Books
Posted on: May 23, 2007 - 2:11pm
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Books
During the summer when I'm out of school till fall semester starts again, I often compile a big reading list. I take these summer months as time to not only work my ass off but to read all the stuff I don't have time to read when I'm busy studying during fall and spring semesters. I really would like any ideas/suggestions on what people would consider "recomended reading". Currently I'm reading "The End of Faith" which I simply can't put down!
Thanks for indulging my nerdy-ness!
--Sarah--
Prayer: How to do nothing and feel like your doing something.
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Probably others will suggest the atheist standards, so here are a few off the beaten track:
Melvin Konner "The Tangled Wing" is an excellent overview of Evolutionary Psychology (which studies how evolution interacts with behavior). Very well written for non-science readers and engaging to read.
Bart Ehrman's "Misquoting Jesus" goes without saying, but I heard that his next book--a follow-up to "Misquoting"--will be coming out sometime this summer, so keep an eye out.
Douglas Hofstadter "Godel, Escher, Bach" is a good companion piece to Dawkins in understanding how complex, organized systems get built up from small, discrete steps, how systems interact and break down, and how your brain does intelligence without needing any magic.
"After Jesus was born, the Old Testament basically became a way for Bible publishers to keep their word count up." -Stephen Colbert
Thanks! Those sound really really good. I've read the Misquoting Jesus book, I really enjoyed it. He's a damn good author. I'm defenently going to look up Melvin Konner's book you suggested. It sounds like a must read as well as Douglas Hofstadter. I really appreciate your suggestions.
--Sarah--
Prayer: How to do nothing and feel like your doing something.
most definitely check out "letter to a christian nation" (the excellent follow-up to "end of faith"
and "god is not great" by christopher hitchens. these are both FANTASTIC books!!!
www.derekneibarger.com http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=djneibarger "all postures of submission and surrender should be part of our prehistory." -christopher hitchens
I'm currently reading the Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins. So far it is filled with a lot of scientific jargon (which I don't mind. I can follow along pretty well regardless), but it is really interesting none-the-less. He spends the entire book debunking the "watchmaker" arguement. I also want to pick up his other book the God Delusion, but I haven't got around to it yet.
JESUS SAVES!!! .... and takes only half damage!
You have read Atheism: The Case against God right? I notice i don't see it mentioned alot when given the "standards" but it "is" the definite work for atheists. I think all atheists who debate theists need to own that book for refrence.
Atheism: The Case Against God is my recommendation too.
It contains some heavy-ish philosophy but I think is the heavyweight book in anti-theistic arguments. A strong argument against all forms of supernaturalism.
I just finished "god is not Great" by Christopher Hitchens and I gotta’ say, it is one of the best written books I have read in a while. I could hardly put it down. Hitchens is a great author.
There were a few parts in it where I felt that Hitchens could have gone in to much more detail or just avoided such chapters as his seventh, where he engages in a brief critique of the Old Testament, which is far too reminiscent of Thomas Paines' "Age of Reason" in the arguments and points it makes. And I hear there are a few details of religious customs that he got wrong, but nothing to get upset about.
And someone mentioned they were reading "The Blind Watchmaker:"
If you like that book you will be in for a pleasant surprise when you read "The God Delusion." It is much better written and far more diverse. Though, Dawkins does step out of his comfort zone a bit and settles for some weaker arguments that I feel he could have bettered. All in all a great read though.
Flying Spaghetti Monster -- Great Almighty God? Or GREATEST Almighty God?
I think a large part depends on what types of non-fiction you like.
Atheism:
End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, The God Delusion
Evolution:
The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, Climbing Mt. Improbable (A great followup to TBW), Why Darwin Matters, River out of Eden
Science/Skepticism:
Unweaving the Rainbow, Why People Believe Weird Things, Flim Flam, How We Believe
The books in bold are one's that I've already read and would suggest to others. The non-bold books are up next on my reading list.
"It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." - Carl Sagan
Oh yeah, and Joseph Campbell's "The Masks of God Volume 3 Occidental Mythology" is the best concise, authoritative, accurate history I've found of the development of Judeo-Christian religion.
The chapter on the numerous descendants of the Babylonian Mystery Church (in which the virgin earth goddess Dumuzi gives birth to the son of god, Tammuz, who is sacrificed by hanging on a tree and then resurrected etc.) and the explanation of how that syncretized into the Jesus story in the early church and beat out the Gnostic version is priceless.
"After Jesus was born, the Old Testament basically became a way for Bible publishers to keep their word count up." -Stephen Colbert
Wow, so, I live in the capital of Canada, and my library doesn't have some of those books.
And the ones that it does have......well there's like 3 copies.
http://atheismisrational.blogspot.com/
I gave up on my local library having any of these books so I'll probably end up buying most of them, which I don't mind in the least since I never read a book just once.
Thanks for all the great suggestions, it's much appreciated. I can't wait to get started!
--Sarah--
Prayer: How to do nothing and feel like your doing something.