The Lost Symbol countdown has begun in earnest, with less than a week left before Dan Brown's new blockbuster is released. Based on the success of "The Da Viinci Code and "Angels and Demons," Brown hardly needs publicity these days. And despite those (including Jodi Picoult and Salman Rushdie) who have criticized Brown as a simplistic writer, his new book is sure to be multimillion best seller -- five million copies of “The Lost Symbol” will be shipped to stores and many more reader will order the e-book version.

Still, you can expect to hear a lot about Brown in the next week, including daily spots on the "Today" show, in which Matt Lauer will provide clues to locations in the book. Lauer was allowed to read “The Lost Symbol” in advance (after signing an agreement not to disclose the story), according to The New York Times. "Today" will broadcast Lauer's interview with Brown next Tuesday. "The Lost Symbol" focuses on the Masons organization and Washington, D.C. -- both the American and U.K. covers feature the Capital dome and Masonic symbols. Beyond that, it's all speculation.

 While you wait for Monday's release, take our Dan Brown quiz.