Book Reviews:
- The New Masons Friend
- Making A Daily Advancement
- Tracing Boards of the Three Degrees in Craft Masonry Explained
The New Mason’s Friend.
Author: Kim March
Available from Lewis Masonic (https://www.lewismasonic.co.uk/general/the-new-masons-friend.htm )
A book that can be recommended to all new masons as an introduction and an invaluable explanation of the Craft.
- 25 Questions about Freemasonry
- Helping to lay solid foundations
- Fast History Timeline
- A bird’s eye view, flying over 50 key events
- The Ceremony of Initiation – Explored
- Making sense of our Ceremony
- Medieval Apprentices and Their Masters
- Connecting with our Operative past
- First Degree Glossary
- Cutting through all the archaic language
- Mastering Masonic Ritual
- Easy to follow Ritual memorisation system
The book is very easy to read, informative and will help on your journey. The last two sections are very helpful, as they explain some of the more obscure words and phrases used, which give meaning to the ritual that we have observed and taken part in. The section on Mastering Masonic Ritual is a cut down version of the technique advocated in one of the author’s other books, “The 5 Minute Ritualist” On a personal note, I have started to use this technique and I have come to appreciate its’ effectiveness, especially as I find learning and retaining text very difficult (and I am probably not alone in this).
viewed by Bro. G. Marijt.
Making a Daily Advancement.
Author: Mike Lawrence
Available from Lewis Masonic (https://www.lewismasonic.co.uk/making-a-daily-advancement.htm)
We are all encouraged to participate in personal development and make a daily advancement.
When I saw this book, it intrigued me:
“In this work the author brings together a whole
range of Masonic facts including the origins of our customs, our rituals and
our practices, all mixed together for good measure, with a little Masonic
humour and some thought provoking observations, cleverly presented in a one a
day format, helping you to achieve your daily advancement.
A well-researched little book containing
reliable information to broaden your all-round knowledge of the Craft.
This is not a book just to adorn your Masonic
library, it is a book designed to whet your appetite to further research any of
its many references points, therefore you will find the book a constant source
of inspiration for your own personal Masonic study.”
I have to say that this book really lived up to its description, it is like a series of small, daily nuggets. They are compact, easy to read and very informative. Each morning, I get a cup of coffee, check on the Metro availability and then settle to reading the days entry. I have learnt a lot reading them and realise that I have started adopting some of the advice it contains, regarding deportment and etiquette.
This book is definitely recommended for newer brethren, or those who just want to seek knowledge. Freemasonry Today reviewed the book, and their verdict was summarised as;
“Researching Freemasonry can sometimes be daunting. For busy new members, this book provides a useful starting point.”
Reviewed by Bro. G. Marijt.
Tracing Boards of the Three Degrees in Craft Freemasonry Explained
Author: Julian Rees (ISBN:978-1-84549-661-6)
If you have an interest in tracing boards, this is an excellent book to develop your understanding and extend your knowledge. The book contains just under 100 illustrations and photographs, relating to tracing boards. There are chapters covering each of the tracing boards, for each of the craft degrees, in detail. An additional chapter covers the history and variations of tracing boards, as well as an interesting chapter on those tracing boards found outside of the United Grand Lodge of England. I found the book to be a very informative read and it certainly explained a lot of tracing board symbolism that I was not aware of ! The book concludes with a useful ‘further reading’ booklist. The book has a retail price of £12.99.
Reviewed by Bro. D. Bolton.
