Freethought & Rationalism Archive

fromtheright · 01-28-2003, 09:45 PM

My list:

Theory and History--Ludwig von Mises

Socialism--Ludwig von Mises

Law, Legislation, and Liberty, Vol's 1 & 2--F.A. Hayek

The Socialist Phenomenon--Igor Shafarevich

The Natural Law--Heinrich Rommen

Men and Marriage--George Gilder

The Moral Question of Abortion--Stephen Schwarz

Suicide of the West--James Burnham

You Can Trust the Communists (to be Communists) by Fred Schwarz

Western Technology & Soviet Economic Development--Antony Sutton

Atheism: The Case Against God--George Smith

scarmig · 01-29-2003, 04:55 AM

The Portrait of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, Julian Jaynes

The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand

Various stories by HP Lovecraft

VonEvilstein · 01-29-2003, 05:31 AM

"The White Goddess" - Robert Graves
"The Demon Haunted World" - Big Carl
"Biochemistry" - Voet & Voet
"The Silmarillion" - J.R.R. Tolkien
"Abusing Science" - Philip Kitcher
"The Guitar Handbook" - Ralph Denyer
"How to be a Complete Bastard" - Adrian Edmondson

dangin · 01-29-2003, 05:55 AM

The bible and apologetics like the case for faith.

Nothing strengthens my atheism more.

But honestly, fiction books have had a larger impact on my life than non fiction. Even though there are some great non fiction books to be read.

Writer@Large · 01-29-2003, 06:39 AM

My answers are probably going to be a little out there compared to some of the heavy stuff listed above. But ...

1) Only Begotten Daughter by James Morrow was the first time I was confronted with a critical look at Judeo-Christian dogma. I read it in the 8th or 9th grade (I don't remember on what side of summer I read it on) and I credit it with begining my deconversion.

2) The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. I read it in late elementary school (4th grade?), and it was the first time I actually *enjoyed* a real book in my life (i.e. not a children's picture book). I credit it with starting my love of reading, which i've eventually parlayed into an English degree and teaching career.

3) The Roswell Ufo Crash: What They Don't Want You to Know by Kal K. Korff. Disguised as another UFOlogy expose of how the government is hiding alien bodies, this book was actually a journalistic deconstruction of the Roswell myth, showing exactly how the claims of UFOlogists were nonsense, how they ignored evidence, and how it really *was* a military baloon, no matter how badly they want it to have been aliens. This book cracked the dam of critical thinking for me; I used to be a devoted UFOlogist, an Art Bell listener, and a "parapsychologist." This book turned me into a skeptic (or, started to).

oops. I look at the clock, and realize I have to be teaching in 20 minutes. I'll finish this list later!

--W@L

Oolon Colluphid · 01-29-2003, 08:35 AM

Early influences:

1984 -- had to read it for �O� Level, expected to hate it, blew me away.

The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail -- total cobblers, but despite its lunatic premises, made me look hard at the origins of Christianity.

The Naked Ape -- a kind of �wow... but surely this is obvious, since evolution�s right� experience. And it was way ahead (1967) of the evolutionary psychology game.

The Inner Eye -- Nicholas Humphrey -- got me into pop science, the TV programmes featured Richard Dawkins.

Graves�s The Greek Myths. The analysis bits made me see beneath the stories.

Gotta go, later / current influences to follow...

Cheers, DT

Unusual Suspect · 01-29-2003, 08:57 AM

Frank Herbert -- Dune
Olaf Stapledon -- Odd John
Colin Wilson -- The Outsider
Herman Hesse -- Magister Ludi
Samuel J. Bois -- Breeds of Men
Heinz Pagels -- Dreams of Reason
Idries Shah -- Learning How to Learn
Timothy Leary -- Neurologic
L. A. Rollins -- The Myth of Natural Rights

hezekiah jones · 01-29-2003, 09:43 AM

The Brothers Karamazov
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72
On The Road
The Air-Conditioned Nightmare
The Devil's Dictionary
Language, Truth & Logic
Man Ray - Self Portrait
Miss Lonelyhearts
The Age of Reason (Sartre, not Paine)
Constitutional Law - Stone, Seidman, Sunstein and Tushnet

ftr - You're an atheist?

Lingus · 01-29-2003, 09:46 AM

Braindroppings - George Carlin
How to Talk Dirty and Influence People - Lenny Bruce

Silent Acorns · 01-29-2003, 09:58 AM

In no particular order:

Crime and Punishment & Brothers Karamazov - Fydor Dostoevsky
Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky
Why I am not a Christian - Bertrand Russell
Godel, Escher, Bach - Douglas Hofstadter

and ...

