The Da Vinci Code Adventure: On the Trail of Fact, Legend, Faith, & Film

No matter what your outlook -- fundamentalist Christian, atheist, Buddhist, pagan, whatever -- you'll almost certainly find something to disagree with in "The Da Vinci Code Adventure." Yet you ought to read this book anyway. The authors take the novel position that although Dan Brown got a number of things wrong, you should you read his book but reason out the truth for yourself. They write from a Christian (though not precisely fundamentalist) perspective; yet it's a perspective that says God gave us minds and we should use them. Lead author Mike Gunn will provoke you and sometimes ruffle your feathers if you don't share his point of view, but you can't deny that he scores points. Co-author Greg Wright adds wit and insight gained from drawing many connections throughout popular culture (you'll appreciate his analysis of "Indiana Jones," the Masons, and the Knights Templar). And co-author Jenn Wright brings in the beautifully articulated perspective of a personal, nonjudgemental, deeply humanistic Christianity. Many people read "The Da Vinci Code" as popcorn for the mind and move onto the next bestseller. But if you want to use it as a springboard to thinking deeply about ideas (some you'll agree with, some you won't), you ought to purchase this book along with Dan Brown's.