What books do you Atheists worship? (I need suggestions here. Selfish person coming through!)

Name favorite titles, even if they aren't really Atheist books. Read a great book on Evolution? A book that explains the science of homosexuality? A picture book of undersea creatures? A biography of Penn? A cookbook that includes flying spaghetti monster supreme? Or a beautiful fiction about Princess Sprinkles in the enchanted forest?

Okay, so I went overboard with the suggestions, but lets go for variety and the reasons you love them. Personally, I'd especially be interested in religious/psychology stuff. ...And maybe a picture book.

To start off, I really love The Scarlet Letter. ...Everyone else in my class hated it. Interestingly, even though it's fiction, it still offers a lot of information and combats Puritan ideals... a great perspective and beautiful story to boot.

Tags: atheist, books, moocow

Views: 794

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

The Handmaid's Tale is a great 'Anti-religious' feminist work. Dawkin's 'The God-Delusion' is an excellent introduction into what Atheists do not believe. And for a picture book you can't beat 'The hungry caterpillar', genius. lol.
The Hungry Caterpillar is pretty good, but I think it could have done with more pirates. Just personally.

And thanks. :D
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Interestingly one of the series of books I really enjoyed as a teen were Dougal Dixon's After Man and Man After Man

They really gave me an understanding of what was meant by idea of evolution, they are both purely speculative, and probably out of date with modern science, but the fundamentals are fairly solid. It is an interesting what if look at the future of life on earth, it actually got me over my fear of death in a funny way because it helped me understand that the end of the world (ty cold war) is not the end of everything.

Also I have to thank you for this question as it made me go and see what he has done lately and lo and behold... The Future is Wild.

Based on research and interviews with dozens of scientists, this documentary was put together to show how life could evolve in the future if Homo sapiens became extinct; the Discovery Channel broadcast softened the harsh outlook by stating the human race had completely migrated from the Earth and had sent back probes to examine the progress of life on Earth. The show was played out in the form of a nature documentary.
I saw an episode of The Future is Wild a few years ago. Entertaining, but surely one of the silliest things I've ever seen. I can just imagine the brainstorming session that led the Sharkopath - "Dude its like a shark that, like, glows and stuff".

In the same vein but less preposterous is The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. Particularly interesting in this is his look at demilitaraised zones and the speed at which nature has reclaimed our cities and biodiversity has flourished.
Hitchhikers Guide, definitely.
I'm so glad the HHGTTG is mentioned as a must read. Douglas Adams was a genius, and a devote vegetarian too; so much for atheists having no absolute morals eh?
I would say "revere", rather than "worship", but anyway...

The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
The Age of Reason - Thomas Paine
Thus Spoke Zarathustra - Friedrich Nietzsche
The Myth of Sisyphus - Albert Camus

Dawkins' "The God Delusion" didn't present any new information to me, but I would certainly recommend it to someone who didn't understand the atheist's perspective or to any theist with an open mind. I haven't read any books by Hitchens or Harris. I just bought Daniel Dennett's books "Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting" and "Consciousness Explained", so those may be added to the list soon if they are as good as the reviews I've read.

Another book that I'd recommend, which has nothing explicitly to do with religion or atheism, is "Depression Is A Choice" by A.B. Curtiss. When my mother passed away, I was having a hard time dealing with it and this book really helped me understand depression and how to overcome it. I'd recommend it even if you aren't experiencing depression.
Well obviously "On the Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin of happy memory of course!

Then 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and all Terry Pratchet's books - 'The Colour of Magic' and all the Discworld books.

Judith Rich Harris' 'The Nurture Assumption', a fabulous book about psychology.
'The Jesus Puzzle' by Earl Doherty
'The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man' by Robert M. Price
Oxford English Dictionary

Because the most useful book in the world is the book with all the words in it.

I second your nomination!

Terry Pratchett.
He's very sneaky. He pretends to write comedic fantasy, but he's ACTUALLY writing a multi-layered commentary on the human condition. Most of his novels have a theme - topics ranging from attitudes to death, science, the industrial revolution, politics, war, racial conflict, and of course, a few on religion.
"Nation" is my current favourite - but this is subject to change.
"The Science of the Discworld" books are pretty accessible and are great pop-sci.

RSS

CONNECT WITH ATHEIST NEXUS

Latest Activity

Loren Miller commented on John Hutcheson's blog post Are the media too giddy over the Pope?
"Wouldn't know, really.  The last couple days, the US news media has been focused (for good or ill) on this EF-5 tornado which wiped out a considerable portion of Moore, Oklahoma.  When you only have half an hour to report national and…"
8 minutes ago
Loren Miller replied to Loren Miller's discussion Latest Activity?
"For that matter, when the upgrade was originally applied, I had my photo slide show on my profile as with the old layout.  Now I don't.  SOMETHING got tripped over!"
29 minutes ago
Debra Stevenson replied to matthew greenberg's discussion Pope Francis says even Atheists go to Heaven
"I wish the RCC would reform itself along with the main branch of the LDS church, the SDA's and the JW's ( they desperately need reform , none of the eighty something splinter groups can be called liberal in all actuality). …"
1 hour ago
Tony Carroll commented on Jeffrey's group Trekkies
" "
1 hour ago
Tony Carroll commented on Steph S.'s group Birding, Birders and all things Birds
"                             Hawk Headed Parrott"
1 hour ago
Jessica Berman commented on Ruth Anthony-Gardner's group Hang With Friends
"I'm sorry I haven't posted at all; my mother was treated for ovarian cancer this past year, but I follow the discussions. Joan I'm glad treatment is going well. The ChemoBrain is a strange thing. The whole process was a whirlwind for…"
1 hour ago
Richard C Brown commented on Hessenroots's group Useless Without Coffee
"The coffee is good.My body says sleep.Huh."
2 hours ago
Joan Denoo commented on Ruth Anthony-Gardner's group Hang With Friends
"11:00 PM had my first bout of nausea; Rx took care of it. I feel wonderful. Absolutely no pain, I can't finish a sentence or remember words so Cary, Laura and Laurie did their best to understand what I am trying to convey. I usually get enough…"
5 hours ago

© 2013   Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: Richard Haynes.

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service