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkein (the only book I read in childhood that had a lasting impression)

<edited to note that that last one was a mistake to include here>

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01-28-2003, 09:45 PM	#11
fromtheright Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 633	My list: Theory and History--Ludwig von Mises Socialism--Ludwig von Mises Law, Legislation, and Liberty, Vol's 1 & 2--F.A. Hayek The Socialist Phenomenon--Igor Shafarevich The Natural Law--Heinrich Rommen Men and Marriage--George Gilder The Moral Question of Abortion--Stephen Schwarz Suicide of the West--James Burnham You Can Trust the Communists (to be Communists) by Fred Schwarz Western Technology & Soviet Economic Development--Antony Sutton Atheism: The Case Against God--George Smith

01-29-2003, 04:55 AM	#12
scarmig Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Somewhere Posts: 689	The Portrait of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, Julian Jaynes The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand Various stories by HP Lovecraft

01-29-2003, 05:31 AM	#13
VonEvilstein Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: .nl Posts: 822	"The White Goddess" - Robert Graves "The Demon Haunted World" - Big Carl "Biochemistry" - Voet & Voet "The Silmarillion" - J.R.R. Tolkien "Abusing Science" - Philip Kitcher "The Guitar Handbook" - Ralph Denyer "How to be a Complete Bastard" - Adrian Edmondson

01-29-2003, 05:55 AM	#14
dangin Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: The Middle, Kansas Posts: 2,637	The bible and apologetics like the case for faith. Nothing strengthens my atheism more. But honestly, fiction books have had a larger impact on my life than non fiction. Even though there are some great non fiction books to be read.

01-29-2003, 06:39 AM	#15
Writer@Large Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 7,198	My answers are probably going to be a little out there compared to some of the heavy stuff listed above. But ... 1) Only Begotten Daughter by James Morrow was the first time I was confronted with a critical look at Judeo-Christian dogma. I read it in the 8th or 9th grade (I don't remember on what side of summer I read it on) and I credit it with begining my deconversion. 2) The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. I read it in late elementary school (4th grade?), and it was the first time I actually enjoyed a real book in my life (i.e. not a children's picture book). I credit it with starting my love of reading, which i've eventually parlayed into an English degree and teaching career. 3) The Roswell Ufo Crash: What They Don't Want You to Know by Kal K. Korff. Disguised as another UFOlogy expose of how the government is hiding alien bodies, this book was actually a journalistic deconstruction of the Roswell myth, showing exactly how the claims of UFOlogists were nonsense, how they ignored evidence, and how it really was a military baloon, no matter how badly they want it to have been aliens. This book cracked the dam of critical thinking for me; I used to be a devoted UFOlogist, an Art Bell listener, and a "parapsychologist." This book turned me into a skeptic (or, started to). oops. I look at the clock, and realize I have to be teaching in 20 minutes. I'll finish this list later! --W@L

01-29-2003, 08:35 AM	#16
Oolon Colluphid Contributor Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Alibi: ego ipse hinc extermino Posts: 12,591	Early influences: 1984 -- had to read it for �O� Level, expected to hate it, blew me away. The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail -- total cobblers, but despite its lunatic premises, made me look hard at the origins of Christianity. The Naked Ape -- a kind of �wow... but surely this is obvious, since evolution�s right� experience. And it was way ahead (1967) of the evolutionary psychology game. The Inner Eye -- Nicholas Humphrey -- got me into pop science, the TV programmes featured Richard Dawkins. Graves�s The Greek Myths. The analysis bits made me see beneath the stories. Gotta go, later / current influences to follow... Cheers, DT

01-29-2003, 08:57 AM	#17
Unusual Suspect Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Atlantic coast--US Posts: 99	Frank Herbert -- Dune Olaf Stapledon -- Odd John Colin Wilson -- The Outsider Herman Hesse -- Magister Ludi Samuel J. Bois -- Breeds of Men Heinz Pagels -- Dreams of Reason Idries Shah -- Learning How to Learn Timothy Leary -- Neurologic L. A. Rollins -- The Myth of Natural Rights

01-29-2003, 09:43 AM	#18
hezekiah jones Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: WI Posts: 4,357	The Brothers Karamazov Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 On The Road The Air-Conditioned Nightmare The Devil's Dictionary Language, Truth & Logic Man Ray - Self Portrait Miss Lonelyhearts The Age of Reason (Sartre, not Paine) Constitutional Law - Stone, Seidman, Sunstein and Tushnet ftr - You're an atheist?

01-29-2003, 09:46 AM	#19
Lingus New Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Saint Paris, Ohio Posts: 3	Braindroppings - George Carlin How to Talk Dirty and Influence People - Lenny Bruce

01-29-2003, 09:58 AM	#20
Silent Acorns Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: SW 31 52 24W4 Posts: 1,508	In no particular order: Crime and Punishment & Brothers Karamazov - Fydor Dostoevsky Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky Why I am not a Christian - Bertrand Russell Godel, Escher, Bach - Douglas Hofstadter and ... The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkein (the only book I read in childhood that had a lasting impression) <edited to note that that last one was a mistake to include here>

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