Jim Tresner, 33°, Grand Cross
P.O. Box 70, Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044–0070
Book Reviews Editor, The Scottish Rite Journal

It's too hot in Oklahoma in July to do much more than sit very still in front of an air-conditioner and read. If you happen to have a 500-watt cat that thinks such quiet time is a perfect excuse to occupy your lap, you have opportunity not only to exercise the mind but to exercise self-control as well. Here are some books for a sultry day.

Tobias Churton, The Golden Builders: Alchemists Rosicrucians and the First Freemasons, 2002, Signal Publishing, paperbound, 250 pages, illustrations, $26.50 plus $10.85 postage and packaging. Order from Signal Publications, 34 Netherbridge Avenue, Lichfield, Staffordshire W514 9UF, payment by Western Union Money-Gram. (I'd suggest the best way to order is to e-mail them at signalmarketing@yahoo.co.uk for details.)

Brother Churton is one of the most interesting Masonic writers on the scene today. He is the founder-editor of the magazine Freemasonry Today, which we've recommended a couple of times in this column. (Consider this a third recommendation-it is an excellent publication.) He also creates work for television and films. In this book he traces the wisdom tradition from the Hermetic philosophers to the Rosicrucians and into the beginnings of pre-Grand Lodge Masonry. His chapter on Elias Ashmole, the celebrated English antiquarian and Freemason of the 17th century, is especially interesting. I issue the usual warning-no one speaks officially for Masonry; you have to read and decide for yourself. But the research is carefully done, and I find the arguments compelling. The book reads easily and enjoyably, and it will certainly make you think.

Jim Tresner, From Sacrifice to Symbol: The Story of Cornerstones And Stability Rites, 2003, Anchor Communications, paperbound, 182 pages, $17.95 plus $3 shipping. Order from Anchor Communications LLC, 5266 Mary Ball Road, Lancaster, Virginia 22503, or on the Internet at www.lostword.com, or phone toll-free 888-231-8506. VISA or MasterCard accepted.

This isn't a review (I don't think it's considered ethical to review your own work) but a notice that the book is available. I've been intrigued for many years by the ancient rituals (some even using human sacrifice) involved in constructing a building and the way in which those rituals turned into the cornerstone ceremonies we use today.

There are fascinating legends about the cornerstone of Solomon's Temple, castles in Transylvania, London Bridge, and Aztec temples-and they echo down to today. The book was fun to write, and I tried to make it fun to read. But here is a warning. I am an abominable proofreader of material I have written. I should never try to proof my own material, and I did. Sorry.
Editor's Note: Unless otherwise noted, most books are available at or through your local bookstore or over the Internet. Prices may vary.
Jim Tresner is Director of the Masonic Leadership Institute and Editor of The Oklahoma Mason. A frequent contributor to the Scottish Rite Journal and its book review editor, Ill. Bro. Tresner is also a volunteer writer for The Oklahoma Scottish Rite Mason and a video script consultant for the National Masonic Renewal Committee. He is the Director of the Thirty-third Degree Conferral Team and Director of Work at the Guthrie Scottish Rite Temple in Guthrie, Oklahoma, as well as a Life Member of the Scottish Rite Research Society, author of Albert Pike, The Man Beyond the Monument, and Vested in Glory. A member of the steering committee of the Masonic Information Center, Ill. Tresner was awarded the Grand Cross, the Scottish Rite's highest honor, during the Supreme Council's October 1997 Biennial Session.