A Brother Asks: Top 3 Masonic Books

 

 THE TOP THREE MASONIC BOOKS!

A Brother Asks: What are the top 3 books every Mason should have in his library?

Coach: That truly depends upon how you define your terms. 

 

Brother: What do you mean?

Coach: How you define the term "masonry" will determine your focus.

Brother: Would you explain this to me?

 

Coach: Certainly. Most Freemasons read the word "masonry" and think strictly along organization lines. You can spot them in the offerings below. They instantly recommend only those books that will assist in running the degree making machinery. The examples offered below are littered with these examples.

Brother: So?

 

Coach: Masons, on the other hand, read the word "masonry" and think strictly along the lines of personal development that will eventually lead to the erection of spiritual buildings. They know that organizational books will NOT do that and for good reason: These books are NOT personal development books - they are ORGANIZATION development books. 

 

Brother: So, are you saying that Masons recommend books that help build men, not organizations. 

 

Coach: Based on the above stated criteria, I am.  You can see a few of these books presented here as examples below as well.

 

Brother: But doesn't helping to build an organization help build men?

 

Coach: Great Question!  Let me put this idea forth: 

 

If you join a gym and go to it to get a work out 

and are instead put to task to run the gym 

by those who are in charge of running it, 

are you there honoring your original intent 

or the organization's?

 

The book recommendation you read below fall into three entirely different paths...

1. build men,
2.  build organizations, 
3. and things that have nothing to do with either. 

How you chose to define your term will determine what you eventually work upon and build, or not.

 

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THREAD EXAMPLES (Which focus on personal growth, which on organizational development, and which have nothing to do with either?):

1. VOSL (Holy books), Book of constitutions, Lodge by laws
2. Law/code book of his jurisdiction, Freemasons For Dummies, Is It True What They Say About Freemasonry?
   
3. The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, Morals and Dogma, The History of Freemasonry 
4. The Book of Nature (1870 edition), The Holy Bible,  The Trivium & Quadrivium
   
5. Freemason at work , Bernard Jones guide and compendium to FM
6. Robert's Rules Of Order,  Born in blood, Hiram Key
7. The History of Freemasonry & the Concordant Orders, Sir Isaac Newton's Freemasonry, Templars in America
   
8. The Four Agreements,The Secret, The Celestine Prophecy
   
9. Rituals, Constitution, and Esoteric Books. (Not any of those Holy books)
10. Bible, Morals and Dogma, Pilgrim’s Path
11. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, Personal Journal
12. Holy book of your faith, Robert's rules of order, How to win friends and influence people
13. An Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Holy Book 
14. The Craft and Its Symbols,The secret science of masonic initiation, The Royal masonic cyclopedia of history, rites, symbolism and Biography.
15. The holy bible, The exemplar,The craft and its symbols. (There is also a book titled "earning freemasonry" that is very good for those looking into becoming an officer.)