Philosophy Books

I read this book when it first came out and have purchased it for my grand-daughter so that she may have a realistic view of how our universe works and will not be susceptible to bizzare philosphies which have been so rampant on this planet for the last 10,000 years or so.

Carl Sagan was a wonderful man, and was one of the first people to get me interested in science. In this book, he looks over claims of alien abduction, crop circles, visions, astrology, and other pseudoscientific claims. A great read.

This is a great rebuttal to pseudoscience and superstition. Well-written and interesting. One of my favorites.

Carl Sagan was a great man and had a great way of explaining the awesomeness of the universe to the average man or woman. This book is like that. It allows us to understand logical, rational thaught which we sometimes allow ourselves to ignore.
At the very least it will teach you how to win an argument.

When I started reading this book, it seemed to go slow and I thought about giving up. But, as I went on, the relevance of what he wrote made more and more sense. When I was through, I was pleased that I had read it all the way through and now I am a much more critical thinker.

The bare translation...with little to no commentary. It's cheap, though.

This is an excellent book with good reading and meditations to just sit back relax and enjoy.

Rene Descartes can go to a circle in hades for his mathmatics but his discourse on religion was flawed he had to first prove to himself he existed before he could prove God existed, there is the rub. He is justly regarded as the Father of Modern Philosophy because of the questions and problems he created. He helped to distinquish philosophy from science, which is a saving grace. This is a great addition to any library, since it serves to illustrate the evolution of philosophy in our civilization. I would also recommend Deism In American Thought by Woodbridge Riley and of course the Age of Reason by Thomas Paine.

Descartes seems like the sort of guy who likes the sound of his own voice, not unlike a philosophy professor! He has only a handful of points, a few of them interesting but the majority pure academic fluff, and he spends over 100 pages just reiterating his ideas and logic behind them. It seemed like a modern editor would read the manuscript, and whittle it down to a maximum of 25 pages. I am not surprised that various classes on philosophy only use excerpts of Descartes' work.

I would HIGHLY recommend instead buying an analysis of Descartes' works so that you can alternate back and forth between his original writings and commentary on these writings, as well as responses by other philosophers like Pascal.

This is a review of the Donald A. Cress translation of Discouse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy by Rene Descartes.

Philosophers disagree about everything: except about the fact that modern philosophy begins with Descartes. No contemporary philosophers agree with Descartes' positive views. However, Descartes left Western philosophy with a series of puzzles that it continues to wrestle with: how is it possible to know anything? (Descartes' "dream argument" and "evil genius" argument are powerful sources of philosophical skepticism.) What is the relationship between mind and body? (Descartes argues that there is a fundamental metaphysical difference between the two, so they cannot be identical.) Is there some certain, indubitable foundation for knowledge? (Descartes thought that we need one to escape doubt, and that he could provide it.)

Some historical context helps to explain certain features of his writing. In 1521, Martin Luther was excommunicated, beginning the Protestant Reformation and dividing Christianity. Luther encouraged Christians to read the Bible translated into their own languages (e.g., the King James Bible) and use their own individual judgment to interpret it. In 1543, on his deathbed, Copernicus published his book arguing that the sun was the center of the solar system, not the earth (as had been taught by Aristotle). In 1633, Galileo was forced by the Inquisition to renounce his defense of the Copernican hypothesis.

Given the sharp intellectual controversies of his era, it is not surprising that Descartes says he has "realized how numerous were the false opinions that in my youth I had taken to be true, and thus how doubtful were all those that I had subsequently built upon them" (59). Descartes concludes that the only way to escape his doubts is to reconstruct his beliefs using his own reason, rather than relying on traditional views. In this respect, he is somewhat like Luther. However, mindful of what happened to Galileo, Descartes begins the Meditations with a letter to the Faculty of Sacred Theology in Paris, defending the orthodoxy of his views and pleading for their support. In addition, Descartes wrote the Discourse in French (his own vernacular), but wrote the Meditations in Latin (the language of the Church), "lest weaker minds be in a position to think that they too ought to set out on this path" that he has followed (51).

If you are going to read only one work by Descartes, I recommend the Meditations. (However, you might want to quickly read Part 4 of the Discourse first, since it gives an overview of the whole Meditations.) In the Meditations, Descartes decides that, paradoxically, the only way to overcome his doubts is to doubt everything that can be doubted, until he finds something absolutely certain, upon which he can build up knowledge. (Descartes is therefore an epistemological foundationalist.) Descartes notes that his senses sometimes deceive him. Furthermore, for all he knows, he is merely dreaming right now that he has a body and is sitting in a room writing. It is hard to maintain such doubts, so Descartes resolves to pretend that an "evil genius, supremely powerful and clever," is attempting to deceive him at every step of the way. Descartes ends his First Meditation in this pit of uncertainty.

