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October 1, 2008

Atheism 101: A Reading List

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One question frequently asked by those just discovering atheism is, "What
books would you recommend to someone just beginning to explore atheism?"
Not only is this an excellent question, but it is one I remember wanting
desperately to ask at one point in my life. Unfortunately, I could not find anyone
to ask. I am happy to see this question around the atheist blogosphere, as it
shows me that times have indeed changed with regard to the availability of
atheists and information about atheism. In this post, I'll provide a reading list to
get you started.

I recognize that everyone's needs will be different, so I am not going to simply

provide a list of books and instruct you to read them. Instead, I am going to
explain what you will find in each book and make some suggestions about the
order in which to read them. Your time and resources may be limited, so my
goal is for you to have enough information to choose wisely.

Where to Start

In learning about any new phenomenon, it is helpful to begin by understanding

why the object of one's study is important. Atheism is no different in this regard.
I recommend starting with a book that will both provide a decent overview of
the subject matter and help the reader understand the perils of religious belief.
Thus, I suggest beginning with one of the following books:
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393327655?ie=UTF8&
tag=atheistrevolu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&
creativeASIN=0393327655)
The God Delusion (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product
/0618918248?ie=UTF8&tag=atheistrevolu-20&linkCode=as2&
camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0618918248)
If I was to pick one of these, it would be The End of Faith, but both are worth
reading. For the reader who has already read one or both of these and is
seeking a broad overview of atheism, check out Atheist Universe: The Thinking
Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism (http://www.amazon.com
/gp/product/1569755671?ie=UTF8&tag=atheistrevolu-20&linkCode=as2&
camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1569755671).

Philosophical Atheism

Some of the best writing on atheism comes from the philosophers, and indeed,
most well-rounded atheists will be familiar with many of the philosophical
arguments for and against theism. This domain is a great one to explore next.
There are many excellent places to start, and nearly any text in the philosophy
of religion will be worthwhile. However, I do have a couple favorites in this
domain, both of which are very easy to recommend:
Atheism: The Case Against God (http://www.amazon.com
/gp/product/087975124X?ie=UTF8&tag=atheistrevolu-20&
linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&
creativeASIN=087975124X)
Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related
Subjects (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product
/0671203231?ie=UTF8&tag=atheistrevolu-20&linkCode=as2&
camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0671203231)
Scientific Atheism

Not everyone enjoys reading scientific books, and not all atheists will want to
delve far into the scientific arguments against religion. However, there is one
book from this domain that I strongly recommend to all readers, including those
without any science background whatsoever:
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345409469?ie=UTF8&
tag=atheistrevolu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&
creativeASIN=0345409469)
Carl Sagan was gifted at promoting science to lay audiences, and this
outstanding book demonstrates the beauty of science as a means of
understanding our world as well as any other I have encountered.

History of Atheism and Freethought in America

Precious little is new about the "new atheism" with which the mainstream media
was recently obsessed. Nonbelievers were making important contributions long
before Harris, Dawkins, and Hitchens were born. Even in the so-called "Christian
nation" of America, many influential atheists had a critical role in history.
Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805077766?ie=UTF8&
tag=atheistrevolu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&
creativeASIN=0805077766)
Society, Culture, and Politics
Given the widespread bigotry faced by atheists from believers, no introduction
to atheism is complete without addressing the social, cultural, and political
context in which we find ourselves. There are so many excellent books to
recommend in this area, but I will limit myself to these three:
The Assault on Reason (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product
/0143113623?ie=UTF8&tag=atheistrevolu-20&linkCode=as2&
camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143113623)
Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393329763?ie=UTF8&
tag=atheistrevolu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&
creativeASIN=0393329763)
Piety & Politics: The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307347494?ie=UTF8&
tag=atheistrevolu-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&
creativeASIN=0307347494)
This should be plenty to permit a reasonably thorough exploration of this broad
domain, even though it takes every ounce of self-control I can muster not to
recommend many more.

Once again, this reading list is designed for persons wanting to learn about
atheism and in the early stages of their exploration of atheism. Here is a follow-
up post (http://www.atheistrev.com/2009/12/atheism-210-intermediate-
reading-list.html) in which I provide additional suggestions in these domains for
the intermediate to advanced atheists wanting to explore one or more domain in
depth.

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