"Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon" by Daniel C. Dennett

Published: New York: Penguin
Year: 2007, c2006.
Physical Details: xvi, 448 p. ; 23 cm
ISBN: 9780143038337

This books an extremely interesting read that examines the concept of religion essentially from the ground up. Dennett investigates the various controversial subjects of religion, such as why do we believe in a god or gods, how these beliefs frame and control our lives, how our societies are effected by the beliefs, and much more. Many people allow their lives to be controlled by these phenomena, and have for hundreds if not thousands of years. It affects how people see other cultures, how they raise their children, treat their elders, interact with a community, and many more aspects of human life.

The big question in this book is why do we have religion. Why do people from totally different cultures that have never met feel a bond when they meet based on these beliefs? On the other hand why do the beliefs of certain groups cause them to go to war?

The discussion ranges through the fields of anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and many more ologies.

While I found this book extremely interesting it did read quite slowly at times, but once you began to think about what was said, then you realised that this was essentially the only way that the concept could be explained. This is definitely a book that every humanist, anthropologist, and philosopher should have on their shelf (hopefully after they've read it), as it provides many insights into human culture and belief.

"An Atheist's Guide to Christmas" edited by Robin Harvie and Stephanie Meyers

Publisher:New York : Harper Perennial, 2010.
Edition:First U.S. edition.
ISBN: 9780061997976
Characteristics: xi, 307 pages :,illustrations

"An Atheist's Guide to Christmas" is a collection of essays from noted skeptics, atheists, and others that give the reader an interesting, and refreshingly different outlook on the subject of christmas.

It is likely that many people when they consider christmas and atheism that the first thing that's comes to mind is Charles Dickens' short novel "A Christmas Carol" in which Ebenezer Scrooge is portrayed as an atheist, even though it is not stated as such. Many feel, or at least seem to feel that atheism automatically makes you a bad person, and therefore a threat to them somehow. I'm not sure exactly how they come by this rather odd deduction, but it exists.

These essays however show that the exact opposite is true, and that even if you do not subscribe to the christian version of christmas you can still celebrate the season with your friends and family as it was intended.

Some of the twenty plus authors included in this book are Richard Dawkins, Phil Plait (who runs bad astronomy.com), Neal Pollack, Simon Le Bon (of the band Duran Duran), Simon Singh to name but a few. All of the essays, and stories are insightful, and informative, and some quite humorous as well.

A great read, and highly recommended especially to those people who are unsure as to exactly where they sit on the religious vs. non-religious fence.

"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible" by Steve Wells

ISBN: 9780988245105 (hardcover)

Ever since the attacks of September 11, it has been repeated many times in both the mainstream media, and in casual conversation about how violent and war like the Koran is.

Sources that this espouse this viewpoint seem however to have blindly ignored all the violence, the subjugation of women, racism, murder, sexual deviation, and genocide (amongst other things) that are present in the Christian Bible.

The three Abrahamic religions namely Christianity, Islam & Judaism all stem from the same roots, and while it is possible that both the Talmud and the Koran also promote violence, the subjugation of women, racism, etc. I am unable to confirm this because I do not speak or read either Arabic or Hebrew, and I would be somewhat sceptical of an English translation of them, as translators throughout history have been infamous for massaging texts to suit their philosophies.

There are however some things you have to ask yourself: if the Christian Bible is truly the word of a benevolent god, then why is it so violent, why does it vilify women, promote racism, glorify genocide, and so on ad nauseum. Yes, it can be argued that this is the way things were back then, but if that's the case then why are we supposed be following the dictates of a misogynistic, racist, genocidal supreme being, with an inferiority complex to deep that if it isn't worshipped that it will take revenge on everyone?

Unfortunately most people simply pick and choose certain parts of the book, blindly ignore the rest, and are quite happy in their ignorance, and justify away their choices by saying that's the way it was.

In any case the contents of this book should make any critically thinking person take a second look at what the Bible actually does promote.

"The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins

Publisher:Boston : Houghton Mifflin Co., 2006.

ISBN: 9780618680009 

Characteristics: 406 pages ;,24 cm

This is the first book of Richard Dawkins' that I've read, and I found it to be very well written, and informative. Dr. Dawkins poses his arguments logically, and follow them through to their logical conclusions. He does tend to goober things a number of times, but when you consider how ingrained some of the beliefs in religion are this is likely a good technique as not all people will see the relevance with only one example.

I have read other authors on the subject of atheism, and the vast majority follow the same general format, however Dr. Dawkins goes into much greater detail and gives more examples of why certain beliefs may have arisen, why they are regarded as unchallengeable truths, and what non-believers can do to attempt to understand where proponents of the beliefs in question come from.

I believe this is a good book for the general reader, and would also make a good addition to most anthropology, sociology and possibly even history courses.