Rating: 
Summary: If you don't have it, buy it!!
Review: The detailed research was clearly evident from start to finish, shedding light on what was considered a "taboo" topic. The mystique of Skull & Bones has been uncovered, and done in such a thorough manner, with few questions left in the reader's mind. How could someone not appreciate the efforts of Ms. Robbins to bring such a subject under the microscope?
Rating: 
Summary: A very slow read.
Review: The book was well written. However, I feel that she spent too much time quoting other sources and documents from the past. This was an extremely slow read for me. To me it just seemed like the author had a touch of jealousy having been in one of the OTHER secret societies. If you don't mind MANY excerpts from other sources, then maybe this book is for you.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Interesting Read
Review: I highly recommend SECRETS OF THE TOMB. I truly enjoyed the glimpse into the bizarre and powerful world of skull & bones. It also provides an interesting look at George W's early adulthood.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Reading
Review: Alexandra Robbins has written an excellent primer on the lore behind one of the legendary secret societies of Yale. It ought to be required reading for the entering Freshman class as well as for anyone curious about who some of the boys in the Old Boys' network are. It probably won't satisfy those looking for a grand conspiracy of Illuminati behind the scenes trying to rule the world since it gives a much more plausible explanation of the benefits of being a member of such an organization (mainly networking), but those people are going to believe what they want to believe, no matter how improbable.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of old names and dates but nothing new
Review: Interesting, well written, and a smooth read; however, much of the historical detail seems excessive and many readers will skim over what is written. If accurate it might be recommended to S&B bothers themselves, not to the general public. The title is a catchy promise - but I expected a lot more.
Rating: 
Summary: A good effort, a good read, a good overview
Review: An excellent effort to describe in a single volume the history, mythos, practices, and network behind Yale's #1 secret society. I give it four stars only because I'm just not interested in a lot of the material, but what's there is beyond a doubt well interested and well researched.... The author does an admirable job explaining how these societies wormed their way into the Yale consciousness and have always held such fascination and such sway over the community. There is extensive discussion over the Bones/Bush connection, which for me was pretty dull (I'm much more interested in the tomb, the rituals, and the junk they've stolen over the years--I really couldn't care less who is in the club or what they've said to each other), but the details will be fascinating for students of American politics who are interested in tracking the hidden connections that keep the government running. Me, I'd rather have the coffee table book with three pictures of the Inner Temple than a thousand pages of who gave what job to whom. I did find one point rather disingenuous--even while the author exposes one society, she judiciously and conspicuously avoids mentioning the name of her own, which to me doesn't seem really fair. My completely uninformed guess is Scroll and Key: first, because it's one of the Big Three (to whom Bonespeople would be more likely to open up) and second, the author mentions how dark the door to the tomb is, and Wolf's Head, the other of the Big Three, has a light over its front door (at least it did the last time I was in New Haven). However, I'm sure some irate Bonesperson will "out" her on the Internet in the near future, perhaps as the start of the next society expose'. To the publication of which, I say, "Keep 'em coming."
Rating:
Summary: Misunderstood by the world
Review: This book gives every detail you'd ever like to know -- the truth -- about such secret societies at Yale. I believe that this book will be misunderstood by those that aren't at Yale. There's something about the university, maybe a more mysterious atmosphere, I don't know. There will be people that will be upset by this book: it doesn't discuss world domination or demon worship, because there simply is none. Have fun reading this book. I finished it in two days.
Rating: 
Summary: POORLY EDITED
Review: POORLY EDITED. The writer clearly did her research, but, like other reviewers, I ended up skipping whole sections and skimming others, hoping to get the the "good stuff." This book could have been a FASCINATING 50-75 pages, but as it stands, it's 208 pages of draft research. Again, not the author's fault. The editor was asleep at the switch.
Rating:
Summary: Great Insight into America's Power Structure
Review: More than just a book about Skull and Bones, more than than a book about Yale or the Ivy League, Secrets of the Tombs is an important, insightful window into how power originates and operates in this country. Lest that sound too serious, be assured that Robbins' book is not only interesting, it's a great deal of fun to read. Robbins' reportorial skills dig up a trove of insider stories and fascinating anecdotes about the power elite. Time and again, I was amazed at how Robbins got her interviewees to confess to the things she did. It's rare to find a smart sociological book that's as hard to put down as this one.
Rating:
Summary: Other Reviewers Are Missing the Point
Review: I wonder if it's the angry Bonesmen themselves writing negative reviews about this book, trying to bury Secrets of the Tomb before more people hear about it. The secrets in this book are enthralling -- and say a great deal about how power works in America today. When the President of the United States clearly reaches his position because of help from a secret society, and then rewards members of that society by granting them undeserved positions in his administration -- And No One Blinks An Eye -- something is very wrong with our country. Why is Secrets of the Tomb the only book ever to point this out? And why aren't more people hailing this author's courage?
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