Perfect for those interested in learning more about what the Bible actually says but who have neither the time nor the interest to read the actual thing

About the Book

Ever thought you should know more about what’s in the Bible, not because you believe in any religion, but because it’s the most read book in history? Before you dust off the family Bible, or reach into the hotel bed stand, The Nonbeliever’s Guide to Bible Stories will save you a lot of time and trouble. Coupling an editor’s pen with a skeptic’s commentary and humorist’s wit, it offers the highlights of each book of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and distills them into quick, entertaining, bite-sized chunks. It’s all here: the characters, famous quotes, tall tales, and references often heard in film, music, art, literature, and conversation. You’ll also learn about all the sex, murder, harlotry, intrigue, magic tricks, ghosts, and sin that help fill sermons on Sunday mornings.

About the Author

C. B. Brooks, MD, is the author of The Nonbeliever’s Guide to the Book of Mormon. He lives in New York City.

Details

ISBN: 9781634310608
Format: paperback
SRP: $9.95
Page count: 128 pages
Trim size: 4 3/4 x 7
Pub date: November 2015

Perfect for those interested in learning more about what the the Book of Mormon actually says but who have neither the time nor the interest to read the actual thing

About the Book

Even for the most ardent skeptic, it’s hard not to be curious about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Maybe you've seen the hit musical comedy The Book of Mormon. Maybe you’ve read about Holocaust victims and deceased celebrities like Elvis being posthumously baptized in Mormon churches. Or maybe you’ve come across some other belief or facet of the Mormon faith and can’t help but wonder whether the religion is actually as wild as it seems. Sure, the young Mormon missionaries who knock on your door with promises of a book that will change your life are happy to speak with you about their religion and provide their own answers. But if you accept their offer, you'll likely be heavily recruited, repeatedly contacted, pressured to become a church member, and perhaps even told you’re going to be tortured in hell if you don’t accept their claims. Enter The Nonbeliever’s Guide to the Book of Mormon, which offers an easily accessible, entertaining introduction to Mormonism. For those with a curious but skeptical mind, it also provides a no-pressure, no-strings-attached way to learn about what's contained in Mormonism's sacred text, without the tedium of having to read the whole thing—or the risk of being pestered in this life (or the afterlife, for that matter).

About the Author

C. B. Brooks, MD, is the author of The Nonbeliever’s Guide to Bible Stories. He lives in New York City.

Details

ISBN: 9781634311144
Format: paperback
SRP: $9.95
Page count: 152 pages
Trim size: 4 3/4 x 7
Pub date: April 2017

“Professor Favazza’s text is a challenge for us all to think seriously about how we developed our religious beliefs and how we use God and religion in our personal and professional lives. Cowards need not pick up this brilliantly written book. Only those courageous enough to explore the nature of their connection—or lack of it—to God and religion.”
—Professor Ezra Griffith, Yale University

About the Book

With 2,000 religious denominations and nearly 500,000 churches and temples in the United States, the Bible is not only doctrinally confusing but behaviorally confusing, too. Is it a sin to drink alcohol? Will prayer cure the sick? Is homosexuality an abomination? Why is celibacy so highly valued? Do belief and feminism mix? In this enlightening and entertaining work, Armando Favazza explores these and other questions and examines the impact of the Bible on behavior through time and space—from the Holy Book's gradual formation thousands of years ago to the present day. This is an indispensable work for all those interested in better understanding the foundations of society's—and perhaps even their own—beliefs and behaviors, and is a thought-provoking read for those not afraid to inform—or perhaps even challenge—their faith.

About the Author

Armando Favazza is professor of psychiatry at the University of Missouri–Columbia Medical School and internationally renowned for his work on culture and psychiatry. His previous book, Bodies Under Siege, is considered a classic in the field.

Details

ISBN: 0972887512 
Format: paperback
SRP: $19.95
Page count: 432 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: January 2004

Also available in hardcover (ISBN: 0972887504; SRP: $40.00)

“Part Kurt Vonnegut, part Douglas Adams, but let’s be honest, Matheson had me at ‘Based on the Bible.’” 
—Dana Gould, comedian and writer

About the Book

The Bible offers some clues to God’s personality—he’s alternately been called vindictive and just, bloodthirsty and caring, all-powerful and impotent, capricious and foresighted, and loving and hateful. But no one has ever fully explored why God might be such a figure of contrasts. Nor has anyone ever satisfactorily explained what guides his relationship not just with angels, the devil, and his son, but also with all of creation. Might he be completely misunderstood, a mystery even to himself? Might his behavior and actions toward humankind tell us much more about him than it does about us? Enter the mind of the creator of the universe, travel with him through the heavenly highs and hellish lows of his story, from Genesis to Revelation, to better understand his burdensome journey: being God isn’t easy. After hearing his story—at times troubling and tragic but always hilarious in its absurdity and divine in its comedy—you’ll never look at a miracle or catastrophe—or at our place in the universe, or God’s—the same way again.

About the Author

Chris Matheson is a screenwriter whose credits include Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, and Rapture-Palooza. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Details

ISBN: 9781634310772
Format: paperback
SRP: $12.95
Page count: 144 pages
Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5
Pub date: September 2015

Also available in hardcover (ISBN: 9781634310246; SRP: $16.95)