Members Only: Secret Societies, Sects, and Cults – Exposed!    by Julie Tibbott Order:  USA  Can Zest, 2015 (2015) Softcover, e-Book     Reviewed by Bob Walch If you are curious about secret societies and would like some basic information about some of them, you'll want to read Members Only: Secret Societies, Sects, and Cults – Exposed! by Julie Tibbott. Over fifty mysterious groups are discussed in this informative paperback. In some instances the author goes into detail and provides not only the history and background of the group but also membership requirements and even an insider's assessment of the organization. While groups like The Knights Templar, The Hellfire Club, The Freemasons, and the Skull and Bones Society are somewhat familiar, there are other organizations that have flown way beneath the radar. For example, have you ever heard of The Bizango, Club 33, The Lily Dale Assembly or La Santa Muerte? You'll know more about these and similar shadowy organizations after reading this entertaining book. When delving into secret societies it's sometimes popular to also associate famous people with the group. Of course, then you have to wonder just how secret the group actually is or was! For example, it is reputed that Ben Franklin and painter William Hogarth were members of the infamous 18th century Hellfire Club. Also famous members of the Masons include George Washington, Henry Ford, Harpo Marx, Prince Philip, Oscar Wilde, Harry Houdini and basketball star Shaquille O’Neal. Yale's Skull and Bones Society receives top billing because its famous members number three generations of the Bush family plus many notable politicians, businessmen and other individuals. But other societies and clubs at schools such as Oxford, Washington and Lee, William and Mary, Virginia, Princeton, Harvard and Whittier are noted. While many of these groups no longer exist (except in novels), others are still active and recruit new members. Well illustrated with plenty of trivia and interesting tidbits, Members Only will shed light on some practices and goals these elite groups espoused, but in some instances they were so secretive we can only guess at what they were really up to. Once you begin reading this book you'll discover it's hard to set down and the temptation to read just one more chapter is so strong you'll be finished with the book in no time at all. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews