“Symbols in no way confirm the presence of their original creators”-Dan Brown

Are you one of those who likes to dive in the world of mystery, codes, symbols, cryptography etc? Does that excite you?

Well, I have a treat for all you folks!!

Today I will present before you my top 10 recommendations for Symbology and cryptography books!!

Important note: – Books are not ranked. Every book has its own significance! Fiction and non-fiction books are included in this list. If you like any book then just click the title of the book!

DA Vince Code by Dan Brown

This should be treated as beginner book for every person who is looking to enter in the world of symbology. It is a great read! It has drama, action, thrill along with good inputs about history and symbology in famous artefacts and art works. This book opens up a new fascinating world for readers. It’s a bit controversial but it is an absolute reader’s delight.

Here is an excellent book review(a bit critical) about Da Vinci Code.

 Here is what others say about this book!

 Those who like the book-

 Rayan Says–

Most of us have heard of this controverisal book. It takes an open minded person to read this and to remember it is just fiction. but it brings up a lot of important questions about the Christian church, and the loss of paganism and the respect of the Goddess or the Woman. 

I don’t care if I am the only one who likes this book. it is my own truth, and i will think what i want to think. Dan Brown didn’t LEAD me or anyone else. he OPENED our minds. simply and importantly…he was just a catalyst for different thinking. that is a good thing…poorly written or not.

if you finish the book you will notice that Dan Brown even makes it clear to readers through his characters words, that he doesn’t want to destroy christianity because it has done so much good for so many people, and if it works for them, let’s let them continue to do what works for them. but find your own path. 

Well there are some people who find this absolutely worthless. Here is what they have to say!!

Maura Says-

I’ve finally started reading that ever so controversial best-seller by Dan Brown. Actually, not reading it, listening to it while driving around Lansing, MI. This book seems to have changed the minds of many Catholics (my grandfather included) and Protestants alike. Granted, there have long been rumors of secret societies and organizations within the Roman Catholic Church, and historical cover-ups are rampant throughout civilization. 

HOWEVER,

The book is crap. It’s not at all well written. Brown seems to feel that in order to impress the mystery of the supposed Holy Grail conspiracy upon his readers, he must be repetitive and condescending. It almost seems that the whole purpose of the book is to tell the world how much Brown knows about obscure art history and symbology, and that he is willing to explain it to the teeming masses of uniformed Christendom. His constant use of cliff-hanger chapter endings (almost every chapter) makes the novel read like it was originally intended as a serial publication. Much of Brown’s story hinges upon the loss of the Sacred Feminine, and yet his main female character (a cryptologist for the French police) is constantly having to be led clue by clue to obvious conclusions by her quicker, more worldly, male counterparts.

Not only this book but other books by Dan Brown like Angels and Demons, Inferno, Lost Symbol, Digital fortress and Deception point are also excellent.

I found an excellent review covering all of these books!

Did you know!!

• Eighty million copies of The Da Vinci Codehave been sold. The novel has been translated into more than 50 languages and has been read by an estimated 480 million people…or about 10% of the world’s adult literate population. 
• In the story, Robert Langdon’s publisher is called Jonas Faukman. Jonas Faukman is an anagram of Dan Brown‘s real-life publisher, Jason Kaufman.
• The Priory of Sion, is actually a fictitious society created as a hoax, in the late 1950’s – early 1960’s, along with a series of doctored paperwork, made to look very old.
• Dan Brown named character Sir Leigh Teabing after two of the authors, Richard Leigh and Michael Baigent, of the book Holy Blood, Holy Grail. Leigh is the surname of Richard Leigh and Teabing is an anagram of the surname Baigent. Leigh and Baigent unsuccessfully attempted to sue Brown for copyright infringement

  The book of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images

  This book combines original and accurate essays about symbols from all parts of the world and all eras of history. It is highly readable, colourful and intelligent book. You will enjoy reading pieces of information about different symbols. Its like symbols encyclopaedia! This book is particularly useful for dream interpretations. Also this book will appeal to a wide range of readers: artists, designers, psychotherapists, self-helpers, gamers, comic book readers, religious and spiritual searchers, writers, students, and anyone curious about the power of archetypal images.

             I found a cool book review about this book which will give you a feel of this book

Here’s what others are saying about this book!

Bill Tucker says–

This isn’t the kind of book you just dive into on page one, and plow through in a sequential manner. It is, though, a supurb reference book of all things Jungian, Freudian, archtypal, tantric, and post-modern. For those of you who appreciate and respect the power of the symbols that surround us in our daily lives, this is the tome for you. Drawing from a variety of traditions, it is nearly exhaustive in scope, yet oddly refreshing in its occasional irreverence towards its own chosen subject matter.

Tosca Wijns-Van Eeden says–

I bought this book because I have always been interested in symbolism, plus it should have been a great asset to my study material.
It was a very dry and quite boring book with a world art vision rather than a focus on symbolism. Often it didn’t really give an explanation or even a focus on the archetypes (which the title proclaims). Over all I was disappointed, but somewhat might be still useful.

Did you know!

• In the preface, editor-in-chief Ami Ronnberg says that this book took over 13 years to complete – and it shows.

• This book has collection of 17,000 photographic images of Symbols.

The Illustrated Signs & Symbols Sourcebook

It is a very visual book presenting the information through many beautiful illustrations, with annotations to help anyone decode the meaning of the larger & more detailed pieces. It clearly is an inspirational work.

This is a wonderfully fascinating reference book for signs and symbols! A person can get lost in this book for hours at a time!

An A to Z compendium of very descriptive notes on all manner of signs, symbols and shapes.

This is a very well compiled serious work with detailed descriptions and beautiful graphics to represent each entry. 
This book would be an asset to anyone’s library or bookshelf as a ready reference guide, while at the same time being a fascinating book for even the casual reader to peruse at random….and, as it is so beautifully presented it would be just as much at home on a coffee table

Here’s a video review on this book!

Here is what people say about this book!

Can Says–

This book was one of the main things that led me on a spiritual quest, the seeds of which had been planted in my early childhood. I was around 8 years of age when this book first crossed my path, and its well worn from repeated use. If you can find a copy, you can learn a lot about many things the world over. Its still one of my primary sources for a quick synopsis on many signs and symbols

Juliann says–

an amazingly comprehensive illustrated encyclopaedia of symbols from all roams of life. I have a few symbology books this is one of my favorites. Its divided into easy and well listed sections and covers a lot of ground. 
Its great for anyone who enjoys mythology, religion, ancient history or even psychoanalytical work. Anyone intrigued by the way the mind works when presented with different images will see many symbols that have been used for thousands of years with as many meanings identified with them. This book could go hand in hand with Carl Jungs books on man and his symbols.
I cannot praise this book enough when im bored or have a spare 10 minuets i pick it up and learn a little something new about the hidden world of images.

Did you know!

• This book is full of trivia!!

Miquoting Jesues: The Story behind who changed the bible and why by Bart D Erhman

Mr Bart D Erhman is a biblical scholar! He read the Bible in the languages in which it was first written and went deeper into the texts. His decision to go deeper, to fully appreciate it, led him to find out as the old saying goes more than he bargained for. If it wasn’t for Mr Bart then we would have to read bible in Greek, latin, Hebrew, Coptic, Aramaic etc to know the truth!

Here is an excellent video review of this book!

Here is what others say about this book

Nat Says–

A must for anyone who wants to know WHY the Bible isn’t inerrant. A wonderful work by a biblical scholar who was motivated by his deep faith and only wanted to find the truth. One of the most interesting aspects is that the reader will come to understand how biblical scholars work and the methods they use to decide which text represents an older tradition than another text. Also, those new to the study of comparative religion will probably be amazed to learn (or refuse to believe) that some parts of the Bible were deliberately changed for political purposes, while others were changed due to mistakes, either of interpretation or of copy-error. In any case, a fascinating and well-written book

Martin Says–

There were minor variations in the New Testament manuscripts. This is old news. 

Unfortunately, Ehrman, a former fundamentalist Christian, thinks it’s such a big deal that it casts doubt on the veracity of the Christian faith. Practically nobody agrees, except for people like atheists who already have a bone to pick with Christians. 

