Philosophy Books

The five stars are really more for Nietzsche than this particular pastiche. I've had this book since my thirties and have underlined it a lot. Whatever conclusions others draw from his work, to me it's always been mainly delightful. He's definitely the wild guy, as much poet as anything else. Like at least one other reviewer I've been frustrated now and then that the anthology doesn't give me more of some of Nietzsche's works. If I were delving into Nietzsche now I'd probably buy a handful of his complete works rather than this portable book.

A great collection for the price, but, Hollingdale's translations are much preferable in regard to capturing Nietzche's style and subtlety in English. Much of Zarathustra is awkwardly though adequately translated--unique word choices, to the say the least. Compare with Hollingdale's. Overall: Something I would pick up to have with me at all times and travel, but not the greatest substitute for obtaining better editions for study. Main feature: It's portable!

Nietzsche is without a doubt the most important philosopher of modern times - the voice of the spirit of modern humanity, demanding freedom through self-power and courage in the face of the absurdity of the universe. Opposing humanitarianism (Man-for-Mankind) Nietzsche presents a vision of Man-for-Himself, a philosophical viewpoint that can be incorporated seamlessly into libertarian class war practice - as Georges Sorel, the French syndicalist, did.

A recent interesing discussion encouraged this reviewer to comment on this book edited by the late Walter Kaufmann. This anthology undermines the false popularlization of Nietzsche, and serious readers get a better understanding of Nietzsche than is provided by critis many of whom have probably not read Nietzsche. One should avoid "slick manuals and canned opinions edited at the editor's table. Read Nietzsche for yourself.

To say Nietzsche was unconventional is an obvious understatement. Those who think he glorified war are badly mistaken and need a clear understanding. When Nietzsche talked about war, he was talking what might be called intellectual war or "a battle of wits." Nietzsche is clear in this collection that he opposed actual war, and his one quote,"How good bad music sounds when war is in the air." When writers who probably have not read Nietzsche talk about "The Blond Beast," they fail to realize that Nietzsche is using a poetic allegory and not physical violence. Nietzsche used aphorisms to explain his protest against what he saw as mass society and thoughtless conformity.

Those who have not read Nietzsche may be surprised that he was very well read in Ancient Greek poetry and drama which he cited to explain human dilemmas. Basically Nietzsche was trying to explain if a profound if possibly confusing way, was that the human condition was not rosy, and tragedy was certainly part of the human condition.

Sections of this anthology of Nietzsche's thinking undermine the notion that Nietzsche was somehow a bitter anti-Semite. The sections titled "Nietzsche vs Wagner" or "The Wagner Case" leave no misunderstanding of Nietzsche's views of Jewish people. For those who are not sure, they should read pages 88-89 of this anthology where Nietzsche gives unstinting praise of the Jews both from a historical and social point of view. Many readers will be surprised at this selection.

Some quotes and aphorisms of Nietzsche are worth noting and "food for thougt." The following examples were selected at random which are poignant and trenchent. They are as follows:

All truth is simple. Is that not doubly a lie.

The best way to corrupt a youth is to teach him to respect those who think alike rather than those who think differently.

...The errors of great men are more venerable than the truths of little men...

The better the state is established, the fainter is humanity.

Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.

And when they say, "I am just," it always sounds like, I am just-revenged."

Virtue is necessay, but at bottom they believe only that the police are necessary.

Nietzsche has obviously been critisized for attacks on religion. Yet, one must consider that Nietzsche was attacking organized religion for its demands of conformity, its hyopcracy, its intellectual dishonesty, etc. Nietzsche attacked organized religion for straying from its roots and original meaning.

Nietzsche was one of two men who commented on mass society. The other thinker was Karl Marx. Nietzsche was concerned about the thoughtlessness of mass men which could lead to intellectual stagnation. Marx saw the emergence of mass men as a tool for social and political revolution.

This reviewer thought Walter Kaufmann did a good job in editing and collecting the materials for this book. Other books that should interest readers are Kaufmann's NIETZSCHE: PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGIST, AND ANTICHRIST which the eminent British historian A.J.P. Taylor endorsed as follows: "This is the most sensible exposition of Nietzsche's philosophy ever made." Readers may futher consult BASIC WRITINGS OF NIETZSCHE also edited by Walter Kaufmann.

