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The average skeptic's reading list. 
If you want to know what atheists, skeptics, freethinkers or rationalists are up to, here's my reading list to guide you.

Currently reading:
The New History of the World by J. M. Roberts
 

    Atheism
    Religion
    Christianity
    Church/State and History
    Science and Skepticism
Miscellaneous
    Fiction with Attitude
    Apologetics
    Fav Mags

Send for Book Catalogs

 

Atheism:

Atheism: A Reader edited by S.T. Joshi
This book is an excellent resource and introduction to many great thinkers of history. Some of my favorites were Nietzsche ["Not every one may be a Christian: one is not 'converted' to Christianity--one must first be sick enough for it..."], Mencken ["The so-called religious organizations which now lead the war against the teaching of evolution are nothing more at bottom, than conspiracies of the inferior man against his betters. They mirror very accurately his congenital hatred of knowledge, his bitter enmity to the man who knows more than he does, and so gets more out of life."], Ingersoll ["Every effort to really better the condition of mankind has been opposed by the worshipers of some God."], and Clarence Darrow on The Lord's Day Alliance ["If any poor mortal is caught enjoying life on Sunday its agents gleefully hie themselves to the nearest legislature and urge a law to stop the fun."]. Highly recommended reading.

Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith

Atheist Universe: Why God Didn't Have a Thing to do With It
by David Mills
A wonderful introduction to scientific explanations rebutting Creationist propaganda. This book makes a handy reference for debaters.

The Atheist's Handbook to Modern Materialism by Philip A. Stahl

The End of Faith by Sam Harris
Fabulous book. I've heard some criticism that Harris is overly harsh in his critique of faith; but that just proves his assertion that faith is granted an untouchable space in discourse at our peril. Some of this book ought to scare the bejesus out of you.

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
Excellent book with one huge failing. At the end, Dawkins actually advocates denying parents the right to teach their faith to their children, thereby abrogating freedom of religion. Is he out of his mind? This point alone leaves a very bad taste in the mouths of all freedom-loving people, believers and nonbelievers alike. Run screaming from this book.

Godless in America: Conversations with an Atheist
by George Ricker
Another wonderful addition to the atheist's library. Ricker's dialogue is honest, though often hard-hitting in a refreshing way. His insights into life as an atheist will resonate with other nonbelievers, and should add to their arsenal of responses for those situations in which they are confronted with ignorance.
But Ricker's dialogue will also engage religionists who are curious about what "the big deal" is with atheists and atheism. Ricker lays it out for them, touching on current events and attitudes in the media and the general population, patiently explaining why atheists think and feel the way they do.
This one is highly recommended.

Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris
I love Sam Harris. Naturally I love his books as well. The End of Faith was great. This one is short and concise. I, personally, don't think he has much experience talking with the average Christian American. If he had, he wouldn't have written such a short book.
You've got to be patient with most Christians. You've got to lay out your argument a few times, from a few different angles. And you've got to anticipate their counter-arguments  and preempt them. Otherwise, they spend your entire book simply disregarding everything you say. And that is, I'm afraid, what they will do with this book.

Manual of a Perfect Atheist by Rius
Available from American Atheists bookstore online at: American Atheists and American Atheist Press (see below).

Natural Atheism by David Eller
Eller packaged the whole shebang in one, fast-paced volume covering all aspects of atheism. His clear-cut prose is littered with quotable bits and gives readers those "Aha!" and "Absolutely!" moments throughout. From the basics of atheism, through logical proofs, science and evolution, separation of religion from government and the history of our founding, fundamentalism, and finally to the future of atheism, Eller has presented atheism as the logical conclusion of reason. I highly recommend this one.

Nonbelief and Evil: Two Arguments for the nonexistence of God by Theodore M. Drange


Church/State and History:

1776 by David McCullough
An excellent and easy read, 1776 would be enjoyable even for those who find history tedious. This is the story of Washington and the military campaign of that year, with wonderful insights into the characters of the people who fought on both sides. Could have used better maps of the battles for the uninitiated and confused.

Freethinkers by Susan Jacoby
This is a fabulous and comprehensive history of American secularism and a great read, too. This book is worthy of deep study--highly recommended.

Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson by Gore Vidal
Poetic. If you don't know your early American history, you'll get lost from time to time.