The truth is that no other ancient text is as well supported as the New Testament. Minor variations are to be expected. The ones we find the the NT manuscripts don’t affect any significant doctrines.

Did you know-

• The last person who consciously edited the new testament to strip it of what he thought was wrong, false, and irrelevant to its message was Thomas Jefferson who did so not as a surreptitious amender but who set off his version as standing on its own as an independent book, a slim volume known as The Jefferson Bible.

Symbology: Decoding Classic Images by Michelle Snyder

It is relatively lesser known book but it has got very cool concept. This book is excellently researched and illustrated. It is a fascinating journey into prehistory of decoding symbols from lost secrets left to us by our ancestors. Dragons, Unicorns, Cyclopes, Sun/Moon, and Green Man are a few of the symbols decoded. Maps, timelines, glossary, and an index make this book an excellent resource. If you are fan of Dan Brown, you are going to love this book!!

Here is what others say about this book-

Christopher says–

“Our modern world is full of symbols; they surround us every day.” This is a statement from Michelle Snyder’s exciting book “Symbology: Decoding Classic Images.” Indeed, from infancy, we are so continually exposed to symbols that we may not really be aware of their ubiquity, or of their effect upon our minds. Symbols that we see every day: corporate logos, religious symbols, uniform insignia, even the very letters which build the words in this sentence, all of these have a rich history and are often interconnected in fascinating ways.

Marcus says–

Ms. Snyder not only explains the origin of these symbols, but shows us the forces that have made them evolve over the centuries. “Symbology” helps us to understand the cultural forces that have changed and shaped the symbols around us. And this helps us to understand why they pull so many strings in the dark recessess of our shared unconscious. This, for me is what makes this book so fascinating. Another review here has called “Symbology” a reference book, but my experience with it was more akin to reading a narrative. The book does a good job of pulling you along as it unravels one mystery, only to hint at the next one waiting around the corner. While reading, I felt as though I was being taken into some darkened room in my memory warehouse, and then having the sensation of Ms. Snyder switching on the light.

Did you know-

• Author Michelle has been teaching art and visual languages to students for last 35 years.

The Secret Teachings of all ages by Many P. Hall

It is quite old book. It was released way back in 1928. It is a masterful compendium of esoteric teachings of all time. It is a summation of hidden wisdom from the arcane and mystical teachings of Druidic, Mithraic, Christian, Gnostic, Odinic, Gothic, Eleusinian, Orphic, Bacchic, Dionysian, Platonic, Atlantean, Cabric, Hermetic, Zodiacal, Astrological, Chaldean, Delphic, Orphic, Dodonean, Pythagorean, Numerological, Hiramic, Paracelsian, Mosaic, Qabbalistic, Sephirothic, Rosicrucian, Alchemical, Masonic, Islamic, Native American, Mayan and Neo-Platonic traditions. That’s a lot of knowledge in there!! This book was a phenomenal adventure into the realm of humanity’s symbols and myths.

Here is a cool youtube video reviewing this book.

Here is what other people say about this book

Joshua says–

This is a well-crafted book about the history of knowledge. Hands down, the best I’ve ever seen from a non-academic philosopher. However, this book is mostly just the history of Western philosophy with a bit of esoteric wisdom thrown in. I enjoyed the explication of many esoteric philosophical schools like the Druids, but wished there was more about practice rather than theory. For myself, it was not what I expected from someone so deeply entrenched in the esoteric arts, nor do I believe it to be a great introduction to Manly P. Hall’s teachings, but I definitely enjoyed his readings of the history of knowledge as that is an area of research for me and saw a few correspondences I hadn’t noticed before–and after the study I’ve put into these areas, saying that is quite a big complement to the author. And to find people that write about esotericism with a scholarly perspective is rare indeed.

Some people are really hard on this book!

Fouad says–

Finally I’m done with this book, utter rubbish is how I found it, it’s no wonder these teachings had to be secretive, they had to be tailored to the esoteric few who had enough stupidity to gobble down such nonsense. 

You’re probably thinking “calm down dude, why are you so angry?” to which I’d reply that I care so much about truth, it’s what I always sought after in economics, politics, music, gym…etc I want things that are A. real and that B. work, and when it comes to spiritual matters the desire for truth is amplified. 

