YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS ON YOUR SHELF

books:

	• Natural Atheism David Eller American Atheist Press, 2004 - 352 pages average customer review:based on 42 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Natural Atheism is a great book

Natural Atheism is a book that made me constructively analyze the controlling and manipulating poison of the religious freaks that are major problem of almost anything what is wrong in this modern dangerous world.

You feel the author is so close to you when reading his work. Especially when he is provoking doubts that are fostered spontaneously and naturally to us, who are most ignorant and uneducated folks when Atheism is mentioned.

People's longing a world where factual and false can be plainly distinguished, and that religions, ideologies, methods and practices are established on this longing. These people want to judge before they comprehend. This is one harmful free thought that we all have to erase from our already socially manipulated and screwed up brains.

I recognized language of wisdom, intelligent and unforgettable analogies, and many excellent thoughts in this book. Certainly, anyone interested in contemplation, conviction, faith, religion, science or cultural relativism definitely should have this book.

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Best Book on Atheism

I've been a non-theist since 2001 and have read a couple dozen books on the topic. This one is by far the best one I've read. The chapter on critical thinking alone is worth the price of the book. There's also a section on separation of church(es) and state that includes a handy synopsis of important legal decisions.

Most books on atheism are structured approximately the same way - a section criticizing arguments for belief in gods and a section offering arguments against belief in gods and little else. Eller's book goes much further than these types of books and is much more useful.

As mentioned above, Eller includes an and excellent chapter on critical thinking and logical fallacies. He also deals with issues like the difference between belief and knowledge, how to think about topics such as truth, science, and values.

His section explaining the misunderstandings (and proper understanding) of relativism is also quite informative.

This book has a lot more to offer and I've only scratched the surface - there are excellent chapters that discuss anthropology and freethought, toleration and truth, the twelve steps to atheism, fundamentalism, atheism as good news, and living in a disenchanted world.

The book strikes an appropriate balance between heavy philosophical works like Michael Martin's Atheism: A Philosophical Justification and popular works like George H. Smith's Atheism: The Case Against God. Unlike many books on atheism, Eller accomplishes what he sets out to do without engaging in religion bashing.

If you could buy only one book on atheism, I would recommend that it be this one.

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YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS ON YOUR SHELF

"Natural Atheism" has me thinking about where I acquired and how I nurture my doubt. I acquired it long ago from reading novels where, as Milan Kundera says in "The Art of the Novel," no one knows the truth but everyone has the right to be understood. I nurture my doubt on literature, philosophy, psychology, biography and film; I feed it on the first rule of sociology, that things are not always what they seem; and I nourish it on anthropology's contribution to the world, cultural relativity. But I NEVER nurture my doubt on logic; I couldn't tell you five logical fallacies if my life depended on it. To painstakingly judge someone's claims and ideas with logic is about as much fun as balancing a checkbook. I hope I employ clear thinking -- I just don't want to think about it.

This makes me quite different from the author of "Natural Atheism," whose passion for logic and painstaking clear thought leaps out page after page. At times I feel the author is telling me my doubts don't count because they've not been nurtured properly. At other times he tells me my thoughts are second-rate because, "reason is the only type of thought that deserves to be called thought." This is not a claim that sits well with an intuitive doubter like myself, someone who has come to suspect, as Kundera would say, that most people desire a world where true and false can be clearly distinguished, and that religions, ideologies, methods and practices (like a strict application of reason) are founded on this desire because such people want to judge before they understand, and that this is ultimately a denial of freethought.

So as you can guess, there were many times I set the book aside "for good." But I always came back and read a bit more. And though I found more passion for reason, I also found words of wisdom, clever and memorable analogies, and lots of good ideas. Indeed, anyone interested in thought, belief, faith, religion, science or cultural relativism definitely should have this book on the shelf; the chapter on anthropology and freethought alone is worth the price of admission. If you're trying to decide between this book and "The End of Faith," get this one, no contest. If you're going to order a couple books, get this one and "The Future of Religion," by Rorty, Vattimo and Zabala, which will opens a whole new avenue for doubt, and one that I prefer. And check out "The Art of the Novel," too; Kundera's insights are stunning. And don't overlook, "Doubt: A History." Wonderful!

If freethought is the goal, just remember that there are many ways to get there; and don't let anyone tell you your "method" is wrong -- even if you're only a daydream doubter, like me.

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Fabulous Read!

Eller packaged the whole shebang in one, fast-paced volume covering all aspects of atheism. His clear-cut prose is littered with quotable bits and gives readers those "Aha!" and "Absolutely!" moments throughout. From the basics of atheism, through logical proofs, science and evolution, separation of religion from government and the history of our founding, fundamentalism, and finally to the future of atheism, Eller has presented atheism as the logical conclusion of reason. In a time of concern for our religious liberties, "Natural Atheism" offers us some hope of a future in which reason is valued and superstition denounced. I highly recommend this one.

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Excellent book

David Eller's book joins the ranks of those excellent well written books which explains atheism as a thought process. If you read this book, you will look around a world of religious violence and science bashing and wonder how anyone can belive in the delusion of deities. I enjoyed Natural Atheism and recommend it.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, page 8, 9

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