In the Second Meditation, Descartes realizes that, even if he is mistaken about everything, he still has to think to be deceived, and if he thinks, then he exists. (In Part Four of the Discourse, he phrases this concisely as "I think, therefore I am.") Descartes then realizes that, while he can conceive of himself as a thinking thing without a body, he cannot conceive of himself as a body that never thinks. So while he may, in fact, have a body, his body and his mind are metaphysically distinct. (Basically, since he can conceive of body and mind as separate, therefore they are, in principle, separate.) Thus, Descartes is a metaphysical dualist.

In the Third Meditation, Descartes argues that God exists. He gives a version of the ontological argument for the existence of God (defended before Descartes by St. Anselm, criticized after Descartes by Kant, and still later resurrected by Alvin Plantinga). Contemporary readers, even ones who believe in God, are unlikely to find Descartes' argument here compelling, but it is an important part of his philosophy. Descartes argues that, since we know that God exists, and since we know that God is all good, we can be sure that our senses and our reason are not fundamentally deceptive. (Why would an all-good God make us prone to systematic mistakes?)

But the Third Meditation suggests a puzzle: since God created us, and God is all-good, why do we humans EVER make mistakes? Descartes' answer in the Fourth Meditation is that belief requires both the intellect, which simply perceives ideas, and the will, which chooses whether to believe those ideas. So long as we only choose to believe ideas that we "clearly and distinctly" (87) perceive, we will only believe what is true. Error occurs when we precipitately choose to believe unclear or confused ideas. (Part Two of the Discourse describes the methodology Descartes recommends in a bit more detail.) This may seem like a trivial claim, but Descartes is actually arguing for something controversial (and probably false): we can and should withhold belief from anything of which we are not absolutely certain, and so long as we use our minds correctly, we can be guaranteed to never believe anything false.

The Fifth Meditation gives an alternative formulation of the ontological argument for the existence of God, and suggests that some ideas (such as those of mathematical objects) are innate, so that, "when I first discover them, it seems I am not so much learning something new as recalling something I knew beforehand" (88).

Finally, in the Sixth Meditation, Descartes turns to material objects and sensory knowledge. His general conclusion is that "I must not rashly admit everything that I seem to derive from the senses; but neither, for that matter, should I call everything into doubt" (97). In general, Descartes is concerned in this meditation with how we can have a God-given faculty for discovering the truth, yet so often be in error over sensory matters (e.g., the Sun appearing to be the size of a fist).

I do not read French or Latin myself, so I cannot comment on the accuracy of the translation. However, I will say that it is very readable. Furthermore, the selected bibliography is helpful. I do miss three things that were left out of this translation, though. First, Descartes meant for the Meditations to be read along with a series of "Objections" written by his correspondents and "Replies" he wrote in response. Second, perhaps the most insightful critic of Descartes was Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia, who raised in correspondence what is still generally considered one of the strongest objections to Descartes' dualism: how can soul and body interact if they are as radically distinct as Descartes suggests? Finally, Descartes' Fourth Meditation emphasizes the distinction between having a property "formally" and "eminently." In Cress's original translation of the Meditations, he has a footnote explaining this distinction. That footnote was left out of this enlarged edition. If these three things were included in this translation, I think I would give it five stars instead of four.

The development of the characters during the months of plague is rich and well-explored. The contrasting viewpoints of each character drive home Camus' ideas. I can't recommend it more

if you like to feel depressed, then by all means read this book....it is dark and imaginary smells are those of death....yuk....totally discusting.

In light of the constant scare of chemical warfare we are faced with in this age where even the barbarians in the middle east have access to technology, this book still has much to offer.
There is one major theme in this novel and that is stay maintain a level head. Many of the casualties in the story are victimized by their own fear and irrational actions. From the rushed and fatal antidote to the brutallity inside the quarantined city.
This book also holds relevence to the fear that had gripped society in the 80's with the AIDS scare.

The Plague is another of Camus's magnificently constructed plots, a story created as a way to present his philosophy of life and existence.
The novel is about a plague that sweeps the Algerian city of Oran. Characters deal with the plague and the imprisonment they face because of the disease in different ways, but all characters mature greatly along the way. Interestingly, the ethical, noble, and charismatic characters like Dr. Rieux and Tarrou-just like Camus-are atheist. Both characters think all humans are bound up with a destiny of death, and that their existence has no higher spiritual dimension.