Some chapters of this book objectively tell the traditions, albeit in a dull lifeless matter, but other parts you find the author actively taking sides claiming such enlightenment statements like “of course Shakespeare was Bacon, can you tell of any artistic genius who made great art without having proper education? (Ehm ehm eminem), or when he tries to deny the authenticity Christianity with arguments weaker than my grandfather’s kidney, so yes I have all the right to be angry, there is no bigger sin a man can commit than to obscure the truth from his fellow man.

Did you know-

• Manly P. Hall had not even turned 28 when The Secret Teachings of All Ages was first published.
• In 1934, Hall founded the Philosophical Research Society (PRS) in Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the study of religion, mythology, metaphysics, and the occult. US President Franklin Roosevelt, a prominent Freemason, was a known member of the PRS. Some researchers believe that the PRS influenced Roosevelt in adopting the Great Seal of the United States (the unfinished pyramid and the all-seeing eye) on the dollar bill in 1935.

Alchemy and Mysticism by Alexander Roob

It is stunning work of art of pure symbology. It fills almost every page of this over 700 page book. It has well written description for every image, which helped to unravel some of the complex symbolical meaning of the alchemical art. This book should be read in conjuction to jung’s book, which is a really good book on Symbology.

Here is an indepth video review on this book

Here is what others say about this book!

Solvent Says–

Want to learn about perception? The human mind? Art?

Get it, stare at it, and when it falls apart from overlove, take the pages and frame them.

The worst part about this book, well, two worst things about it, are:
1. Many people end up with the abridged version. Dont be one of these people. It should be around 600 pages, any less and you’ve been cheated out of some of the best parts.
2. The binding is extremely weak, and it WILL fall apart quickly.

Alysha says–

The pictures were amazing, but the commentary? Entirely nonsensical and poorly written. I had no idea what it was referencing 90% of the time.

Did you know!

• Alexander Roob studied painting at the University of Fine Arts, Berlin. From 2000 to 2002, he was a professor at the University of Fine Arts, Hamburg. He has been teaching at the Academy of Fine Arts, Stuttgart since 2002.

Sacred Geometry: Deciphering the code by Stephen Skinner

It was published in 2006. It’s a great book to have around on the coffee table for inspiration and intellectual stimulation. I found that this book has a good balance of mathematical reason and New Age concepts! This book tells us that religious truths and mathematical principles are intimately interwined and sacred geometry is way to understand that connection.

Here is what others say about this book!

Gretchen says–

Math, pattern, and order people will appreciate the inherently rooted mathematical principles that govern the way the physical world is constructed–both naturally and in man-made creations. Fascinating observations discuss Ancient Greek geometers and the groundwork they laid, along with applications that developed from the groundbreaking rules of math. Most important, in my mind, was the discussion on whole numbers, proportions, and ratios, as opposed to our postmodern obsession with minutely specific measurements of whatever unit we prefer. As the conclusion states, when it comes to math, simplicity is often the most profound reflection of reality.

Topics that stem from the primary observations include art, astronomy, architecture, nature/growth, concepts of phi and pi, and ancient measurement units. While the target audience is a “math-y” one, anyone interested in the ways in which reality is built would enjoy this read. Technical, yet accessible.

Ironocker says–

A primer into the area of sacred geometry. At best it serves as a reference of different areas to further your own discovery.
The editing was horrific. I lost track of the typos less than halfway through.
While I appreciate showing page numbers where a topic/individual is further discussed elsewhere in the book, it was far over used. It was also annoying to see so many that make reference to a topic/individual that is discussed later. The book could have been organized differently in order to cut down on the amount of references made.
Bottom line, I wouldn’t recommend the book. 

Here is an interesting story by creator of this book.

Did you know!

• In the ancient world certain numbers had symbolic meaning, aside from their ordinary use for counting or calculating…plane figures, the polygons, triangles, squares, hexagons, and so forth, were related to the numbers (three and the triangle, for example), were thought of in a similar way, and in fact, carried even more emotional baggage than the numbers themselves, because they were visual.