First let me start by saying this is a lot easier to read than 'Beyond Good and Evil' and 'Thus Spake'. These are the edited and translated works of Nietzsche. They make a lot more sense when you cut out all the melodrama and histrionics. It's less harsh than the other books and I actually agreed with a lot of his ideas. I found it to be more interesting than the few other books i've read by Nietzsche due to it being a more eclectic mix of Neitsche's works and easier to understand.

This book contains many of his works such as 'Twilight of the Idols, Thus Spake, Nietzsche Contra Wagner, and the Antichrist'. Also mentions the Geneology of Morals, The Wagner Case and Nietzsche's opinions on Plato, Socrates and Schopenhauer.

There were some great quotes in here. He actually had a good argument for Christianity in this one but by the time we get to the Antichrist you can sense Nietzsche is starting to lose it. Other than that it's a great book and I recommend it to anyone interested in Nietzsche's works.

I expected the classic book, "The Art of War" to be written similar in the way that "The Prince" was, I was mistaken. In Sun Tzu's book it merely outlines various beliefs he has acquired over time without going much into detail about why to do things a certain way (He basically outlines objectives necessary to winning a war). The book itself seems to be broken into direct statements and is less than 80 pages long (the original that is). This version of the book with commentary I found to be incredibly helpful as it pushed forward the ideas of Sun Tzu while providing additional information about the times and other information that anyone would find helpful who does not have a perfect understanding of how history played out back in those times. I'm definitely happy I purchased this version of the book above others, however, now that I have read this one I would be interested in reading another version with additional commentary.

If you plan on going to war, whether it be in your everyday life or literally, this is the book read.

Sun Tzu's techniques can be applied in life and in business contexts. The Art of War will give you interesting insights on how to be able to fight competitors and enemies.

The Art of War describes a strategy for winning a game through action and competition. Tao Te Ching describes a strategy for winning a game through inaction and noncompetition. ---by the author of Warren Buffett and Tao Te Ching: A Modern Investor and an Age-Old Philosophy

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R15PR8H4737MEJ This is a magnificent book that tells as much about psychology as it does military strategy.

I purchased this book when I began to explore Buddhism and mindfulness practices three few months ago. It was difficult reading, one chapter at a sitting, but it has taught me so much and inspired me to practice meditation almost every day since. This weekend I attended a stage-one Shambhala training on mindfulness. I credit this book for much of that. If you're looking to learn more about the application of Buddhist principles to life through meditation practice, this is excellent. If you want to learn about mindfulness/meditation but not as it relates to Buddhism, check out one of John Kabat Zinn's books.

I loved this book. A friend recommended it to me when I said i was interested in meditation. Pema Chodron has a wonderfully practical down-to-Earth way of putting things, and she has a delightful sense of humor. If interested in Buddhism, meditation, or simply learning to live more fully in the present, with all of life's trials and beauty, you will find much to inspire you in this lovely book.

My girlfriend bought me this book over the holidays, and I blew it off but finally had a chance read it from start to finish in a matter of 2 days. Pema Chodron wrote this book with clarity for everyone to understand her beliefs. I've read numerous other books pertaining to Buddhism and this one is by the far the easiest one to understand and comprehend. This book is based around the idea of being compassionate to yourself which in turn will penetrate others around you to develop some level of compassion. Chodron does an excellent job of motivating oneself to clear their mind and avoid unnecessary feelings of anger, aggression, pleasure, etc. Not only does Chodron explain the necessary steps to clear your mind, but she compliments this explanation with examples from her personal experience with students and teachers. The verbage outlined in this book is very easy to comprehend versus other Buddhist books I picked up and read. I've noticed in the past I've had to re-read certain passages quite a few times to fully understand it's meaning, but not with this book. This book motivates me to "start" working on myself, and in doing so it will encourage me to open my eyes to everyone and everything in this world.

