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Next to Britt Gillette's "Conquest of Paradise", this is the best book I've read in a long time. I'm a first time Dan Brown reader but I'm hooked! I stayed up all night and didn't quit until I finished, blurry eyed and sleepy. I found myself believing every word and had to stop and remember that it's just fiction! I was amazed at the inside information about the Vatican (especially the library), and I finally got out a map and books from my trip to Rome to see if I could find all the churches. Anti-matter, illuminati, choosing a pope - all of it was fascinating. When I finished, I had to laugh thinking about the fact they never ate, slept or made comfort stops and neither could I. The ending was a total surprise! Anyone who enjoys non-stop action and information shouldn't miss this one.

A friend gave me Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and advised me to read it before his more famous The DaVinci Code. I was surprised to read some really negative reviews. Yes, the book is not without some flaws. The characters could be fleshed out a little more, there are numerous errors, and the ending was a bit hokey. But Brown takes his readers on a thrilling, fast-paced ride with lots of twists, turns and bumps. I was so anxious as I neared the end that I read the last 200 pages of this 569 page book in one night.

Angels and Demons starts out with an elite scientist/priest being murdered at a top secret nuclear research facility, C.E.R.N. The body has been branded with the word "Illuminati. The Illuminati was a powerful, clandestine group founded during the days of Galileo when the Roman Catholic Church was persecuting scientists and suppressing scientific discoveries. The victim, Leonardo Vetra, has been trying to prove through science the existence of God. Vetra, and his daughter Vittoria, have developed a revolutionary new discovery-antimatter. It has the potential to be the greatest source of energy, but it also has the power of mass annihilation. Vetra's killer has stolen a considerable amount of this antimatter from Vetra's lab.

The C.E.R.N. director calls in Harvard professor and expert on religious symbology, Robert Langdon. Langdon has extensive knowledge about The Illuminati. Langdon teams up with Vittoria to try and solve this mystery. Not only must they find the stolen antimatter (which has been stashed somewhere inside The Vatican and will explode within hours), but they also must help to find four kidnapped cardinals (on the eve of the election of a new pope).

For those who find fault with this book, there is so much that makes it worth the read. We get some history on Roman Catholicism, the papacy and The Vatican. We learn many tidbits of Vatican trivia. The Vatican Archives and Library must be an unbelievable treasure trove. We also learn some tidbits about Rome-her history, her famous landmarks, churches, fountains and works of art. Brown takes us through the steps to electing a new pope. And of course, there is the age-old discussion of organized religion vs. religious belief vs. science. But what makes Angels and Demons especially fascinating is that there is so much truth interspersed throughout the book. C.E.R.N. is a real research facility, and antimatter has already been discovered. The Illuminati were an actual group, and we're left wondering if they really died out (as Langdon surmises). And of course, there is all that history previously mentioned.

This book has a blockbuster ending that includes a miracle or two. It was a little far fetched in spots, but still enjoyable. And I had not a clue who the real villain was until the very end.

So despite some flaws, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Angels and Demons. I look with great expectation to reading The DaVinci Code.

I had to laugh at the few low ratings by raving zealots. If you are a person, that has always asked "too many questions," this book is for you! Whether you are a Philosopher, Theologian, or Agnostic, this book is a welcome addition to your fiction collection. This book makes you think, so Fun-dam-entalists should probably skip this one. Right or Wrong, this book will get your wheels turning...which is all that really matters, right?

As a voracious reader, I have read the best. "Angels and Demons" is a heart-stopping thriller that keeps you turning pages until you arrive exhausted at the end. You're truly "in on the chase." Improbable as it seems, Dan Brown has combined nuclear physics and antimatter with Renaissance art, old Rome and the Vatican. You conjure up the images in your mind, but the icing on the cake is Brown's Web site, which shows you the CERN facilities, the plane and then the exquisite artwork of Bernini and others as well as a peek inside the Vatican. It's a book that teaches, makes you think, and entertains, all at the same time. Few authors can accomplish that.

If you are open minded and looking for those books begging for its pages to be turned...look no further. Read 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail,' and ANYTHING by Ken Follett! I just read a copy of Edgar Fouche's 'Alien Rapture,' which also blew me away. Fouche was a Top Secret Black Program 'insider', whose credibility has been verified over and over. Another fun book is Brad Steiger's 'Werewolf.' I also really liked Dan Brown's 'Angels and Demons.' Want to be shocked, check out Dr. Paul Hill's 'Unconventional Flying Objects' which NASA tried to ban.

For those who say this book goes against their beliefs and their dogma, consider this: The tip of the iceberg: Numerous authorities who had noted the errors in the K.J.V. such as William Kilburne (1650's) 20,000 errors, John Wesley (in 1755) 12,000 changes in the New Testament alone, the Revised Version of 1881 consisted of 36,000 errors and on and on. The NIV, RSV and The Living Bible are also replete with thousands of errors. Do some research!
Buy this book, you will love it.