Books - Suggestions?
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I really like recommending books. I made two lists that relate. One is a list of science books and the other is a list of non-theist Buddhist type of books (some of which were helpful to me, since my family was/is in a type of cult).
The science book list: http://www.amazon.com/Books-for-expanding-your-concept-of-reality/lm/R6ZL7X74UZCT2/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full
The other list: http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Loving-Kindness-non-theist/lm/2X1W2DU3U25QC/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full
I often add to the lists, when I read more books.
I have the book "Believing Bull****" with the hope it would reach my family, but those books never reach the people that need it most.0 -
The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins is a nice one to have on hand if you find yourself in the position of having to explain things to children or adults who think like children. It dismantles and explains many strong religious beliefs and questions often posed by people of various faiths. It answers common questions in general. Most of these, you already know the answers to (If we descended from apes, why are there still apes? What were we before apes, etc.) It's beautifully illustrated. It's textbook style. Just nice to have on the coffee table for guests
Hah. Nice subtle way to let people know where stand.
I really like recommending books. I made two lists that relate. One is a list of science books and the other is a list of non-theist Buddhist type of books (some of which were helpful to me, since my family was/is in a type of cult).
The science book list: http://www.amazon.com/Books-for-expanding-your-concept-of-reality/lm/R6ZL7X74UZCT2/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full
The other list: http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Loving-Kindness-non-theist/lm/2X1W2DU3U25QC/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full
I often add to the lists, when I read more books.
Whoa. There a lot of books on those lists. Bookmarking for future review. Danke!0 -
I have the book "Believing Bull****" with the hope it would reach my family, but those books never reach the people that need it most.
You can say that again! My road to atheism began 10 years ago, just a couple years after marriage. My husband refuses to even listen to my atheistic views. A few months ago I started jotting down my thoughts on religion and hope to share them with him when he's ready. It better happen soon before he ends up with a bonafide book to read. 80 pages and counting so far.
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I have the book "Believing Bull****" with the hope it would reach my family, but those books never reach the people that need it most.
You can say that again! My road to atheism began 10 years ago, just a couple years after marriage. My husband refuses to even listen to my atheistic views. A few months ago I started jotting down my thoughts on religion and hope to share them with him when he's ready. It better happen soon before he ends up with a bonafide book to read. 80 pages and counting so far.
Wow!!
My husband and I are on the same page. He is a scientist. He does not refer to himself as an atheist. He just defines himself as a scientist. But, I do usually define myself as an atheist. Sometimes I say agnostic, just because it's not like I wouldn't believe in something if there were evidence for it. I wouldn't reject evidence, but there is no evidence (people claim there is, but anecdotal experiences are way too subjective and not something I consider to be evidence). Anyway, I am respectful of other people's beliefs and being on their own learning process (or finding comfort in things). As long as no one is being harmed, it's fine. But, of course I will still have my own frustrations at times and clashes with my family of origin. I try not to get into too much of that with them, but once in a while I assert where I stand on something. I certainly feel that my life is a lot healthier and freer since I have separated from the spiritual belief system of my family (it was always a struggle trying to find reasonableness within that, since it wasn't possible to find reasonableness in that). I do still lean towards some Buddhist ways of thought (without the religious aspect) and I think that was a result of my growing up years. Buddhist teachings (particularly by Thich Nhat Hanh) were always a lot more practical, helpful and reasonable to me. It was something I could turn to when the belief systems of my family were crazy or unhealthy to what I needed.0 -
If a talk show were to interview a respectable scientist with mature and informed ideas about a topic there will be nothing but crickets in the room yet if they were to bring in the guests from a Jerry Springer episode people would line up around the block to see it. So what is a person to do when their goal is to sell books about science/religion/philosophy?
They resort to hyperbole. It might not be interesting to hear someone say something like.
"The burden of proof rests upon the person making the assertion. You have prove you god exists. I don't have to prove that your god does not exist."
The vast majority of people who read that sentence will be putting that book back on the shelf. If you type
"Indoctrinated religious faith is worse than sexual abuse."
You now have a chance that someone will be interested or offended enough to read your book.
This is really more of a why it is like it is rather than an actually agreement with what Dawkins was saying. I feel that as a society we have collectively trained our authors to write books for us that are incendiary. I am not trying to sell anything so I have no reason to make hyperbolic statements. I know that I am against abuse of the innocent. I do wish it weren't this way. I wish people could get just as excited about the actual world as it is as they could about the fantasy worlds that we make up but I know that we can't.0 -
Some of my favorite books are by Portuguese author José Saramago. He was an atheist and Nobel prize winner. Have you heard of him? I really like "The Gospel According to Jesus Christ" and "Cain"
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Some of my favorite books are by Portuguese author José Saramago. He was an atheist and Nobel prize winner. Have you heard of him? I really like "The Gospel According to Jesus Christ" and "Cain"
I am not familiar with him, but I will certainly look into his work. Thanks!0 -
Some of my favorite books are by Portuguese author José Saramago. He was an atheist and Nobel prize winner. Have you heard of him? I really like "The Gospel According to Jesus Christ" and "Cain"
I am not familiar with him, but I will certainly look into his work. Thanks!
