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Rating: 
Summary: "New Age" formulation based on alchemy, but not Royal Art
Review: Alchemy nowadays is quibbled over between the "Parachemists" and the Jungians, but neither of them achieve much but a profaning of the merits of the art. First of all it is almost impossible to understand alchemy by dividing it by todays mindset which divides the human into a mechanical hardware and a intellectualist psychological software which gives rise to the division into the two spurious camps above. Notwithstanding this one can make some gains by such studies as long as one does not assume one is doing alchemy as the ancients understood it. However, I really have to say that the techniques & illuminations given in this book can be dismissed as not following alchemy quite easily, the author gives any number of techniques in his chapters, when generations of alchemists have said that all is accomplished by one method & one regimen. His first revelation is also preposterous, he claims to identify "the secret fire" by referring to a quote that says that symbols referring to swords, lances reveal the secret fire. Then he says, but swords mean that the secret fire is thought! Taking the lowest common denominator of modern "new age" thought to be true. That the whole of the mysteries of Arthurian legend for instance, where this question is related in terms of the lady of the lake, excalibur, the sword in the stone, the sword bridge, are solveable in terms where the Sword is mundane thought is laughable, one might inquire what has thought to do with the legend of the Knight sleeping with a Lady, with a Sword between them. A science, as such, as the distillation of centuries of understandings into a system, is very late. Modern science could be seen as the distillation of all that went on in the industrial revolution into an overarching system. To understand alchemy one must see it also as the late systemisation of the concerns of centuries beforehand. I would recommend that an aspiring alchemist should read "The Decline of the West" by Oswald Spengler to see how the "Magian" world contrasts with ours, a major clue here, then read "Ancient Egypt, The Light of the World" by Gerald Massey & "Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries" by W.Y. Evans Wentz and then consider how Alchemy is the distillation and systemisation of those worlds into a physic(s) (sic). One could also read "Dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross, where even he brings in the true state of the experience in the night of the spirit as metaphor. For when one enters this world one will quickly realise that the alchemists weren't dealing so much in metaphors but palpable realities. In the end one has to say that the jungians are often quite warm when interpreting alchemy, but it is still jungian psychology & not alchemy. Read the book, it is not without it's charms, but much of what the author says is the work of a neophyte and one hopes that he will not stop here but go on. But as the alchemists says the understanding of these works is not in the hands of man, but in the hands of "God".
Rating: 
Summary: fast out of the gate, but stumbles in the middle
Review: Generally good material for the beginner & some even for the more advanced student. What I didn't like was the author's reliance upon so called "new age" terms & philosophy. The "exercises" I found especially weak & tending toward a new age "anything goes" approach. The author also seems to be fascinated by UFO's & psychic material, which to me seems far afield of alchemy. The bibliography contains much psychic claptrap as well, relying heavily upon "alternative history" titles. The author's website seems less inclined to the new age & psychic material.
Rating:
Summary: Almost, but Not Quite
Review: I really was looking forward to reading Mr. Hauck's book as my introduction into Alchemy. There are some very interesting topics and a few exercises, but they are obfuscated by the insertion of oddities such as the author's relationship to William Shatner and the author's inclusion of celebrity birthdates. I found both these digressions distracting and made the author appear less credible. I don't think I will use the book as a practical guide, but instead will continue to search for something a bit more useful and straightforward. I found the exercises interesting, but had difficulty in understanding how to apply them. If you have the time, or have some background in this material, then I'd recommend taking a crack at sorting the gold from the dross as you might just find some real nuggets of wisdom. I would not recommend this book for the novice.
Rating: 
Summary: A comprehensive intro to alchemical processes
Review: If you've tried to understand the alchemical and Hermetic
traditions from primary sources, or translations thereof,
you have probably been as frustrated as I was. Those sources
are not written to be read by the uninitiated or even the
semi-initiated. Hauck has tied the tradition together from
its earliest origins and made it understandable. I looked for
my copy of _The Emerald Tablet_ to be able to cite details for
this review, but it's making the rounds of my circle of friends
right now. I may just have to buy another.
Rating:
Summary: Worth re-reading
Review: Not just for the good writing, organization and fascinating topic, but also for the fact that i've read this book twice, and last night started browsing through it again - one of those books that is worth keeping and reading again every few years. The depth, complexity of some of the alchemists' illustrations are explained in detail. I also like the interleaving of ordinary descriptive material with story - like the story of Balinas at the start of the book or an imaginary visit with Hermes.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Start
Review: The book is most suitable for people who are new to alchemy because it is written in a very simple language. In this book Dennis takes the verses from the Emerald Tablet, as a pattern for seven stages of alchemical transformation, and applies it to different areas of human development. He provides numerous examples which are intended to facilitate the understanding of each stage of alchemical transformation, but in my opinion, some of these examples don't quite make it.
The book will nevertheless be very helpful to a beginner to get an idea about the seven stages of alchemical transformation - to actually know them, one will have to experience them - and the later stages of alchemical transformation seem to be beyond the scope of this book - at least I have that impression based on the examples provided.
Rating:
Summary: Good but let down by UFO tangents
Review: This book is a strange brew of historical information about alchemy, combined with the, sometimes, fantastical experiences of the author.
When the author is explaining the alchemical symbols etc, he shows that he has a great command of knowledge. The section on explaining the "Opus Medico-Chymicum" is great, as is the section dealing with the Azoth.
However, at times, the author starts to go off on tangents about UFOs - This it seems is a hang over from his previous job as an editor for a UFO magazine. Ironically, the book could have benefitted from this material being edited out. It would have given the whole thing more credibility.
Thath being said, this is a good book and does a very nice job of making clear the process of alchemy (at least mostly from a psychological point of view.
If you are looking for a book that fully expounds the spiritual aspects of alchemy, you might want to look elsewhere. But as an introduction, this is fine.
Rating:
Summary: Good introduction for beginners
Review: This book serves as a plain language introduction to alchemical symbolism and concepts. It includes an English translation and line-by-line explication of the Emerald Tablet. It also devotes a complete chapter to each of the seven operations of alchemy and includes several black and white illustrations from traditional treatises on alchemy. Unfortunately, the author spends a little too much time attempting to demonstrate his personal alchemical achievements, with results that can be downright silly ("Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know" -Lao Tzu). The suggested exercises are unhelpful (for greater benefit, I would recommend taking up a discipline like yoga), the inclusion of celebrity star signs (not to mention a subchapter called "The calcination of William Shatner") undermines the credibility of the whole, and the absence of a strong editor shows up in several avoidable errors (using the word "courtesan" for "courtier", referring to Antonin Artaud as a 19th-century figure, etc.). Still, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a basic guide to alchemical processes and symbolism.
Rating:
Summary: Inspired,insightful...truly alchemical!
Review: This is a rare book combining knowledge with a hands on approach intending to initiate the reader into alchemy as a way of life.Very well researched, written and also 'experienced'-the author presents his own alchemical journey-it can also be a good starting point for those interested in pursuing further this fascinating topic.As for alchemy's relevance for our times,D.W.Hauck's 'The Emerald Tablet'provides a very strong case indeed.
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