I truly enjoyed this book as it awakened a sense of compassion for myself and others, with insight and humor Pema Chodron guided me to a state of joy, and well being. I also discovered the 59 traditional Tibetan Buddhist maxims and was able to relate them to every day life. This book reminded me of one of my favorite authors, Ariel and Shya Kane and their book Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment their short stories are inspiring and fun, and I felt a sense of ease and grace that lasted well after reading their book.

Compassion is born of the heart and served by a disciplined mind. What heals our dense energies and emotions is the capacity to embrace in our cells a sense of the seven virtues ... such as compassion. Now compassion is not allowing someone to hurt us constantly but rather it is seeing the pain in the other that provokes them to act out. And by that one can see and perceive beyond our ego's filter and into what really is going on. Often when someone hurts us it is because of their own hurt and corresponding vindictiveness to extend the pain. The Buddha once said that hate never begets hate ...only love begets hate. Detached love is still love in the agape sense ... and compassion is the key to opening the heart once more to allow this remedy to flow. It is a gift to yourself ... when you release yourself from the attachment of what you want a situation to result in. Self-love is your birthright and it is in self-love that you can experience compassion along side strong boundaries.

I have been a Rob Brezny fan for a long time now...
I receive his weekly newsletter/horoscope via e-mail, and finally decided to check out the link to this new book he's always quoting from...
It must have been destiny! This book is SO right-on, and it was, and is, exactly the antidote I needed...
In fact, I believe it's the antidote we all need!
WHY DO I LOVE THIS BOOK?
I love a book that inspires you to think...
I love a book that encourages you to question...
I love a book that allows you to step outside of yourself, a book that gives way to a new, broader point-of-view...
That's what Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings does for its readers. It's enlightening, truly.

Remember the Giant Fun Books that you'd take with you on family vacation when you were a kid? Well, this is the adult version, and it's overflowing with fun things that give you great ideas, and make you feel good, and activities to teach you exciting ways to brighten up every moment of life for you and everyone around you. This book is a MUST HAVE for everyone, any age, everywhere! Give it as a gift, or start a movement, this book is a great tool for positive change...you can open it to any page, and find just what you needed at that very moment...you can use it like an oracle, or daily meditation, or a boost of energy. It makes reality enjoyable.

I've been a huge fan of Brezny for years. When i got my hands on Pronoia, I started shouting on the very first page - as usual, he had me happy and believing life is what you make of it and oh, what a joyous life it can be if you just change your attitude and open yourself to the possibilities that life has to offer - there is a bigger, happier picture.

Not a book to read chronologically - I like cracking this one open to see what I get, though that opening chapter may actually be my absolute favorite part of the book, anyway!

I took it to a women's group I am a part of and read the first chapter as the beginning to one of our gatherings - we've taken on Rob's cheer to be wilder, wiser, kinder and trickier and made it our own. It's not a half-bad goal, really.

I like to think of this book as the "Be Here Now" of our generation.

This book is ideal for those who are looking for inspiration to be more creative, loving, and happy. As soon as I got this book, I HAD to read it from cover to cover. However, the way it is laid out allows you to just dive in wherever your heart desires.
I like how the book is somehow "interactive". Plenty of room for you to jot notes, lots of suggested "challenges"...
But the book isn't just a long list of do this and don't do this.
There are quite a few interesting stories and news items here...and not the gooshy tugging heart strings stories.
Some might find this book a little silly-- but hey, silliness is a part of life! Just read the book with a grain of salt and pick out what works for you. Plenty of topics and suggestions to choose from.
I would recommend this book for people who want to be free to explore happier perspectives of the world and themselves.
When you're ready for this book, you'll know it.

It can be difficult for smarty-pants people to combat negativity. In literary, philosophic and academic circles, cynicism is rewarded; skepticism is virtuous; pessimism is conflated with realism. "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention."

But do these attitudes really help anyone? Why does being smart, aware, and/ or progressive mean you have to be miserable? Who actually wants to be outraged all the time, and what good does it do?

This book provides an alternative for people who consider themselves too smart to be cheered up by Ziggy cartoons. It makes its case for love and sincerity aggressively and effectively. It is a beautiful truth bomb, and yes, an excellent antidote for paranoia. Highly recommended.