Another interesting transformation that Camus portrays is the religious point of view presented through Father Paneloux, who's explanation of the plague at the beginning was a punishment sent from God to the people of Oran for their sins, but when Father Paneloux sees innocent children are suffering, Paneloux's explanation of the plague changes to say it is a possible divine test from god of people's faith. Paneloux reaction when he got the disease was very predictable as a religious man. Even though, Camus always rejected religion, the way he dealt with Paneloux ending shows a tremendous respect to what humans choose to believe.

The process of maturity transforms each character based on their ethics and morals. Again, Camus has an outstanding way of analyzing humans and existence.

Not to ruin the pleasure of finding out; but the reader might enjoy the special reflections of Camus's own understanding of people on the development of Raymond Rambert, Joseph Grand, and Jean Tarrou. At the end of the novel Dr. Rieux, the narrator, presents a brilliant summary about human suffering and their ability to forget or ignore life's absurdity.

After reading The Stranger and thoroughly enjoying it, I decided to purchase The Plague, The Fall, Exile and the Kingdom, and Selected Essays (Everyman's Library), and have just got done reading The Plague. Frankly, this review begins with a summary of Camus' philosophical outlook; I find these particularly relevant to a decision whether or not to purchase one of his books, and I discuss this relevance below. After that, I talk about the plot and what the bulk of the book is actually about. Finally, I add a few thoughts and opinions of my own, and comment on what edition, if any, one should buy.

To an extent, all of Camus' novels are vehicles for his philosophy. Camus' philosophy begins with a simple idea, that life is absurd. Camus did not believe in God; did not believe human actions hold any ultimate higher meaning; and thought "death would undermine the value of anything that precedes it." From this, Camus drew that life was "absurd." In The Stranger, Camus illustrates this principle of the absurd. Only towards the end of The Stranger does Camus bring up another point in his worldview, and that is, that life is worth living. In The Plague, Camus introduces a concept he called "Revolt"; that is, revolting against the absurdity and meaningless of existence. It seems like an oxymoron, but here Camus wants to try to make sense of an absurd life.

There you have a brief overview of Camus' philosophical ideas. In the Plague, Camus particularly criticizes the Catholic Church. If you find Camus' non-faith to be offensive, then I suggest you not read his books. With an open mind, however, it is likely you will find much said by Camus that is true. Also, if you want a straight and simple story as opposed to Camus' philosophical ideal laced story, then you might look elsewhere. Still, read the rest of my review. You may find the plot, which I will discuss next, is something that interests you regardless of philosophy.

The city of Oran is quarantined due to the outbreak of a deadly plague. No one is allowed to leave or enter. The narrative focuses on a handful of people living in the quarantined city, as well as on the general conditions of life in Oran while the plague wreaks havoc. Actually, the native begins just before the plot, and ends shortly after the quarantine is lifted. The characters discuss life during plague conditions. Their activities range from writing a book, to trying to escape, to discussing football, above all, the main focus is given to combating the plague. About the Oran--bureaucracy, religion, burial procedures, and quarantine conditions are popular plot points, as is attempting to define the general outlook of the populous during the hard times of Plague infestation. One of his common themes is separation from a loved one.

I hope I have been of some help. Personally, I find Camus' ideas to be captivating. I loved the Stranger and the Plague, and look forward to reading more of his books soon. Although the Plague reaches farther than the Stranger, I cannot conclude that it is the better of the two novels. Personally, I felt Stranger to be more to my liking; Stranger felt more natural and therefore more complete as a novel; whereas the people, places, and events of The Plague felt constructed as if only for novelistic purposes.

I strongly suggest you at least look at this The Plague, The Fall, Exile and the Kingdom, and Selected Essays (Everyman's Library) before you buy the Plague, or any other work by Albert Camus. Thought it is Five Dollars more expensive, it includes 4 books and 2 essays (The Plague, The Fall, Exile, Myth of Sisyphus, and Reflections on the Guillotine) and a helpfull introduction from David Bellos. It draws from two translators (Gilbert and O'Brien) and has a durrable cloth bound frame that should outlast any paperback.

I had to buy this book for a general education requirement this year. However, the class turned out to be my favorite (the teacher certainly helped) and I'm keeping the book after the semester is over. Reason and Responsibility contains essays from the greatest philosophers (and some not so great) in order to give the beginner a comprehensive overview of philosophy.