Our Endangered Values by Jimmy Carter
I knew Carter's book would be heavily Christian, but as I expected, he is a tolerant man and I never felt offended or disgusted by anything he said. This book will anger and shock you as Carter highlights some of the abuses of our government. Good reading.

The Separation of Church and State: Writings on a Fundamental Freedom by America's Founders
edited by Forrest Church
Handy little reference to some of the writings of our founders with minimal historical and biographical background.

Why the Religious Right is Wrong About Separation of Church and State by Robert Boston
Perfect book for those who want to counter the religious right claims that the United States is a Christian nation. Boston highlights the arguments anti-separationists make and gives you the history you need to understand the truth behind their misquotes and lies. Highly recommended.

 

Science and Skepticism:
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
by Carl Sagan.
An excellent introduction to critical thinking. This book should be required reading for every student.

Evolution and the Myth of Creationism: A Basic Guide to the Facts in the Evolution Debate
by Tim M. Berra
Fabulous book! A very helpful guide for the layman.

Flim-Flam!: Psychics, ESP, Unicorns and other Delusions
by James Randi
I was very disappointed in this book.  Mr. Randi could have used a good editor, maybe even a ghost writer.  His arguments against the most important of the pseudosciences lacked strength.  Often he seemed to assume too much regarding the knowledge of his reader.  I was hoping this book would make a good gift for some of the astrologists in my family but Randi's refutation of it left way too much to be desired.

Idiot Proof: Deluded Celebrities, Irrational powerbrokers, Media Morons, and the Erosion of Common Sense
by Francis Wheen
While this book has a whole lot in it that doesn't have to do with religion, it has a little--enough to keep me amused. I enjoyed it; laughed a lot; thought the world had gone crazy a little. The only real objection I had with it was when the author took a quote by Bill Gates and asserted that it meant that Gates had decided that "unfettered capitalism" wasn't going to save the world. He did this without any evidence that Gates ever had such an opinion about capitalism; without evidence that the quote in question meant what he said it meant; and without evidence that we have ever experienced "unfettered" capitalism through which Gates could have made such an observation.
So, the author has a bit of a misunderstanding of capitalism, it did nothing to change to beautiful truths in the book: that people can be really stupid.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
I actually listened to most of this book while traveling to Asheville. While I didn't get to hear all of it, what I heard was fascinating science! I plan to purchase a copy of it and actually read it. Highly recommended.

Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time
by Michael Shermer
One of the things I desired most when I realized I was atheist, was to understand why people believed the things they do. This book lays it out for the reader.

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Miscellaneous

Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner
This book is fascinating.

Fiction with Attitude

Calling Bernadette's Bluff by Dale McGowan
Funny, touching, honest. A great read.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
This is an interesting book that blends history with legend and presents it with a mystery. Engaging, written like most bestsellers. If nothing else, it may inspire people to learn about church history and the Knights Templar. It no doubt will have people looking for pictures of Da Vinci's Last Supper.


Apologetics
(Yes, of course I read them):

If you are looking for some kind comments, you might want to skip down a few.

A Shattered Visage: The Real Face of Atheism by Ravi Zacharias
This is a vitriolic attack on atheists. Never recommend this to any atheist for whom you have any respect or kind feelings. It is designed for only two purposes: encouraging other Christians in their hatred of atheists and engendering discord between our two camps.
You can read other skeptic’s reviews of Zacharias on The Secular Web.

The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel
What can I say except that these were poor examples of unbiased reporting.  Strobel pretends to be out for the truth but he just gobbles up the Christian story as it’s spoon fed to him. You can read other skeptics reviews of Strobel’s apologetics on The Secular Web.
Be sure to check out Earl Doherty's Challenging the Verdict with the books on Christianity above.

The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell
When I first read these books, they were separate. Now they are contained in one volume under their new title. They were the first apologetics books that I read after Mr. Zacharias’ abuse (see A Shattered Visage above). The evidence does indeed demand a verdict and the verdict is: Christianity is false. McDowell’s apologetics are full of half-truths, lies, misquotes and misrepresentations. My first thought upon reading his books was, "Is this the best Christians can do?"
You can read other skeptics responses to McDowell on The Secular Web.