In No One Sees God Mr. Michael Novak does what most writers about God do which is threefold. First he is putting God in a box in the sense of being concerned about matters of this world ie. our nation states, our politics and our collective experiences when in fact other than the state of Israel (and one could suggest that it is not Israel at all, but the Israeli people) the main concern and heart of God is individuals and their souls, not Americans, not Georgians or Chinese, but you and I. I suppose like the mainstream media and academics like Novak this is an issue of convenience to believe what is not in the Bible, but rather in some tradition which is far removed from God.

Next Novak states that many Christians are poorly educated in their religion, perhaps, but it is in fact religious tradition and not God at all that comes up with ways (other than those prescribed in the Bible) to help pass our time here on Earth. After all it is clear in the book John chapter 18 where God clearly states His kingdom is.

Sure Novak is trying to help those struggling with our societies ills understand why bad things happen to good people...therein lies the problem. When one tries to understand this world by looking at only reasoned argument, I suggest you will miss God almost entirely. If for economics or health or other natural evils if you use religious traditions and not that of authentic Christendom you will surely end up sorely dissapointed and like examples Novak talks about will walk away from Christianity the religion.

Just as Michael Novak has in past works causes one to think about many great and noble ideas it is the main priciple taken from Hebrews 11 that is remiss in No One Sees God; only reason can take you so far when it comes to one of the most important questions we can ask ourselves: what's next?

While I would agree that this book is of very high value, it seems to me that a lot of great topics were glossed over and didn't reach the depth of insight that I have come to know and love from Paramahansa Yogananda. My opinion is a bit biased, as I own and am currently reading his most elegant tome: "The Second Coming of Christ," which is quite detailed and has an abundance of depth to it. "The Yoga of Jesus" is of course a watered down version of "Second Coming" and is certainly well worth the time if you want a quick study, that is; "How Sri Yogananda Interprets Jesus - 101" kind of thing. It will definitely get you thinking, with quite a few "ah-ha!" moments. I strongly recommend you read "The Yoga of Jesus" before "Second Coming." A 4 star recommendation today!

there has been so much discussion in recent years on what Jesus really said and did, and even whether He really existed.
Paramahansa Yoganandas commentary sampler "The Yoga Of Jesus," from Self-Realization Fellowship Publishers LA USA really clarifies a lot in these matters.
This volume serves as a handy and welcomed introduction to the Masters larger and acclaimed work "the Second Coming of Christ;Resurrection the Christ Within You" from the same publisher in 2004.

This work will most likely answer in the most direct and inspiring way all the questions you had about Jesus life and teachings. It is truly inspiring and eye opening.

For those who need deprogramming [those still attached to the status quo] this volume will be a very effective starting point to renewed understanding of one of the worlds great prophets/gurus.

It will renew and advance your faith in the real Christ!

Great book written by a great man. It has renewed my perspective on Christ (original perspective was that of a Catholic who received First Communion in a French church in Rabbat Morocco, and later attended Catechism in Southern Spain as child). The author, Yogananda, really taps into the beauty and truths that I always suspected were the things that all religions had in common.

As an avid reader of Gnostic teachings, I found The Yoga of Jesus to be a breath of fresh air in understanding some of the deeper meanings found in the gospels that have been all but forgotten in modern interpretations. This is book is for all those looking for information to take them beyond believing to knowing, which is the literal meaning of the word "gnosis."

Rahasya Poe, Lotus Guide magazine (lotusguide.com)

The Yoga of Jesus from P. Yoganada is a must read book, specially for all the Christians of our time. It's a transforming reading, in which the teachings of Jesus are explained, from the message of the Gospels. I understood more the teachings of Jesus after 30 years of being Christian. I recommend this book to everyone.