At times, the essays were edited so that parts of the original selection were omitted. I had difficulty writing papers which criticized certain arguments become some claims can only be made from the entire text. However, if you are just reading this for fun as an introduction to philosophy, I highly recommend it.

this is an old edition. but practically there is no difference.
i saved a lot on this item. shipping is fast too

I have never taken a course in philosophy. But, I think this is not just a text book for Philosophy 101. It is a great collection of essays, on a variety of topics, written by some of the greatet thinkers the world has produced. The editorial introduction for each topic beautifully lays down the ground work. This is followed by writings from eminent scholars representing various positions that have been taken on the issue. It is hard to find so much material in one volume. A must-have book for anyone with even a precursory interest in some of the most fundamental questions posed by life.

I highly recommend Feinberg's 'Reason and Responsibility' to beginning philosophers. Feinberg presents various philosophical topics in an organized manner and selects text that is easy to understand for readers new to philosophy. Readers are weaned into the language of philosophy by first being presented with the jargon in the beginning of each section. It's a great book that covers a variety of topics, from arguments about God's existence to ethics to abortion.

A straight anthology without sufficient background material to help students make sense of the essays. I would not advise it for an Introduction to Philosophy course. Essays in the books focus on issues of reason, the limits of knowledge, and ethics based upon human reason. The selection of essays show a bias toward American positivism and contrary philosophical views (of which there are many) are not represented. The amount of philosophy this book ignores on the book's chosen topics is enormous. This is also a reason not to use this text for an Introductory class. If this was the only text used in an introductory course, students would come away with a very stilted and erroneous view of philosophy. It would be good for an upper division course focused on American positivism where students already have sufficient background in philosophy to understand these specialized essays and understand the selective nature of the text's selections.

This book is in mint condition! I really appreciate the quality of book that I received, it matched the description perfectly!

The book was great. It gave me what I needed to pass the exam through Excelsior College. However, the study guide that went along with it was a waste of time. The book is all anyone needs to pass the test.

Excellent service - I needed the book shipped overnight and the vendor delivered. Great!!!! Thanks

I was truly looking forward to my Lifespan and Development class until I looked at this book. Yes, it is helpful in that it has important terms on the margins. However, many times is does not into enough detail with a lot of psych issues. There are little blurbs or paragraphs about some things, but it mainly a repetiton of theories (Biosocial, Psychoanalytic, Behaviorist, Cognitive...) from Intro to Psych. It does not get into specifics about anything. The book can also be confusing in how it presents the information. I am alarmed by how very narrow minded the author(s) of the book are about psychology in different cultures. Most of the chapters have little (if nothing at all) about cultural differences in childrearing, dicipline technniques, nutrition, aging, etc. It is all based on American ideals of how kids should be raised and what it is to be normal. Where are the other viewpoints? I am very disappointed with this book and the class in general. I was looking forward to so much more.

Not a very science-based textbook. Filled with author bias, assumptions, and outdated stereotypes. Downright infuriating read for those with a social conscious. It's lucky for the author this is required reading.

This is probably one of the best books I have ever read. We read it in my fourth year french class, right before graduation. It is such a simple tale wherein lies a deep and meaningful message. It is open for interpretation, which is part of what makes it so great. You really have to think in order to gather the entire message. I hope to purchase the french version soon.

this is a classic book -- a wonderful read. i bought this copy for some friends in Burkina Faso who don't get a lot of books. i figured that they might as well have the best.

I originally went into Borders to purchase this book, it was double the price. Not only was the amazon purchase priced better, but i recieved free delivery! One couldn't ask for more....

This book is perfect for French reading comprehension. It's an easy read, with an entertaining story!

I half-expected this book to be a children's book but it actually contained philosophical ideals people would often ask themselves in life. Highly recommended

This was a thought provocing and very enjoyable read. Although it isn't "action packed" or anything, that isn't the point. The author's naration tells the tale of his philosophical journey cross country with his son on his motorcyle. Not only was this book inspirational, but provides new insight in terms of how one sees the world around them. A must read!

I re-read this book after about 15 years and enjoyed it just as much as the first time, but I got something different out of it this time too.

This book has a great calming effect on me. It's so interesting on so many subjects, and so accesssible. This is such a relevent read.

