Provides information on a wide variety of secret societies and orders around the world, including the Knights Templar, the Hell Fire Club, the Ordo Templis Orientis, and the Freemasons Axelrod (Encyclopedia of the American West, LJ 11/1/96) gives us a detailed, well-written encyclopedia of past and present social, service, ethnic, trade, mystical, religious, political, and criminal societies from around the world. Over 800 entries cover organizations and related topics such as rituals, degrees, and symbols, with those on active organizations including membership information, activities, and addresses. Axelrod also provides a useful introductory essay on the evolution of secret societies and reasons why individuals join such groups, and he closes the work with a detailed bibliography. This work duplicates some of the directory information found in the Encyclopedia of Associations (Gale, 1997. 32d ed.) but updates older titles like William Joseph Whalen's Handbook of Secret Organizations (1966. o.p.). Recommended for both academic and public libraries.?Stephen L. Hupp, Univ. of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. Used Book in Good Condition