This books generally delivers what it promises, a review of major thoughts from economists evaluated (somewhat) in a modern context. If that's what you are looking for, it's probably worth reading. However I had three problems with the book. First, he says some incredibly, bizarrely wrong things (quantum mechanics is not a hard science, the internet was invented by private industry, California may float away into the ocean). Even though they are topics outside of economics, they made me generally suspicious of his knowledge. Second, from some of his comments it is clear his writing has a political/philosophical bias but he never comes out and states what it is. Since I'm not an economist (after all, that's why I'm reading this book), it seems impossible to figure out what his bias is and how to correct for it. Third, perhaps a minor point, but he keeps drifting slightly off-topic in order to include a cute saying or clever remark. I mostly found this annoying, but other readers might find it helps keep the book light and fun.

When I first saw this book, I thought this sounds really interesting. It is, if you like to read trivia about economists, most of whom are dead. There are loose connections made to miscellaneous events in modern times, but the bulk of the book combines jokes that have been around for decades (as dead as the economists) with mini-biographies more suited to a fan magazine, focusing on John Stuart Mill's dysfunctional childhood, John Maynard Keynes' marriage to a ballerina, John Kenneth Galbraith's height, Thorstein Veblen's odd mode of dress and his lecture on cannibalism, and similar delicacies.

My impression is that the author found no use for this information when he was studying economics, but hated to throw out his boxes of notes. So he came up with a great, if dishonest, title and packaged the miscellany for sale. If you have no real interest in economics, but love gossip columns and want to sound like you know something about famous economists, this is the book for you.

Luckily, economics got that "dismal science" label a long time ago, because this book is quite the opposite. Written in both lively style and learned content, the reader will want to go through each chapter wondering "who's next on the chopping block?" And who would have expected to find this gem in a normally dry-sounding field (economics), or a self-serving field (biography). Lest anyone be turned off by the relatively un-recent publication date (1989), the author has updates covering fairly recent events.

This book adds a nice thought just by itself: humor and economists. Marx and laughter. Adam Smith and mirth, etcetera. The story covers the really big names in the field in chronological order, and you just know that each personality coming up will get the same fair treatment: a description of the old economists' philosophies and systems, the good parts, the bad parts, the dumb parts, and what they said about each other. At the end, just as we figure out what the author REALLY thinks is the best economic structure, we find the answer is more along the line, "it depends." How can you not like a work like this!

Dead economists. Some books are not that good, but have a great title (e.g., "Blink" or "Feel the Fear but Do It Anyway"). Many, many are the other way around, such as "Rise & Fall of the Roman Empire." "Dead Economists" is both. Do read it.

Economics is a very interesting subject. For many it is very confusing. Economics itself is confusing because its not very concrete. Its hard to predict things in real life using economics because there are MANNYYY variables in real life that cannot all be taken into account by specialists, so i have always wondered, how can economists spot cause and effect relationships.
This book explains many things, in simple words, starting from the 12th hundreds, from mercantalism, to Adam Smiths oposition to it with "free trade" as a response, to economists of today. This book takes ideas from dead economists (and some living ones, as the author himself states apologetically to them) and analyzes them now, in simple situations that will make the simpleton understand it.
I hate reading didactic books. But this one is not boring, mind-boggling or annoying. Its easy to read, and fun.
I recommend to anyone who wants to learn a few things that affect the lives of people.

This book would make an excellent pre-100 level textbook for students interested in economics. Buchholz covers all major economic theories and their proponents from Adam Smith's Invisible Hand to the most currently vocal Rational Expectations theory. The detail never gets so deep as to actually present charts and diagrams, but is solid enough that the reader comes away with a general understanding of each theory.

The book suffers a little in the beginning as Buchholz seems uncomfortable simply presenting the dry facts and ends up regaling the reader with anecdotes and economist in-jokes that may play in the classroom but fall flat in textual form.

Buchholz really hits his stride when he starts talking about Keynes, though. Perhaps it is the benefit of having multiple economic theories at odds with each other by the early 20th century that make writing about it so easy. Whatever the case, his coverage from Keynes to the modern day is exceptionally well done. Focusing less on the character of the men and more on the value of their theories, Buchholz clearly describes Keynesian, Monetary, and Rational economic theories. He proceeds to play them off each other to the delight of the reader. Where the first part of the book failed to be dynamic, the latter half is exceedingly entertaining and informative.