Despite the high brow reviews by self proclaiming philosophers and intellectuals who think this is a book about philosophy, it is not. It is also not a "how to" manual on maintaining a motorcycles.
This is a book about overcoming intellectualism and becoming whole. If you are contemplating reading this book please disregard the reviewers who flex their imaginary philosophical and intellectual muscle and just read it. Yes, there will be parts that seem to endlessly pursue some thought or idea but by the end of this book you will be very glad and satisfied you read it.
...of course if you have ever ridden a motorcycle, experienced the landscapes temperature changes, sounds and elements and/or struggled with and beat mental illness this book will take on a special dimension.

Reading it is like catching a bug between your teeth at 70 miles an hour. Surprise at first, then comprehension. A belated thanks to Mr. Pirsig for weaving philosophy, science, engineering, and fatherhood, into an insightful and compelling read.

I agree with many of the other one-star reviews, this is actually the worst book I have ever read, out of thousands read, in my entire life. The worst book designation goes to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance because it is extremely, extremely, over-rated. I found it to be one of the most self-absorbed, self-pitying, whining complaints I had ever been exposed to - and I know about those, because I'm a former junior high school teacher.

Not only did it not contain any philosophical insights whatsoever, the book is just plain boring and badly written. The only book I have ever thrown in the garbage can - it's just rubbish, and that's where it belongs. I'm sure the author is a fine human being. I just think he wrote a very, very, bad book. Please don't waste your time on this book.

There is a reviewer in here who said that this book wasn't fit to read even for students in philosophy classes or whatever. I strongly disagree. This book is a wonderful introduction to the world's myths. I would have never picked this book up if it weren't for my dad, another avid reader. I've had this book for several months and had to put it down in between readings since it was not grabbing my interest like it should. (It's easy to see why, this book should be read and thoroughly enjoyed and pondered upon, of which I simply did not have the time to do so!)

I wish I had a copy of this book in my world history class in college because it would have made that class so much more interesting. It is a compliation of interviews between Bill Moyer and Joseph Campbell. It sounds boring since it is basically a transcripts of their TV interviews, but it really isn't. It is thoroughly interesting and the passion Campbell has for his education, thoughts, desires and life shines through the written word. And Campbell is a very passionate man, full of life and ideas. Men (or women) like him do not come along that often and this book is a great introduction to a forward thinker on the thoughts and philosophy of the world's myths, religions, history and more.

The basic premise of Campbell's philosophy in this book is to follow your bliss. There is more to life than what meets the eye and he uses examples after examples of old myths to show the idea that mankind has always been on the search for purpose of life, how to live life fully and how religion can hamper that desire. It is very interesting and very thought-provoking and insightful look in the human need to know where he/she belongs.

I know that my dad is a big fan of Campbell's work so I am sure he'll be passing along other books of Campbell's. I have to admit that after reading this one, I am even more intrigued.

7/25/08

For anyone interested in life, history, phychology, culture ...the human experience...this is a "must". Joseph Campbell articulates how the underlying currents of our experience(internal & external)are reflected both individually and in masses through our mythology; where we've come from and where we're going. He does so with the expertise of a teacher who has the ability to reach into everyone from the novice to the expert and inject excitement into the subject.

I spent many years as a person of faith before I encountered the perspective that I now identify with Joseph Campbell. The guiding idea of this book, as well as his work overall, is that of discovering the deep principles that are at work in the myths or stories of all cultures. He has challenged me to think anew about the "myth of Christianity" and how it is, in the words of Gordon Kaufman of Harvard Divinity School, "an imaginative human construct."

The most intriguing discussion of the book is reported as a conversation of Campbell with Bill Moyers. In response to Campbell's assertion that he was seeeking "for a centering in terms of deep pinciples," Moyers said, "You are talking about a search for the meaning of life." But Campbell would have none of that. He responds, "No! I am talking about the experience of being alive! People say that what we're seeking is a meaning in life. I don't think that is what we are really seeking. I think that what we are seeking is the experience of being alive so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive."

At this point I want to disagree with Campbell, a choice I make with trepidation. What he is saying doesn't seem anything more than the "will to pleasure," with a dash of ecstasy through in as flavoring. Epicurus didn't convince me and Campbell isn't succeeding either.

But because I have such a genuine respect for the thrust of Campbell's work I knew that I had to think again about the question of the source of meaning. Who is right -- Freud or Adler or Frankl or Campbell? I tend to side with Frankl but there is reason to give other perspectives their due. I understand Campbell's assertion to mean that the "will to pleasure" or "the rapture of being allive" is the heart of the human experience. I doubt that he or Freud can defend that view successfully in a world of such misery. It's a view that is more hopeful than realistic. Not convincing. The darker side of human nature is rejected. Or, at minimun, ignored. Yet the fact that I was confronted in such a way that I had to think my perspective through again is a STRONG recommendation of this book! Read it and enjoy it. The fact it was written several years ago as a report of a television program doesn't lessen its value. Along with "the new cosmology" and the "Jesus Seminar," Campbell's notion of myth has had "a revolutionary impact" on me.

