Reading and Book Recommendations

L.Jenkins

I've read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and I must say it was a great read. Now I know of a few authors out there, but I'm looking for a few more to add a few titles to my reading list this year. So any good suggestions. I've yet to read the bible ancient fiction hasnt really held my interest.

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Read the following by Christopher Hitchens:
God is Not Great
Letters to a Young Contrarian.
The Portable Atheist.

Also read A Universe from Nothing by Laurence Krauss. It came out yesterday and Hitchens was supposed to write the preface but was unable to do to his declining health before he died.

MrPudding

Get a bit of Bertrand Russell into you as well. "Why I am not a Christian" is a great read.

"End of Faith" by Sam Harris is also well worth a look.

I also +1 the suggestions above.

MrP

Beruthiel

Cosmos, Carl Sagan.

Dades

A few the same, and many more in this thread.

fitz0

I've just finished reading 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man' by James Joyce. I'd definitely recommend it. It revolves around Stephen Dedalus and his evolving views on religion and nationalism, eventually leading him to abandon them. I would hazard a guess that most people here could identify with him at some points in the story, not so much in others. Some of the passages in it are extremely powerful and frightening, but nothing sums up my loathing for the church as the 3 page description of hell and torment.

I second Mr.P's recommendation of 'Why I am Not a Christian'

Also, more just for the pure fantasticness of it, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

L.Jenkins

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll be sure to pick up a few books in the coming weeks.

Beruthiel

Have you read the Selfish Gene yet?
Cos that's a must imo.

fitz0

BTW theres a great bookshop on the corner of College Green called Books Upstairs that sells classics like Portrait for very cheap. I got mine for €3.

Penn

Reading "God no! Signs you may be an atheist and other magical tales" by Penn Jillette at the minute. Sort of half biography/half religion and atheism, but very entertaining. Much more light-hearted than most other books about religion/atheism, interjected with stories about his own life which are very funny. Really enjoying it so far.

Coriolanus

The bible and the catechism. Know thy enemy andd all that. Though ill admit to not having read the catechism, only data mined it for ammo.

Sarky

The Science of Discworld series is well worth a look. More or less about a universe accidentally created by wizards which seems to operate without any magic or narrative direction, and thus confuses the hell out of them, especially when a little blue-green planet develops humans. Each chapter of the story is followed by a chapter on evidence and explanations for what just happened. Easy reading, lots of interesting topics from biological to cultural evolution.

HUNK

You could try "Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong" by J.L Mackie. You might need to read it more than once, or re-read bits.

Sonics2k

Penn wrote: »

Reading "God no! Signs you may be an atheist and other magical tales" by Penn Jillette at the minute. Sort of half biography/half religion and atheism, but very entertaining. Much more light-hearted than most other books about religion/atheism, interjected with stories about his own life which are very funny. Really enjoying it so far.

Big +1 on this, Penn Jillette is a fantastic comedian and his books are very very good as well.

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Sonics2k wrote: »

Big +1 on this, Penn Jillette is a fantastic comedian and his books are very very good as well.

It's mildly entertaining but I wouldn't say it's very very good.

amacachi

Maybe not quite on-topic but Bad Science by Ben Goldacre is well worth a read for most.

Muppet Man

+1 for Bad Science by Ben Goldacre its an absolutely brilliant read.

Shout out for "The End of Faith" - Sam Harris and also "God is not Great" by Hitchens.