• Mr Stephen Skinner has published more than 46 books in more than 20 languages.

Man and his symbols by Carl G. Jung

It is an extremely valuable book. This book is very old. It was published way back in 1968. Within this book you will find many complex topics broken down so they become accessible to the reader who is not specialized in psychology, the unconscious mind, and archetypes. This was the final work Carl Jung had undertaken prior to his death. One of the greatest insights that one can derive from this book is that such activities as dream analysis are not concrete activities. There are not any hard and fast rules for performing this type of activity. Dreams vary by the individual and may take years of work to unravel their meaning. Such analysis requires a deeper intuitive understanding of human nature, the unconscious mind, archetypes, and symbolism. Phew!! That’s a lot to take from one book!

Here is a cool review of this book.

Here is what others say about this book!

Bondakir says–

I bought this book as a gift for my sister. We both studied psychology and recognize Jung (and his students) as a prominent and important mind in the field. I loved this version of the classic Man and his Symbols because it is full of colorful illustrations and symbols to go along with the text. It is both visually interesting and intellectually stimulating. Perfect as either a great coffee table book or as a primary psychology or spirituality study tool. If you or someone you know is interested in Jung philosophy, this is a great gift.

Erin says–

Jung’s contribution to the book is cogent and interesting, but the other parts border on New Age, sexism, and racism. The most disappointing thing is that the authors clearly hadn’t attended to contemporary developments in psychology, anthropology, and other disciplines which directly related to their conclusions. For instance, there’s one essay which argues that the number 4 is a universal symbol for psychic cohesion (which in itself barely makes sense), but not all cultures actually have a counting system in this way. It’s highly speculative, and leaves open many unanswered questions on the nature and functions of dreams. I would have liked to see some exploration of alternative theories of dreams, even if it were to dispel them.

Did you know!

• There is an interesting back story to this book!! Author of this book, Mr Carl C Jung dreamt about this book!! He dreamt that common people are reading his book. This inspired him to write this book.

The Interpretation of dreams by Sigmund Freud

It is a classic and should be there on your bookshelves. It makes you look highly intellectual!! Just kidding. This one is absolute wonder book as it gives some insight about dreams. Dreams are the means by which the unconscious can be explored is undoubtedly the most revolutionary step forward in the entire history of psychology. 

Lets see what this person has to say about this book!

Here is what others say about this book!

Trevor says–

This was a much more interesting book than I thought it might be. The nature of dreams is something that is hard not to find fascinating. The thing is that we spend quite a bit of time dreaming – not the third of our lives we spend sleeping, but enough time to make us wonder why we dream at all. It seems incomprehensible that our dreams would be completely meaningless. But then, they can be so bizarre it is hard to know just what they might mean. 

Svetlana says–

The book hardly worth time spent. Freud’s methodology is arguable and one-sided, interpretations are voluntary. The theory is unverifiable, non-falsifiable, has no forecasting power, what means that it is just non-scientific theory. Wikipedia article would be more than enough to get acquainted with Freud’s theory. The book itself has no scientific or artistic value.

Did you know-

• In 1933, the Nazis publicly burnt a number of Freud’s books. In 1938, shortly after the Nazis annexed Austria, Freud left Vienna for London with his wife and daughter Anna.

• Freud had been diagnosed with cancer of the jaw in 1923, and underwent more than 30 operations.

So did you like the above mentioned books!! Wanna get these books. Just click on the name of books, it will directly take you to amazon.

Pro tip– If you are on budget then check out my article on top 8 places to get free books! If you are lucky then you may get these books for free. Here is the link to that article.

Also for your convenience, I am listing down links to various books! Enjoy!!

• DA Vince Code by Dan Brown
• The Interpretation of dreams by Sigmund Freud
• Man and his symbols by Carl G. Jung
• Sacred Geometry: Deciphering the code by Stephen Skinner
• Alchemy and Mysticism by Alexander Roob
• The Secret Teachings of all ages by Many P. Hall
• Symbology: Decoding Classic Images by Michelle Snyder
• Miquoting Jesues: The Story behind who changed the bible and why by Bart D Erhman
• The book of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images
• The Illustrated Signs & Symbols Sourcebook