I have lost track of just how many times I have listened to this set of conversations, but they never seem to grow old to me. It might be a year or more between my getting them down from the shelf, but they still completely emgross me. Perhaps that is the best indication that eternal truths are being discussed here.

Mr. Campbell recorded these sessions with Bill Moyers during the last two summers of his life. I find it significant that he didn't dispair, nor did he abandon or radically alter his life's work. No, he continued to draw strength from it and continued to believe that it was worth passing on to others. That is the sort of teacher that I want to listen to.

When I was a boy "myth" seemed to largely be equated with "lie", or at least with primitive ignorance. Joseph Campbell changed that misunderstanding for me. Thanks to these talks, and his other works, I comprehended that myths bring us to a level of consciousness that is spiritual and embedded deeply in our collective unconscious. It speaks to heart and not our brain (which, after all, is a secondary organ.)

As for his philosophy of "finding your bliss", it truly is the influence of a vital person to vitalize the world around them, thereby saving both their self and the world. If you do not eventually find your true center and act from it you are always going to be off balance.

It isn't often that one comes across a book that can be referenced again and again. This is probably best described as broad overview of the late Joseph Campbell's best work. For those who are not familiar with the scholar's previous works, including the world renowned "Hero with a Thousand Faces" (which has also been reviewed), this work covers the vast expanse of Campbell's ideas and research over the course of his lifetime. The volumes of his scholarly work may be a bit intimidating to the uninitiated, but for the casual reader who would like a taste of mythology, psychology, art and religion, this work is a great and welcome piece that should belong in every philosopher's library. The conversational style of the writing is very accessable and makes the reader feel as if they are privy to a private talk with the man himself. The breadth of knowledge and humor with which Campbell presents his material is a great way for readers to get the sense of what a lecture from the man was like. This book is the definative work on the subject and has even been condensed down to the bare bones elements by Hollywood screenwriters and playwrights. This work is also available in audio format and on DVD. Overall, a wonderful introduction to Joseph Campbell and his ideas.

"Harris pointedly asks us to consider that those who do not fear death for themselves, and who also revere ancient scriptures instructing them to mete it out generously to others, may soon have these weapons in their own hands."

So I wonder if Harris is in favor of a pre-emptive military strike on Iran? If so, then he's just like the fanatical Christian George W. Bush. I hope his faith in reason offers some realistic ideas on how to deal with people whose faith is in God.

The message in the book can be best obtained by a clear understanding of the age old and outdated philosophical thoughts and comparing them with the benefits of current knowledge of science and technology. Therefore, a good knowledge of this is essential for a peaceful international living without having to wage wars. But there are many who work against the spread of this knowledge through fear, and are carried away by writings transcribed at various times and declared as holy.

The book analyzes the current conflict between reason, acquired through scientific and technological knowledge, and outright faith in antiquated religious dogmas. It references ideologies as believed and practiced in various places in world. The problems arise when faith in these beliefs are defended and enforced ruthlessly. The reader is provided with ample opportunity with references and lengthy notes to fall back and to improve understanding of the current clashes. This can make it difficult for the reader, who is not well versed in these ideas, to sustain interest in the important message. Consequently it tends to disrupt smooth flow of reading, and can induce loss of interest. A concentrated reading effort is required, and the interested reader should be prepared for this challenge. The flow of text in the book could be improved to make it an interesting piece of composition without using elliptical sentences. That is the writing style of the author. This is not a romantic novel or book of fairy tales.

World problems are not ascribable alone to blind faith. Due to natural genetic makeup of humans, powerful nations want to maintain superiority by inventing smart technologies, by usurpation of raw materials for energy, and control of world economy. This is often supported by resorting to ancient theocratic ideals which so often have clashed with each other. The book conveys a serious and important message to the world of the twenty-first century and beyond. Nobody can stop the dynamic progress and spread of science and technology. The Internet has been a great boon to society. We can "google" as we please, but should also be cautious and wise enough to make the most of the reliable information that we can get from such searches. We might look upon it as the first easy way to look beyond by searching in libraries to establish the credibility of the information obtained. That is fortunate because we do not live in the bygone dark ages when such easy access to knowledge was scanty and forbidden. However, there is enough hatred and bigotry going around. This is depressing. Sam Harris makes a brave effort to enlighten the reader with "The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason (Hardcover)". The future of humanity to aspire and work collectively could be at stake if reason is abandoned.