How to Make an Atheist Backslide by Ray Comfort
I had the pleasure of witnessing Mr. Comfort debate Ron Barrier of American Atheists at the 2001 convention of American Atheists in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Comfort is a passionate, articulate speaker and I’m sure he is very persuasive to his Christian audiences; but he would do best to stick to that venue. He started out with an explanation of the banana (of which he presented a visual aid) and how it is "designed" perfectly for the human animal to hold, peel and eat.  He was, for we atheists, a fabulous break from the serious nature of the majority of the convention. The best part of Mr. Comfort’s appearance was the free book! Unfortunately, it doesn’t work so I don’t recommend it to any Christians looking to "make an atheist backslide."

Letters From A Skeptic by Gregory A. Boyd
Not a bad case for Christianity. But as usual, the case is spoon fed to the vict...er, convert and he just laps it up with nary a rebuttal.  It'll shore up your faith, but it won't convince your atheist friends of anything.

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Mr. Lewis is to be respected as an author and he does present a fair and thoughtful case for Christianity and his reasons for belief.  But he is unconvincing--again, a good book for the Christian, but his lack of critical thinking applied to his own beliefs is obvious.
You can read skeptic responses to this book on The Secular Web.

That's Your Interpretation: Responding to Skeptics Who Challenge Your Faith by Paul Copan
Not a bad apologetic–fraught with the errors in critical thinking that always fail to convince rationalists, but presented thoughtfully and logically.
Mr. Copan is apparently associated with Ravi Zacharias and you can read about his support for Mr. Zacharias' A Shattered Visage on The Secular Web.

 

 

 

 

Fav Mags
I read these as soon as they arrive!  Great stuff.

The Skeptic
Freethought Today
Skeptical Inquirer
Free Inquiry
The American Rationalist
Reason

 

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Send for catalogs:

American Atheist Press
P.O. Box 140195
Austin, TX 78714-0195
http://www.atheists.org

Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Dr.
Amherst, NY 14228-2197

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Religion:

The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong
A look at fundamentalism and its causes.

Bertrand Russell on God and Religion; Al Seckel, editor

Critiques of God: Making the Case Against Belief in God
edited by Peter A. Angeles
A collection of essays on the subject.

Does God Exist: The Debate Between Theists and Atheists
J.P. Moreland and Kai Nielsen
This book was okay, nothing to get excited about.  The atheist, Kai Nielsen, maintained a narrow focus, but did well with his argument.  The theist side was well represented, and I didn't feel that Mr. Nielsen adequately addressed Moreland's points.  The downfall of the book lay in its final chapter in which Peter Kreeft advised us all on the methods we might use to determine which side we will go with.  Basically, emotionalism and Pascal's Wager were his strongest recommendations.  What feels right?  And, only belief will earn you "the infinite prize of eternal life."  Yep, I'm not kidding.

The Dogma of Christ and Other Essays on Religion, Psychology, and Culture by Erich Fromm
This book helped me to understand why people believe the things they do--what emotional and societal rewards belief has.

A History of God: The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam by Karen Armstrong

Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why by Bart Ehrman
Ehrman's book is a valuable read and a great book to give to your moderate Christian friends and family. It shouldn't offend their faith, unless they're hard-line literalists. Ehrman suggests a few times that Jesus was an historical figure (something that never ceases to amaze me about otherwise intelligent historians), but not in an overtly stupid way. His basic premise, that we have no originals, and what we do have has undoubtedly been changed for several reasons, not least of which was to further the scribe's own viewpoint, is strong throughout.

Moses and Monotheism by Sigmund Freud
A fascinating book outlining Freud's theory that Moses was an Egyptian and the two gods in the Pentateuch are a combination of the Egyptian Moses' loving god and Jahve, the Arabian volcano god.  Freud briefly explains his theory of primeval man, totemism, and their relationship to Judaism and Christianity.  Basically, primeval man lived in patriarchal family groups with the sons being banished, murdered or emasculated by the father/leader.  At some point, the sons, together, murdered the father and ceremonially ate him.  Thus arose Totemism, a religious reenactment of their crime and remembrance of their guilt.  Judaism was a return of the father/leader/god.  Christianity was an admission that the sons killed the father (god) and the belief in the necessary (spiritual) sacrifice and worship of the eldest son in his place.  A great read.  Led me to put Totem and Taboo by Freud on my reading list.

