Thunder 34 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Hey all, for christmas I got a bunch of giftcards to places like Barnes & Noble because everyone knows I'm a book nerd. I'm thinking of setting the limit at $67 and use the rest of the money on something else. But what books do yall think I should get. (having to deal with religion, atheism, etc) I am sure I'm going to get Leaving the Fold which is around $20. (Unless yall can think of another book about the same subject that does it better.) But for the rest of the book spending money, I dont know what to get. I know there is The End of Faith, god is not Great, and The God Delusion. (Thinking of getting god is not Great.) But would yall suggest any other books? Thanks. P.S. May be different from the kind of books I said earlier, but would yall know any books about critical thinking, reasoning, etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mythra Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Hey T34. I've read Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Dawkins. But, one of the best I've read about thinking critically about the paranormal / supernatural is "The Demon Haunted World" Science as a Candle in the Dark, by Carl Sagan. The best one I've read for poking a huge, gaping hole in the New Testament is "The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man" by Robert Price. Right now, I'm reading "Jesus is Dead" by Price. It's pretty good, too, but of course, it's very biblical-oriented, since Price is a NT scholar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taphophilia Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Misquoting Jesus by Bart D Ehrman PhD. It's in paperback now and is only $13. Taph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder 34 Posted January 15, 2008 Author Share Posted January 15, 2008 I know this thread only got a couple of replies but I want to see what ya think. I went to the big book store around here yesterday and, among a bunch of other books, I got Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Has anyone read it? Whatcha think of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The-Captain Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine Basic Wilderness Survival Skills by Bradford Angier Sams Teach Yourself C# in 24 Days.... Just a list of books I read recently and enjoyed, and as you can see they go hand in hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 I would check out the local library or used bookstore first and see what you can get on the cheap. That way, if you don't like something, you won't feel like you've wasted a bunch of money on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellsybop Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 The Age of Reason can be found online in an English version! Excellent read... a must... but I'm a fellow deist. I particularly liked the books called Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch. It is in 3 books. But again, you can listen to the books on Youtube if you'd like to save that money as well. Nonetheless, I found my beginnings in understanding where I belonged in those books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Misquoting Jesus by Bart D Ehrman PhD. It's in paperback now and is only $13. Taph Yep... I'm half way through and it is amazing. Mongo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
live and learn Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Just curious: Has anyone read Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PandaPirate Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Hey all, for christmas I got a bunch of giftcards to places like Barnes & Noble because everyone knows I'm a book nerd. I'm thinking of setting the limit at $67 and use the rest of the money on something else. But what books do yall think I should get. (having to deal with religion, atheism, etc)I am sure I'm going to get Leaving the Fold which is around $20. (Unless yall can think of another book about the same subject that does it better.) But for the rest of the book spending money, I dont know what to get. I know there is The End of Faith, god is not Great, and The God Delusion. (Thinking of getting god is not Great.) But would yall suggest any other books? Thanks. P.S. May be different from the kind of books I said earlier, but would yall know any books about critical thinking, reasoning, etc? I would advise against actually going to Barnes and Noble and buying books in person. You can log onto bn.com and buy them cheaper or you can buy them used even cheaper at bn.com Also, amazon has this cool function where you can put in the name of a book and when it comes up it will pop up a list of recommended reading of similar books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 I would advise against actually going to Barnes and Noble and buying books in person. You can log onto bn.com and buy them cheaper or you can buy them used even cheaper at bn.com Also, amazon has this cool function where you can put in the name of a book and when it comes up it will pop up a list of recommended reading of similar books. B&N also has a member discount card which can be used both in-store and online. It's worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white_raven23 Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 http://www.amazon.com/Kens-Guide-Bible-Ken...5155&sr=1-1 This one is quite good http://www.amazon.com/Biblical-Nonsense-Re...5230&sr=1-1 This one is available free online, but I liked it enough to get hardcopy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PandaPirate Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 I would advise against actually going to Barnes and Noble and buying books in person. You can log onto bn.com and buy them cheaper or you can buy them used even cheaper at bn.com Also, amazon has this cool function where you can put in the name of a book and when it comes up it will pop up a list of recommended reading of similar books. B&N also has a member discount card which can be used both in-store and online. It's worth it. Yeah, Barnes and Nobles rocks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decafaholic Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 Just curious: Has anyone read Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris? Yes, I scored a copy for $3 at booksamillion. It's a small book with a powerful punch. It's perfect for someone who's just beginning to question their faith, but if you've been into this very long, it's going to be discussions you've already heard. Tomorrow's God by Neal Donald Walsh (sp?) is mind-boggling. It's really helping me formulate new ideas about the spiritual. things I've never considered before. And the best part is, it's not dogmatic. it just gives you suggestions for different ways to look at the world with and without believing in god. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
live and learn Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Just curious: Has anyone read Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris? Yes, I scored a copy for $3 at booksamillion. It's a small book with a powerful punch. It's perfect for someone who's just beginning to question their faith, but if you've been into this very long, it's going to be discussions you've already heard. Tomorrow's God by Neal Donald Walsh (sp?) is mind-boggling. It's really helping me formulate new ideas about the spiritual. things I've never considered before. And the best part is, it's not dogmatic. it just gives you suggestions for different ways to look at the world with and without believing in god. Thanks, decafaholic. I'll have to check both of them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
live and learn Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 For non-fiction: I just tonight finished the trilogy "His Dark Materials", one of which is "The Golden Compass". I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's not great literature, perhaps, but it has a very positive humanist message. Also, god dies in it, which is worth the read in itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trashy Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I agree with Taph - anything by Bart Ehrman is good stuff! If you still have any money and want to expand a bit beyond strictly religious stuff, try Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle and Cryptonomicon. Those two are over 3000 pages of joy! Completely unrelated, check out Good Calories Bad Calories. Everything you thought you knew about health and diet might be wrong. It's less than 500 pages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no-one Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 If you fancy something a bit lighter, I just finished reading I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert and it's very very funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hereticzero Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I like Dune series for science fiction and the Sanctuary series for fantasy. For other reading I like The Words We Live By, more books on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do, What Would the Founders Do?, God Versus the Bible, and I read a lot of natural healing books and Libertarian books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I, too, recommend Misquoting Jesus. I don't think anyone could look at the bible in the same way after reading it. God is Not Great is also very good. A little less on-topic, Freakonomics is a great read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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