* Archived Book Suggestions *

[Chris OConnor]

Archived Book Suggestions for Quarterly ReadingsThis thread is our old book suggestion thread. In October of 2005 we changed our book selection process. We now create a new book suggestion thread each quarter. Please feel free to look through this thread for book ideas. Read about our new Book Selection Process.Chris Edited by: Chris OConnor  at: 10/10/05 12:55 pm

[rielmajr]

The recommendations made thus far would all be excellent choices. I would offer the following for consideration:1. Steven Pinker: a)How the Mind Works;b) The Blank Slate2. Daniel Dennett: a) Consciousness Explained; b) Darwin's Dangerous Idea3. Victor Johnston: Why We Feel: The Science of Human Emotions4. Gene Edelman: A Universe of Consciousness5. Karen Armstrong: The Battle for God; A History of God; A Brief History of Islam6. John Noonan: The Lustre of Our Country --The American Experience of Religious Freedom7. Steven Mithen: The Prehistory of the Mind -- The Cognitive Origins of Art, Religion and Science8. Stephen Jay Gould: Full House -- The Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin Edited by: Chris OConnor  at: 7/29/05 12:06 am

[Jeremy1952]

Here is a summary of books suggested so far, in alphabetical order. Books suggested more than once are indicated by the digit to the left.--Karen Armstrong: The Battle for God--Karen Armstrong: A History of God--Karen Armstrong: A Brief History of Islam--Axelrod, The Complexity of Cooperation--Damasio, Descartes' Error--Damasio, The Feeling of What Happens--Dawkins: ANY3 Dawkins, The Extended Phenotype--Dawkins' The Selfish Gene2 Dawkins, Unweaving the Rainbow--Daniel Dennett: Consciousness Explained--Daniel Dennett: Darwin's Dangerous Idea--Gene Edelman: A Universe of Consciousness--Stephen Jay Gould: Full House -- The Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin--Victor Johnston: Why We Feel: The Science of Human Emotions--Kaufmann, At Home in the Universe--Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson: Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys--Donald MacKensie: Mechanising Proof: Computing, Risk and Trust--Lynn Margulis, Dorion Sagan, Ernst Mayr: Acquiring Genomes: A Theory of the Origins of Species--Steven Mithen: The Prehistory of the Mind -- The Cognitive Origins of Art, Religion and Science--John Noonan: The Lustre of Our Country --The American Experience of Religious Freedom3 Steven Pinker: The Blank Slate--Steven Pinker: How the Mind Works Edited by: Jeremy1952 at: 1/9/03 7:56:28 pm

[JPRT464]

The Illusion of Conscious Will by Daniel M. Wegner (MIT Press, 2002). This is one of the most fascinating books I have read. It embodies the ultimate skepticism

[Jeremy1952]

I have heard of Wegner, but never read anything by him; I'm certainly "up" for this one. BTW Pinker is touching on some of these issues in Blank Slate, although certainly not to the same depth. Or, if we do select Blank Slate (it is currently tied for most mentioned), perhaps JPRT464 could point out areas of agreement or disagreement.

[Chris OConnor]

Michael Shermer's - "How We Believe" is my suggestion...Quote:One hundred years ago social scientists predicted that belief in God would decrease by the year 2000. "In fact ... the opposite is has occurred," Shermer writes in his introduction. "Never in history have so many, and such a high percentage of the population, believed in God. Not only is God not dead as Nietzche proclaimed, but he has never been more alive.Why do so many believe in the existence of something so inexplicable? That's exactly what Shermer answers in this comprehensive, intelligent, and highly readable discussion about the nature of faith. "People believe in God because the evidence of their senses tell them so," claims Shermer, who is the publisher of Skeptics magazine. Having been a believer and a student of the history of science, Shermer (now an agnostic) is more interested in knowing why and how people believe in God rather than trying to prove who's right or wrong. As a result, this book is not only even-handed and thorough, it is also destined to become a timeless contribution to spirituality as well as science.Chris Edited by: Chris OConnor  at: 7/29/05 12:08 am

[Jeremy1952]

Elaine Morgan, The Descent of WomanEstablished irrefutably the equal role of women in human evolution. It created a worldwide furor and became a rallying point for women everywhere. Its influence has been profound and lasting-on the terminology used by students of prehistoric anthropology, on the theory of evolution, and on the biblically fostered attitudes toward women. [in the new edition] The author discusses changes since the book was first published and tells what needs to be done in the future. It remains the key book in any discussion of women and their place in society. Elaine Morgan has worked as a freelance writer for television, and is the author of The Aquatic Ape, The Scars of Evolution, and The Descent of the Child.She lives in Wales.

[Jeremy1952]

Christopher Wanjek's book, Bad Medicine, is published by John Wiley & Sons, priced

[Jeremy1952]

Little bitty excerpt:People who hope that a ban on biological explanations might restore personal responsibility are in for the bitterest disappointment of all. The most risible pretexts for bad behavior in recent decades have come not form biological determinism but from environmental determinism: the abuse excuse, the Twinkie defense, black rage, pornography poisoning, societal sickness, media violence, rock lyrics, and different cultural mores...Something has gone terribly wrong. It is a confusion of explanation with exculpation. Contrary to what is implied by critics of biological and environmental theories of the causes of behavior, to explain behavior is not to exonerate the behaver....If behavior is not utterly random, it will have some explanation; if behavior were utterly random, we couldn't hold the person responsible in any case. So if we ever hold people responsible for their behavior, it will have to be in spite of any causal explanation we feel is warranted, whether it invokes genes, brains, evolution, media images, self

[Chris OConnor]

The Philosophy of Humanism - by Corliss LamontThis book is a must read for anyone interested in secular humanism! The entire text is available for free online at www.corliss-lamont.org/philos8.htm. I think we could easily get Corloss Lamont's widow as a guest in our chat room, which would probably make for a very interesting and educational session. She is a nongovernmental ambassador to the United Nations, and is internationally known in the humanist world. Anyone wishing to find something to fill the "void" left in their lives when the domga and irrationality of religion is removed MUST read this book.Anyone not fully aware of what secualr humanism is all about should read this summary www.mind.net/rvuuf/pages/humanis1.htm.To read more about this text visit the Amazon.com listing at www.amazon.com/exec/obido...vi=glance.More information about Humanism www.freeinquiry.com/humanism-uu.html.This is the edition of this book that I first read years and years ago www.skeptic.de/index.php3...leno=0447.w ... .htmlChris Edited by: Chris OConnor  at: 7/29/05 12:08 am