The Origin of Satan by Elaine Pagels

Secret Origins of the Bible by Tim Callahan
Well, if you were paying attention (which I assume you were not) you noticed the seemingly interminable length of time I spent reading this book. It was so thick, so jam-packed with information, and so academically refreshing that I took my time absorbing it.
The pagan origins of the Bible are not secret because no one knew about them until Callahan exposed the truth. They are secret because those well aware of the Bible's origins are either in the business of God and not inclined to tell the truth, or they are the rest of us--knowledgeable unbelievers to whom apologists and believers refuse to listen and toward whom they direct their vilest diatribes.
I highly recommend this book. I wish everyone would read it!
However, I do have one criticism. After his detailed and scholarly dissection of both the Old Testament, the New Testament, the complete lack of historical evidence for Jesus, and the overwhelming evidence of his mythological origin, Callahan still claims, "I have no doubt that Jesus, having claimed to be the Son of man, was put to death by crucifixion." He does admit to accepting that the myths built up around him are just that: mythology. But how can he not doubt the existence of an historical Jesus?
There is no reason to accept, and plenty of good reasons to dismiss, the historicity of Jesus. To have "no doubt" about it sounds very much like someone desperately clinging to the popular view. One is left only to wonder why Callahan would do such a thing.

 

Christianity:

Adam, Eve, and the Serpent by Elaine Pagels
A very interesting read!  Fabulous insights on the early history of Christianity.

The Bible and its Influence by Cullen Schippe and Chuck Stetson
This book is intended as a textbook for high school students. Certain educators believe that Biblical literacy will help students in their studies and test-taking skills. The class would be an elective.
Overall, I think they've done a good job in writing a textbook that walks a fine line between asserting the existence of God and the validity of Christianity, and teaching about the Bible as a set of religious books. Once or twice they crossed the line ever so slightly and affirmed God's existence or the historicity of Jesus, but still not in a blatant way...which may be worse. For instance, on page 51, in a discussion of Sodom and Gomorrah, the authors say, "This is not the last time the Bible depicts God as being open to petition from human beings." It's very subtle. Are they saying that the Bible is depicting its main character "God" in this way? Or are they saying there is a god, and the Bible is depicting it in certain ways?
More blatant an example is on page 331 in which the authors claim First John "deals with a false teaching that seemed to deny Jesus' humanity." Now...shouldn't they say that the author of First John claims the teaching is false?
There are more problematic elements in this textbook. An excerpt from The Screwtape Letters shows no influence of the Bible, but allows Lewis to defame science and rationalism to students without any rebuttal. And a two-page section at the end of the book is devoted to convincing the student that religion is essential for morality and that Christianity is the foundation of our national greatness.

Backgrounds of Early Christianity
by Everett Ferguson
For anyone interested in the history of the time period, this is an excellent resource. Ferguson outlines the political, philosophical and religious history from about 300 BCE to about 300 CE. While I eagerly absorbed the information in this book, I was several times struck by Ferguson's lack of historical scholarship with respect to the Bible, both old and new Testaments, especially the Gospels. Instead of viewing the Gospels as questionable sources, as they are propaganda for a faith, he took them for history and even attempted, at times, to apologize for their weaknesses and conflicts with real historical data. While I understand that a large number of academics do not seriously question the existence of the Gospel Jesus, time might be better applied reading a book by an historian of the time period, rather than commentary by a Bible scholar.

The Bible Handbook; Revised Edition. 1986; American Atheist Press
This book lists thousands of contradictions, absurdities and atrocities in the Bible. Available from American Atheists bookstore online at American Atheists and American Atheists Press (see below).

The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology’s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of its Sacred Texts
by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman.
This book was a real eye-opener! 

The Born Again Skeptic's Guide to the Bible
by Ruth Hurmence Green.
This book is an excellent resource on the Bible and Christian theology. The author presents carefully reasoned arguments and wonderful insights even for the well-read Biblical critic.

The Case Against Christianity by Michael Martin

Challenging the Verdict by Earl Doherty
Books by apologists frustrate me because as I read, counter-arguments enter my head and the authors just ignore them! I could barely get through Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ. He claimed he was being impartial but he never challenged the "experts" he questioned; he just accepted all they had to say. Doherty has written a comprehensive rebuttal to Strobel's book highlighting all the arguments Strobel conveniently left out or glossed over.

The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold
by Acharya S
Acharya S's scholarship has been called into question by people I respect, so don't take this book too seriously. But, I did find it fascinating. It's a wild ride that will have you questioning everything you once thought true about Christianity. The trick is to keep questioning; never take just one person's word as truth until you've fully researched the idea yourself.

Christian Fundamentalism: A Journey into the Heart of Darkness by David W. Hopewell
Available from American Atheists at American Atheists or American Atheist Press (see below)
This book was scary!