The problem is that I'm not interested to know that Smith was a klutz or that Malthus was well-polished. Those things are only used by Buchholz to bring life to these dead economists. He could have brought them more to life with more focus on what keeps them alive than the things buried with them.

I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in getting an overview of economic thought. It will introduce you to just about all the important economic theories that have made an impact as well as the latest 'cutting edge' theories that present alternatives to the existing body of work. I hope to find a book that can replicate Buchholz's success with the modern era theories for those economists that I feel he short-shrifted in this one.

I bought this book in order to better understand the 'fine-tuning' argument for the existence of God [and other, present-day physics type lines of thought that might be relivant.] In this regard I was not disappointed. So far as I can tell, Stenger does a fine job in presenting the anti 'fine-tuning' side of the dispute. [But then, given my ignorance in this field, I am not really a reputable judge.]

It should be pointed out that the 'fine-tuning' argument leans heavily on recent work in an area that seems to be caught up in a frenzy of wild theorizing. There are LOTS of competing theories about the 'big bang' and what, if anything, preceded it. Only rash souls (or so I think) will base their belief in God, or, for that matter, their disbelief, on the latest word from the cosmologists.

The section on 'design' is also good. If one wants a sort of catalog of all the apparent bad engineering in the 'design' of the human body, etc. this is just the thing.

Much of the rest of the book, in my opinion, is unreliable, sloppy, and rash. Stenger has no interest in challenging the best work produced by 'believers.' Here is a glaring instance: there is no mention of Alvan Plantinga. I know this will sound silly to some readers, but in a present-day work purporting to offer serious discusion of the various reasons for thinking that there is, or is not, a God, the absence of this name is a clear signal that we are not playing in the major leagues.

Perhaps the best and most common argument against the existence of God is 'the problem of evil.' Senger (following some author, or authors, I am unable to identify) puts it this way:

(1) If God exists, then the attributes of God are consistent with the existence of evil.
(2) The attributes of God are not consistent with the existence of evil.
(3) Therefore, God does not and cannot exist.

Stenger then goes on to argue that while SOME 'pain and suffering' [i.e. SOME evil] may be consistent with the attributes of God, there seems to be more than is necessary. That is to say, he seems to abandon (2) without noticing it. I guess the premise he wants to defend is:

(2') The attributes of God are not consistent with THE AMOUNT OF EVIL exhibited by the real world.

(Something like that.) But now, of course, (1) must be changed too. It's not a big deal; but it's annoying.

Perhaps I should add that, in my opinion, William Rowe owns 'the problem of evil' in it's present form. Another name that does not occur in Stenger's book.

Stenger's book is a scientific/logical critique of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic God having the apparent purpose of countering all possible reasons for believing in that God. It contributes to the growing cottage industry of atheistic books and as for some others of those books I give it a reluctant thumbs up. I liked the range and abundance of ideas Stenger offers. My two main disappointments with his book were: (1) the title implies a categorical denial of God (not just the JCI God) thereby promising more than it attempts to deliver and (2) throughout many of the arguments I had intrusive thoughts of `Yes, but' and `No, No, No,' (my usual experience with atheistic books.) Since for Stenger's book I may lack the required understanding, I await the judgments of more acute and better-educated minds.

I was particularly struck by the sense of being cornered and bludgeoned into acceptance during my reading of the book, which did not seem consistent with the scientific objectivity I expected to find, but the final chapter's discussions of God and current events suggest a possible reason. The author appears to have a political passion for the topic extending beyond scientific and philosophical curiosity.

