I will say, in regards to the earlier post in the thread, Brother Hodapp does get some historical dates and facts wrong. There are errors in the book, particularly in the historical section, and he has acknowledged them. However, the publisher hasn't seen reason to print a new edition, not for the few errors there are.
That said, I wouldn't recommend his book for the history lesson. There real value in the book is found in that chapters that explain what a lodge is, what it does, and what are the various appendant bodies. The chapters that dispel various myths are nice as well. I know people in my generation who don't even understand that Freemasonry is a fraternity. Those are the people who need these kinds of books, not hard core Masonic scholars. It's written to a particular audience, the novice, and it serves that purpose nicely.