Christianity Before Christ by John G. Jackson

The Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy by C. Dennis McKinsey
An excellent, scholarly, well-organized explanation of the contradictions and difficulties in the Bible.

An Evolutionist Deconstructs Creationism by Arndt Von Hippel
I bought this book because of its title; I admit it--I judged a book somewhat by its cover.  I was expecting to read a basic, point-by-point refutation of Creationism in favor of evolutionary theory.  Instead, this book is a pretty good critique of Christianity in general.

The Fabrication of the Christ Myth by Harold Leidner
Leidner presents a well-researched and documented case that the gospels were lifted from earlier sources and the Jews are innocent. Explosively brilliant! Highly recommended. "Where is the moral authority of a religion that must resort to forgery to establish its cause?" p. 306

Farewell to God: My Reasons for Rejecting the Christian Faith by Charles Templeton

Forgery in Christianity by Joseph Wheless
An old book without enough good documentation to make it scholarly; but filled with much excellent information about early Christianity.

God's Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible
by Adam Nicolson
This book offers insight into the people who translated the King James Version of the Bible and the struggle for balance between divergence from the Papacy and strict Puritanism (as exemplified by the Separatists). Nicolson fawns over the language of the translation as rich and majestic whereas the skeptic might query first as to its correctness. Good history, good anecdotes; worth a read.

The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man by Robert M. Price
This fascinating, scholarly book dissects the aspects of the Christ myth, searching for an historical Jesus. Guiding us through the birth narratives, early childhood fables, Jesus' time of teaching, his betrayal, death and resurrection, Price finds that the evidence for validity is scant. The most damning evidence against historicity, and taught to us in this book, is that every part of the Jesus story is lifted from another source. The idea that Jesus was god, born of a virgin, a miracle-worker, teacher, died on the cross and resurrected is told to us, not in any original words, but by simply cutting and pasting earlier testimonies of other gods and other events into the Jesus narrative. If Jesus really did walk the earth and do all he is purported to do, why did his chroniclers explain him only in borrowed words? Highly recommended reading.

Is it God’s Word by Joseph Wheless
An old book without good documentation to make it scholarly; but filled with valuable information on the Bible.

The Jesus Mysteries: Was the "Original Jesus" a Pagan God?
By Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy.
Highly researched, scholarly book outlining the evidence for the theory that Jesus originated as a Pagan deity.  This is the book that finally put it all in place for me--the theory that finally gave some sense to Christianity, in my eyes.

The Jews in the Time of Jesus: An Introduction
by Stephen M. Wylen
This book is very helpful in understanding the nature of the gospels.

Leaving the Fold: Testimonies of Former Fundamentalists edited by Edward T. Babinski
These former fundamentalists became liberal Christians, agnostics or atheists, etc.

Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist by Dan Barker
This was the first book I read supporting atheism. Mr. Barker explains his deconversion and offers many of his thoughts on religion as published in Freedom From Religion Foundation's periodical Freethought Today.

The Mythmaker: Paul and the Invention of Christianity
by Hyam Maccoby
Maccoby makes a strong case for his theories that Paul was not a Pharisee, but a Jewish convert of Pagan parentage; Jesus was a Pharisee; Jesus' disciples in Jerusalem remained distinctly Jewish; Jesus did not create a new religion; and the Jerusalem church was seriously opposed to Paul's Pagan Christianity. With knowledge of Judaism in the time of Jesus, the propaganda and lies of the Gospels become clear.

Psycho Bible: Behavior, Religion and the Holy Book
by Armando Favazza
Favazza is a professor of psychiatry; he discusses the Bible and Christians from that perspective. His book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the Bible, what it says, what people believe about it, historical backgrounds of its subjects, and human nature with respect to its doctrines. I was frustrated periodically in reading his book as it was often difficult to determine his position with respect to Christianity. He either understands and appreciates non-belief, or he is a non-Christian himself, or both; either way, his viewpoint was refreshing. However, he does make a few statements that are rather credulous. For example, he states, "Isaiah is an Old Testament prefiguration of Jesus..." as if this is fact. He claims: "By becoming a man Christ entered into human history and, therefore, could be depicted in images that documented history." Assertions such as these, casually strewn throughout this work must be forgiven, as Favazza is a student of psychiatry, not history.

Why I Am Not a Christian by Bertrand Russell

 

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