Most reviewers of Stenger's "God: The Failed Hypothesis" fail to recognize the unique contribution he has made to the logic of the debate. The methodology he uses is different from most of the arguments against God, and it is important to understand this, because his book is a major step forward on this topic. Stenger basically sets out to prove a negative. Although many light-thinking individuals think this is impossible, anyone who has studied high school geometry knows that there is a well-known approach to this challenge. It is the indirect proof, and it works like this: Assume the truth of the proposition you're arguing against. Show that certain consequences must follow if the proposition is true. Observe that those consequences do not or cannot possibly occur. Conclude, therefore, that the original assumption must be false.
So Stenger's approach is to assume the existence of a God (defined pretty much as the Christian one) and deduce what the implications of such an assumption would be in terms of what we would expect to observe in the world. Finding that those observations do not occur, Stenger concludes that there is no such thing as God. Anyone who wants to rebut Stenger's argument, needs to do so within the context of this methodology. Otherwise, you are just talking past each other. Valid rebuttals would be, for example, to challenge his reasoning as to what facts we should expect to observe given the assumption that a God exists. Or perhaps to show that those facts really do occur. But here's the real problem for the theists: You have to say that SOME facts would necessarily follow from the existence of a God and that the absence of those facts would prove God doesn't exist. If you don't admit this, then your concept of God is without meaning, because a proposition that cannot by any stretch of the imagination be falsified, does not say anything. The statement "God exists" cannot be true unless "God does not exist" is false, and there has to be some meaningful observable difference between these propositions in order for either of them to mean anything. However, most theists, especially the Christian ones, do not admit any circumstances at all under which we could reasonably conclude that there is no God. Thus, their concept of God is without meaning, and when they say "God exists," they really are saying nothing at all. Stenger's book is an admirable addition to the debate and succeeds in showing that the assumed hypothesis (i.e., that God exists) is refuted by observations in the real world.
But since many Christians seemingly cannot follow Stenger's argument, nor the arguments of other authors who have defended atheism as a philosophy, it is important for atheists to be able to debate the Christians on their own turf as well. For that reason, in addition to highly recommending Stenger's book, I would also recommend that atheists become familiar with critiques of the Bible, as many Christians find this type of criticism harder to ignore. Americans especially are much more attached to Jesus, than to "God." A good selection in the category of biblical criticism, and a recent one, is The Atheist's Introduction to the New Testament: How the Bible Undermines the Basic Teachings of Christianity by Mike Davis. Together, these two books will cover pretty much any debate you are likely to get into with Christian apologists.

I found some great nuggets of logic and wisdom in this book. I want to re-read it for additional detail, but overall I would recommend it!

Does God exist? Who the hell knows. Certainly not a preist nor a scientist. Nobody knows one way or the other. You either believe based on faith - unseen, unproven belief - or you do not. And moments after our bodies stop, every single person will either know something - or know nothing. But to waste our energy fighting over something that is not given to "proof." Well...it's just very human. Wasting time instead of enjoying what we do know. And worst of all, you've all been doing it for thousands of years and killing hundreds of millions of otherwise happy human beings.

I really want to say that all Christians, Atheists, Muslims, Theists, Jews and Agnostics --and the rest! - should all jump in the same muddy river and just go to hell...but then we'd get into fighting about hell and the devil. Fight, argue, fight, disagree - idiot human beings. Dogs are wiser. They've got it down - eat, sleep, poop, love. I prefer them.

It's been a while since I have come across a book that I do not want to see end, and this is such a book.
I am about a third of the way through Gardening at the Dragon's Gate and already I am sad that it will eventually end. I do know, however, that once I have read it through I can have the pleasure of opening it at any point and enjoying it again, and again.
It is a book about gardening, about nature, about life, written beautifully, at times touching, at times funny. More than once I've found myself sitting on the bus reading it with tears suddenly stinging my eyes.
In fact, what am I doing sitting here, when I could be reading!?

This book is simply amazing, I could not wait for next time I could get into bed with it and a cup of tea and follow along with Wendy Johnson on her rich path of discovery through the garden and through life as a Zen person. The writing has a few too many words at times, but the fact that this was simultaneously a how-to book on gardening and a spiritual memoir full of deep Zen teachings makes it something very special. Wendy Johnson shows herself to be the real deal here, willing to take chances with her life and willing to get her hands dirty for the benefit of others and for the benefit of the planet.

This is more than a book about gardening. It is almost like reading poetry. For those of us who want to enjoy the language as much as the content, this books is most satisfying.

Just a great book I felt I was walking in the garden with her. You just have to read this one.

This beautifully written book is full of wisdom and good information. It is an inspiring work that has had me smiling as I read and looking forward to getting my hands dirty in the garden.