Exile and the Kingdom
A riveting and utterly haunting book, this anthology of Camus’s short stories is not only my favorite of all his works, but it is one of the best books I have ever read. The underlying theme in each of his stories is exile, whether it be spiritual, physical, or mental. From the tale of the […]
Excession
Diplomat Byr Gen-Hofoen has been selected by The Department of Special Circumstances to investigate a 2,500-year-old mystery–the reported existence and sudden disappearance of a star 50 times older than the universe itself. The only way to break the silence is to steal the soul of a long-dead starship captain who first encountered the star, and […]
Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts
The premier historical Jesus authority and a brilliant archaeologist search the texts and stones of antiquity to offer the most complete picture of Jesus ever presented. Joining the best of biblical studies and archaeology John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed dig down into the earliest layers of the Bible and the ancient world, focusing […]
Evolving: The Human Effect and Why It Matters
Description “Understanding evolution is the key to determining our planet’s future.” In this persuasive, elegantly written book, research geneticist Daniel J. Fairbanks argues that understanding evolution has never mattered more in human history. Fairbanks not only uses evidence from archaeology, geography, anatomy, biochemistry, radiometric dating, cell biology, chromosomes, and DNA to establish the inescapable conclusion […]
Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea
While its opponents may sneer that “it’s just a theory,” evolution has transcended that label to take its place as one of the most important ideas in human history. Science journalist Carl Zimmer explores its history and future in Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea, a companion piece to the epic PBS series of the […]
Evolution and the Myth of Creationism
If you’re just getting started with the evolution/creation controversy, then this book is for you. Berra lays out all the evidence and keeps the scientific and philosophical jargon to a minimum. Highly recommended to beginners.
Everything You Know About God Is Wrong: The Disinformation Guide to Religion
Book Description In the new mega-anthology from best-selling editor Russ Kick, more than fifty writers, reporters, and researchers–some of them freethinkers or nonbelievers who reveal a decidedly atheistic perspective, and some of them believers seeking reform, justice, or a better understanding of various negative aspects of different religions–invade the inner sanctum for an unrestrained look […]
Evangelicals at the Ballot Box
Evangelical Christians have fast become one of the most organized political power blocs of the decade. Who are these mainly Protestant, “born-again” voters and how have they changed the face of American politics? Evangelicals At The Ballot Box, veteran political analyst Albert Menendez’s ground-breaking study, reveals the voting patterns of various evangelical denominations to focus […]
Ethics Without God
A forceful refutation of the claim that one cannot behave morally without believing in God. However, Nielsen’s book leaves much to be desired: he does not address the issue of whether objective morality is more plausible on theism than on atheism.
Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong
Mackie argues that morality is subjective and therefore invented rather than discovered.
Ethical Theory
Ethical Theory provides a fascinating and accessible selection of the most important work in contemporary moral philosophy. Divided into two parts, the first part deals with the question of objectivity in ethics and the viability of ‘moral realism.’ The second part deals with philosophical theories about how we ought to live, including utilitarianism, social contract […]
Ethical and Religious Thought in Analytic Philosophy of Language
Philosopher Quentin Smith rejects the widespread view that analytic philosophy is indifferent to important questions about right and wrong and human meaning. In this probing book he provides the first critical history of analytic philosophy from its inception to the present day, boldly argues that analytic philosophy has always concerned itself with the central issues […]
Eternal Lovecraft : The Persistence of HPL in Popular Culture
Return to Arkham and behold the Old Gods in all their horrific darkness. Eighteen authors take a stab at interpreting the mythos of H.P. Lovecraft, master of a compelling style and setting so unique it has spawned a name — Lovecraftian — describing the unique blend of science fiction, fantasy, and horror that made him […]
Eternal Hostility : The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy
Frederick Clarkson’s Eternal Hostility provides a chilling road map to a growing movement whose roots go back to the founding days of the country. Clarkson asks the reader to consider what it would be like if having an abortion was punishable by death, if gays and lesbians were thrown into jail, or if our constitutional […]
Essays and Aphorisms
This selection of thoughts on religion, ethics, politics, women, suicide, books, and many other themes is taken from Schopenhauer’s last work, Parerga and Paralimpomena, which he published in 1851. No German philosopher had written so well or so readably before him, and none had propounded the atheistic view that everything may not be all for […]
Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties
This is the most extensive reference in print that presents proposed solutions to numerous arguments against Biblical inerrancy, presented in the order in which the “problems” appear in the Bible, including a full index. Skeptics should always be aware of how fundamentalists reconcile various Biblical contradictions and other problems before using such problems in debates, […]
Embracing the Power of Humanism
Is life meaningful without religion? Can one be moral and not believe in God? While many Americans believe that God is necessary to secure moral order, Paul Kurtz argues that it is quite possible for rationalists and freethinkers to lead exemplary lives. Embracing the Power of Humanism is a collection of essays organized into five […]
Either/Or
Kierkegaard’s brilliance lies in his ability to take such deeply personal experiences–love, lust, sorrow–and comment universally in a way that is at least unmatched in philosophy and probably in all of literature. He understood life in a way that seems obvious but is in fact merely fundamental to us all. The book is a collection […]
Early Mormonism and the Magic World View
In this articulate and insightful book, D. Michael Quinn reconstructs the world view of an earlier age in America, finding ample evidence for treasure seeking and folk magic in Joseph Smith’s formative years. Folk magic was not unusual for the times and is important in understanding how Mormons may have interpreted developments. Quinn’s impressive research […]
E = mc2
Subtitled: A Biography of the World’s Most Famous Equation E=mc2. Just about everyone has at least heard of Albert Einstein’s formulation of 1905, which came into the world as something of an afterthought. But far fewer can explain his insightful linkage of energy to mass. David Bodanis offers an easily grasped gloss on the equation. […]
Dying to Live: Near-Death Experiences
Near-death experiences (NDEs) have remarkably similar characteristics the world over, leading many to cite them as proof of a hereafter. Blackmore, a British psychologist, carefully reviews the literature and her own research for something like an opposite claim. NDEs do indeed have universal aspects, but that’s because they manifest the chemistry of dying brains; what’s […]
Dreams of Millennium: Report from a Culture on the Brink
“Anxiety about the impending millennium has wreaked havoc on the way we see ourselves and our world as evidenced by bizarre notions running the gamut from alien invasions from outer space to the apocalyptic coming of the Christ. Dreams Of Millennium: Report From A Culture On The Brink is an attempt to ease that anxiety […]
Dreams of a Final Theory
Weinberg, the 1979 Nobel Prize-winner in physics, imagines the shape of a final theory and the effect its discovery would have on the human spirit. He gives a defense of reductionism–the impulse to trace explanations of natural phenomena to deeper and deeper levels–and examines the curious relevance of beauty and symmetry in scientific theories. Weinberg […]
Drawing Out Leviathan: Dinosaurs and the Science Wars
For some years the “Science Wars” have raged in academe and in the press. Unlike the usual academic tempest in a teapot, the stakes in this controversy are high. The standing of science in our culture turns on the outcome. Will science continue to occupy a position of authority or will it be demoted to […]
Doubting Darwin?: Creationist Designs on Evolution
Book Description The debate about what to teach as science in our schools has reached the boiling point, both inside and outside the classroom. From Young Earth to Intelligent Design creationism, the intrusion of political and religious ideals is damaging the integrity of our public education system. Doubting Darwin? puts the dispute into its scientific […]
Doubt: A History : The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation
In this grand sweeping history, Jennifer Michael Hecht celebrates doubt as an engine of creativity and as an alternative to the political and intellectual dangers of certainty. Just as belief has its own history featuring people whose unique expressions of faith have forever changed the world, doubt has a vibrant story and tradition with its […]
Double Star
One minute, down and out actor Lorenzo Smythe was drinking away his troubles in a bar. Then a space pilot bought him a drink, and the next thing Smythe knew, he was being shanghaied to Mars. There he found himself agreeing to the most difficult role of his career: impersonating an important politician who had […]
Does God Exist: The Craig-Flew Debate
This book presents the most recent debates by leading contemporary philosophers of enduring themes and issues concerning the question of God’s existence. William Craig and Antony Flew met on the 50th anniversary of the famous Copleston/Russell debate to discuss the question of God’s existence in a public debate. The core of this book contains the […]
Does God Exist?
In a lively debate, which includes questions from the audience, Christian philosopher and ethicist J.P. Moreland and Kai Neilsen, one of today’s best-known atheist philosophers, go head to head on the fundamental issues and questions that have shaped individual lives, races, and nations throughout history. After the debate, several contributors from both sides chip in […]
