I like to refer to Adam Gorightly's The Shadow Over Santa Susana as the cliff notes to all the Manson books. This book takes many of the different theories and stories and assembles them together in one easy to read volume, saving newcomers both time and money. The most unique section is near the end, when Gorightly writes a number of chapters on mind control and C.I.A. conspiracies, surely to be a big hit with conspiracy buffs.