John Quincy Adams has a very good book on Google books about freemasonry entitled "
Letters on the Masonic Institution," following the founding era of the country. He was anti-masonic and very vocally opposed the organization, this work is really quite good.
I think most people today have no conception of the organization as a religious cult, they see it as merely a fraternity that espouses good morals and engages in good works. The sad thing, to me, though is that they really do have some good works operating numerous children's hospitals that provide some of the best care for orthopedics and burns in the country - and they are totally free. Why this is sad to me is that these types of works should be done by the Church.