Have you heard about the movie Blindness? with Julianne Moore... It's based in another novel of his :P http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0861689/0 -
Have you heard about the movie Blindness? with Julianne Moore... It's based in another novel of his :P http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0861689/
I haven't seen it. I will see if it is on Netflix. 0 -
I have read The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris and agreed with most of the points in his book, but I think at times he is coming on pretty strong and it's helpful to confirm my own ideas of things but not extremely helpful when I am asked to talk to anyone with a faith based perspective because nobody wants to be told that they're completely wrong and backward.
Currently I am reading ¿Dónde está Dios, papá? which is a book by Spanish author Clemente Novella that gives gentle but clear answers to hypothetical questions by children in regard to matters of religion, spirituality and science versus faith.
I am definitely putting both the books in the OP on my Amazon list to be purchased after I get paid on Wednesday.0 -
Currently I am reading ¿Dónde está Dios, papá? which is a book by Spanish author Clemente Novella that gives gentle but clear answers to hypothetical questions by children in regard to matters of religion, spirituality and science versus faith.
I'm gonna look for that one, seems pretty interesting, and in Spanish! lol0 -
Currently I am reading ¿Dónde está Dios, papá? which is a book by Spanish author Clemente Novella that gives gentle but clear answers to hypothetical questions by children in regard to matters of religion, spirituality and science versus faith.
I'm gonna look for that one, seems pretty interesting, and in Spanish! lol
Here is his web site: http://dondeestadiospapa.com/
I don't know what country you are in but I had to download it from the site in Spain and install a reader on my phone for it, I think it was before it was available in print in the USA0 -
English is the only language I speak. I tried learning other languages but I think that my brain may not be capable of holding that much information. I know a lot but I don't seem to have room for a whole other language.0
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Not *specifically* Atheist, but Carl Sagan's books are always a good read. His books have more to do with finding the spiritual wonder in science that many people seek in their gods. He was an optimist and a dreamer- but science was his god.0
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This, I think, is a wonderfully written and informative book on the history of humankind, from the way homo sapiens evolved until this day. And it covers so many topics: religion, economy and the way we got to our current situation... And obviously, I'm a little biased because he's a professor in my university.
http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/14782378560 -
Not *specifically* Atheist, but Carl Sagan's books are always a good read. His books have more to do with finding the spiritual wonder in science that many people seek in their gods. He was an optimist and a dreamer- but science was his god.
I've been meaning to read a couple of his books. I'll check my wishlist again, but I think they are already on it.This, I think, is a wonderfully written and informative book on the history of humankind, from the way homo sapiens evolved until this day. And it covers so many topics: religion, economy and the way we got to our current situation... And obviously, I'm a little biased because he's a professor in my university.
http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1478237856
Thanks! It seems to be out of print, but I will see if I can find it used or at a library.0 -
Beautiful new book to be published soon by Alain De Botton (an atheist speaker and writer): http://artastherapy.com/0
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You guys have covered most of what I had to say, but I'll throw votes toward Carl Sagan - Demon Haunted World and, even though its old and predominantly deist, Thomas Payne - The Age of Reason.0
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I've been reading books by Antonio Damasio:
Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain
Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain
Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain0 -
I did not particularly like the chapter on child abuse in The God Delusion. It was pretty absurd. Richard Dawkins had one experience of uncomfortable touching as a child and thinks that makes him some kind of expert on what the majority of sexual abuse is like. He claims that Religion itself is worse than sexual child abuse. That's a pretty inane statement to make and absurd to even choose to make such a comparison. Obviously it depends on the circumstances of the religion and of the sexual abuse. He thinks that it's wrong all the people that have come forward to report the vast amount of sexual abuse that occurred within the Catholic church, and thinks people should just leave the priests alone and allow them to live out the rest of their lives in peace since many of the crimes happened long ago (but it was the silence and control and fear that kept the children silent for so long, and allowed the abuse to continue, so he is wrong about that). Anyhow, I've discussed it with other Atheist friends online that love Richard Dawkins and when I shared an article that he wrote elaborating on it, everyone agreed he was way off the deep end when he discusses that topic. So, he is good for evolutionary biology and atheism, but a bit of a ding bat when discussing child abuse.
I prefer this atheist on the topic of child abuse in churches. Explicit lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sph8Qu8wLAk 0