Thoughtful people are aware that world problems have been largely due to our genetic make up. In the primitive stages of human development, the work horse for sustaining human specie, the brain relied largely on mythological tales, miracles ascribed to pagan gods, and by authoritative and fictional credos. Deities were supposed to control mythically glorious heavens or terrifying hell fires for life after death for reward or punishment. Language development has made it possible to collect thoughts in books and scriptures which have been sanctified by self-anointed theocratic bodies; with the help of contemporary rulers of the times they have succeeded in forcing their views and writings on the defenseless masses deprived of basic necessities of living. Ignorance and fear have been used to propagate, coerce, and enforce theocratic ideas. Dogmatic beliefs are taught to the young when they have not yet reached the age of reason. Delusions of god and devil have been largely due to ideas created and perpetrated through the so called sacred writings sanctified as the unquestionable truth. Opposition has not been encouraged.

Current media, which should be independent, is lacking in its courage of conviction and credibility. Fortunately there are scientist, writers, and thoughtful people who possess good understandings of our genetic structure, science and technology. They have been contributing to understand the need international cooperation for peaceful living. There is much to be done.

Dr. Sam Harris [to be awarded his doctorate in Cognitive Neuro-Science] has revealed the 40 centuries of duplicity of our quasi-magical religious system. Its purpose is to control our minds, hearts and body by appealing to vulgar ignorance and superstition. Without religion, the human species would not be so ignorant ["not knowing"] and stupid ["put the mind in a daze"]. Its purpose to to inflict misery and poverty on the larger groups in any society so a few can live well off the backs of these many. It is animal deceit that came out of the homosexual priesthood of the ancient world (11% of our species is homosexual)!

What Dr. Harris did not state is how difficult it is to root out this falsity in human nature. In our historical record when one vile religious system must supplant another odious system, one merely chops off the noses, ears and tongue, or "cabbage head" to root out the presumed vile contagion. Why cabbage head? No one wants to have sex with such a hideous creature, hence he dies off; and with his death, the old religion goes. This was how the vile, vulgar superstition of Christianity supplanted the Roman State Religion; Islam supplanted Christianity; and Zoaroastrian Persian State Religion was supplanted by Mazdeism!

So mankind will continue to cling to the filthy robes of religion---it is how she hides her moral and legal crimes, and further deceit in business. All the town theives sit in the front pew on Sunday to hide their petty crimes throughout the week against their fellow man. Is this not obvious?

There has been much lucid insights given about Dr. Harris' treatise, most of it inane and self-patronizing. We twin brothers need not add further dribble to this incompetent mass of third-rate ideas. Dr. Harris requires and demands better. He has written a charming, lucid masterpiece! Presently, our time and age are too confused and ill-educated to appreciate his tutelary genius!

The Age of Belief was the 12th-13th Century in Europe. We are an age of dunces who do not understand what religion was, and what is worse, what it is now! It is merely mental sickness and disease in our culture which renders all of us unsafe and unhealthy!

This virulence will only be with us for two more centuries!

Presently, it is data systems, economic systems and mathematical systems that run things, so the dolts in religion can run their sterile rant and fill out minds with their dry, mental rot!

We were disappointed that Dr. Harris did not reveal that Jeshua [or Jesus] had a twin brother, Judas. Our ancient epigraphic Roman Latin records, Aramaic records, Syriac record, Coptic records, Ethioptic records and even Sanskrit records attest to this obvious attribution. When one twin was killed for Jewish moral violation [Jeshua] around A.D. 29/30 by the 'cross of the beast' of Roman penal technique (Jews would have set him on fire or buried him alive by their penal system), the other twin, ran around the countryside for four more years before he also was killed like his twin in A.D. 34. When you are an identical twin, indeed, you come back from the dead to outsiders who do not know you are a twin! In our manuscript traditions this other twin is called "Didymus Judas Thomas" or a variation thereof. Naturally, 'didymus' is Koine Greek for identical twin and 'thomas' is Palestinian Aramaic for identical twin.

We ancient scholars have been sitting on this vulgar truth since the 1860's. We will not release it to the fools in religion until around A.D. 2030. We remind this readership that very few people read Oriental languages and their scripts. They are essentially brain dead. For that matter, who can even read Classical Latin, Classical Greek and Classical Hebrew? Certainly not the blockheads in religion or those human scum who profess they are Bible students.

