go back to bed, but the next morning, Robert is reminded eerily of her dream and fears that something might be wrong. In his fear, he pulls the fire alarm at the hotel, kickstarting a series of events that reveal shocking secrets that will change everything we think about reality. If he and Katherine can survive them, that is.
Just what is nonlocal consciousness?
The entire plot of The Secret of Secrets revolves around Katherine’s theories about nonlocal consciousness (also known as noetic science) and its potential for weaponization. But just what is nonlocal consciousness? In the traditional theory of consciousness, our consciousness resides in the brain. It is created by the chemical processes that occur within that tiny three-pound chunk of gray matter. But the problem is that this localized model of consciousness doesn’t really work in practice. The brian just isn’t big enough to actually do all the things our consciousness does. And that’s before you take into account occurrences like remote viewing, precognition, and sudden savant syndrome (just for starters). Localized consciousness just can’t come close to explaining all the things our minds can do.
Enter the new (well, new again, but that’s not the point) theory called nonlocal consciousness that Katherine and other noetic scientists ascribe to. In this theory, consciousness doesn’t reside in the brain; it comes from outside the body, and the brain just acts as a receiver for consciousness. According to noetic scientists, this solves all the problems that the localized model can’t explain or simply dismisses. In this model, scientists compare the brain to a radio. Each of our “radios” is tuned to our specific station, which is how our unique personalities come through. But sometimes unintended signals come through, just like interference on a radio. This interference accounts for everything from precognition to past lives to remote viewing to disassociate identity disorder.
The theory is absolutely fascinating, and the experiments are producing amazing results. Brown includes a lot of information about this new branch of science in The Secret of Secrets. Indeed, maybe my favorite part of the entire book comes before a single word of the story. On an introduction page, Brown informs readers of three facts: All artwork, artifacts, symbols, and documents in this novel are real. All Experiments, technologies, and scientific results are true to life. All organizations in this novel exist. These three facts make everything that comes after them more captivating than any fiction has the right to be! This is one of those books that not only gives you an entertaining story but also keeps you thinking long after you finish it. And you’re not just thinking about the story and characters, but about your own life and the real world.
Now, if you’re worried that it sounds like there’s a lot of science in The Secret of Secrets, don’t be. This isn’t a textbook; it’s a riveting action story. Brown crams a lot of science into his story, but it’s all delivered in a way that is relevant to the story, feels natural, and, most importantly, remains engaging. There is a ton of information in The Secret of Secrets, but it doesn’t bog down the action or make the book boring. Instead, it enhances the story and fills the reader with wonder. If only all scientific writing were so engaging!
The wait was worth it for this Dan Brown novel
It’s been a long time since Dan Brown has graced us with a Robert Langdon adventure, seven years in fact. But that time was well spent. The Secret of Secrets required a lot of research to be done right. And Brown does it right. Langdon fans will love the nonstop action that they’ve come to expect from Langdon’s adventures. And they’ll also appreciate the story’s realism. The fact that all of the framework that Brown builds his story on is real makes the story that much more believable and that much better. I know I didn’t include much of the plot in my review; that was by design. There are a lot of twists and turns in The Secret of Secrets, and I didn’t want to spoil them for you!
Even the title reflects Brown’s commitment to research and symbolism. The book is called The Secret of Secrets, which makes sense once you read the story. But it’s written The Secret of SecЯts. That backwards “R” isn’t just for aesthetics. In Russian (relevant to the story), “Я” means “I” or “me,” which is extremely relevant to the story and everything that happens in The Secret of Secrets. Honestly, it’s extremely relevant to the entire practice of noetic science. I was ridiculously pleased to discover this hidden symbol on the cover; it fits so perfectly with Langdon’s character. It’s one of those little touches that elevate Brown to the next level as an author. Fans of Langdon need to pick up The Secret of Secrets today, and those who haven’t read any of his books but love a good mystery and an even better conspiracy should grab it too. The nice thing is that even though there are five other Langdon books, you don’t need to read any of them to enjoy The Secret of Secrets. So don’t wait to grab this masterpiece and dive in today!
Rating: 10/10
The Secret of Secrets is now available to purchase at your retailer of choice.
Learn more about the book at the official website for the title.
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