“The author’s conclusion—that the time has come for a synthesis of traditional and esoteric forms of knowledge—is fascinating. But where the author is most successful is in how he manages to make basic concepts in esoteric philosophies and history lively as well as readable. A sharp, engrossing book for open-minded readers.” - Kirkus Review

“Lachman makes the enthralling, complex work accessible by clearly connecting different concepts. He begins by laying out a brief description of what esoteric thinking entails and moves chronologically through an almost unwieldy number of disparate intellectual threads. Lachman brings the work full circle by reflecting on the state of esoteric knowledge today and returning to his right brain/left brain formulation. He suggests that mankind may be moving into another creative period like the Renaissance, in which both forms of consciousness coexist; though he says he seeks to “make no prophecy” beyond that he believes such a period is possible. Lachman’s book is most successful as a thoughtful history of “rejected knowledge” and its proponents, and on those terms it can be rich and rewarding.” - Publisher’s Weekly

“This narrative of the history of these ideas could be stultifying or confusing for non-specialists and the curious. Luckily Mr. Lachman creates a history of ideas that fascinates and excites. Lachman’s book ranges far and wide, from Neanderthals to the New Age, Pythagoras to Timothy Leary. The book possesses an encyclopedic array of ideas, personalities, movements, books, and philosophies.For the curious, The Secret Teachers of the Western World exists as a valuable and highly readable resource. ” - New York Journal of Books.

“It is no mean feat to make good sense of the Arcana and to cast light on the occult, but Lachman has pulled it off with this most engaging book. The Secret Teachers of the Western World is a very ambitious undertaking most successfully completed.”
-William Irwin Thompson, author of The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light