If we are severe in these matters, it is because we have forty centuries of historical details in our minds. When great misery, suffering and pain are inflicted on the general population, it is always the scoundrels in religion who either perpetrate the crime or give cover to the crime by others (in military or political-governmental structures)!

Dr. Harris has written a morally good book!


Respectfully,


John E.D.P. Malin,
Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer
James F.D.P. Malin,
Vice Chairman of the Board & Chief Research & Development Officer
Informatica Corporation
Executive Division
P.O. Drawer 460
Cecilia, Louisiana 70521-0460

"Fathers of the Silicon Bayou"

Contact Information: InformaticaMalin@gmail.com

P.S. We would be remiss in our duties here if we did not give correct insight into the 'War on Terror.' This too is ancient dupery! Its correct Latin name is 'pura et pia bella' [Latin, "pure and pious wars"]. It is the purpose of the scoundrels in religion who live off the backs of the people to harness terror in our local communities. The religious crowd is even too stupid to manage this simple task!

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Just read it, it will change the way you view our world. It could change the way you vote for leaders and it could change what you do on Sundays.
The path to a future of world peace is inside the covers of this book if you can open your mind and absorb it. Ignore it at the peril of your children and grandchildren.
Thank you, Mr. Harris

I give this book two stars because it is well written and a compelling argument and yet of ignores the enormous harm that leaders who are anti-religion and/or atheist have brought upon humanity in just the last century alone.

FACT: Mao, Stalin, and Hitler, three leaders who are either atheist or anti-religion, within just a few decades, have killed an estimated 100 Million people or more.
FACT: Together, the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the witch burnings killed approximately 200,000 people.
This doesn't even take into account what atheist leaders like Castro, Kim Jong-il, and others have done in more recent times.

Honestly, the only thing driving people to do these horrible things is a lust for power, and anything else they claim to be doing it for is just an excuse as neither atheistic teachings nor any religion I am aware of condones the killing of innocent people in the name of itself.

It is also true that not one single scientific fact can disprove God's existence, and scientific discoveries and theories such as the big bang seem more and more to support a theistic ideology than an atheistic one. In fact, a significantly large number of atheist scientists have actually been trying fruitlessly to come up with an alternative to the big bang because of this very reason, despite the fact that the evidence supports it enormously.

I am furthermore kind of shocked at the title he chose, when it is clear to any scientist that it requires just as much faith to be an atheist as it does to be a theist.

This is seriously one of the best books I've ever read. I bought a second one for my best friend as soon as I finished reading it the first time.

Although I'm aware of a recent strike on some brazilian postal services, I'm concerned about the delay on the delivery of the 2 books I bought through this site. I'd appreciate if you could give me some inoformation on when or how I could get them.
Thank you.
Vanessa

Here is to a tremendous book. I got this book because it looked interesting and I was curious to read about a real life teacher in LA (for a great movie, see "Stand and Deliver"). This guy is amazing. My wife also read this book and was very impressed. It is a quick read (200+ pages) and very entertaining.

The first book describes the behavior this teacher is able to instill in his kids and his goals in doing so. The next part deals with how to teach certain subjects and make it interesting. I was blown away. I loved it. This guy is a genius.

This book is terrific for anyone raising kids and especially for teachers (at any level - church, elementary, middle, high, workplace, etc.). The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I wanted it to be longer. Please, enjoy this book!

TEACH LIKE YOUR HAIR'S ON FIRE was our book club's recent selection. Several members are retired teachers, and were stupified at the amount of time the author devotes to his class... and somewhat skeptical. Those of us who aren't teachers found literally dozens of fascinating, practical tips about interacting with children in a variety of situations... travel, reading, character development, dining, finances... This is a terrific book, not only because it paints a fantastic picture of possibilities and change, but also because it is infused with such enthusiasm.

Rafe Esquith does not claim to be a teaching genius. He is honest about mistakes he has made over the years but his dedication to his students and his principled approach to teaching shine through on every page.

His classroom management skills are centered on Lawrence Kohlberg's Six Levels of Moral Development. As I read about his students accomplishments and challenges it occured to me that a teacher can get a lot of teaching done when students are willing to learn and will forgo disruptive behavior.

One the most moving things about Esquith's Room 56 is the fact that former students return there on Saturdays to study and learn. Esquith shares book lists and resources that he uses and is brutally honest about faculty meetings and the latest ineffective fads in reading and writing instruction.
Teachers and school administrators will be inspired by this book.