“You’ll learn a lot about science and a lot about scripture from this light-hearted yet serious-minded look at the Bible.”
—Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor, Harvard University

About the Book

Fundamentalist Christians often use the Bible as a guide to the natural world, which inevitably leads them to reject much of what modern science says about the universe. But what if we were to use modern science as a guide to the Bible? What might a scientific reading of the Bible tell us not only about religion's claims, but also about nature and our place in it? If God really did part the Red Sea, how might he have engineered such a feat? If Jesus really did raise Lazarus from the dead, under what circumstances might it have happened? In this witty and informative book, science writer Clay Farris Naff brings the miracles of the Bible into sharp focus through the lens of modern science. Whether you're a religious skeptic or a true believer, you'll find what comes into view is mind-bending, thought-provoking, and even amusing—and you'll likely be left even more amazed and entranced by the universe we live in.

About the Author

Clay Farris Naff is the science and religion correspondent for Humanist magazine. An award-winning journalist and author, he has been a Tokyo correspondent for United Press International, a freelance reporter for National Public Radio, a science-and-religion columnist for the Metanexus Institute, and a freelance writer for Newsweek, Earth Magazine, and Scientific American, among other publications. He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Details

ISBN: 9781634311540
Format: paperback
SRP: $15.95
Page count: 240 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: September 2018

"David G. McAfee's newest book should be on every skeptic's bookshelf, and on every believer's, too. It is a thorough treatment of a number of topics that inspire undue credulity—some much more harmful than others—but all requiring skepticism. Having interviewed hundreds of authors on these sorts of subjects over the years, and having read all of their books, I enthusiastically recommend No Sacred Cows. It is an important work of skepticism steeped in solid research, open-minded inquiry, and a humane interest in helping believers better understand and accept the world as it really is.”
—D.J. Grothe, director, Institute for Science and Human Values

About the Book

While belief in religious supernatural claims is waning throughout the West, evidence suggests belief in nonreligious supernatural claims is on the rise. What explains this contradiction? How can a society with a falling belief in God have a rising belief in ghosts, psychic powers, ancient astronauts, and other supernatural or pseudo-scientific phenomena? Taking the same anthropological approach he employed in his notable studies of religion, atheist author and activist David G. McAfee turns his attention to nonreligious faith-based claims. Whether going undercover as a medium, getting tested at Scientology headquarters in Los Angeles, or interviewing celebrity paranormalists and famous skeptics, he leaves no stone unturned in his investigation. As in the case of religion, he finds an unwillingness among "believers" to critically examine their most closely held convictions. Only once individuals honestly assess their own sacred cows will they be able to ensure that their beliefs conform to the known facts—and that our decisions as a society are based on the best available evidence.

About the Author(s)

David G. McAfee is author of Mom, Dad, I'm an Atheist: The Guide to Coming Out as a Nonbeliever, Disproving Christianity and Other Secular Writings, and The Belief Book. He holds a degree in religious studies from the University of California–Santa Barbara and lives in Southern California. Yvette d'Entremont (foreword by), also known as SciBabe, is a public speaker, science blogger, and former analytical chemist.

Details

ISBN: 9781634311182
Format: paperback
SRP: $17.95
Page count: 448 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: August 2017

“This is a clear, candid, and iconoclastic contribution to the contemporary God debates. Haley and McGowan challenge believers and atheists alike with their radical vision of religion’s future.”
—Russell Blackford, Laureate, International Academy of Humanism and editor-in-chief, the Journal of Evolution and Technology

About the Book

Religions are a natural outgrowth of the intuitive ways of knowing that evolved with human culture. Though many people continue to find value in religious identity and community, intuitive knowledge has been eclipsed by a more effective way of knowing—the scientific way. A better way of relating religion to politics called secularism is gradually replacing theocracy. Once you understand and accept the scientific way of knowing and this preferred relationship of church and state, you become agnostic and secular—even if you continue to identify with and participate in religion. As Jeff T. Haley and Dale McGowan argue in this volume, this isn’t some abstract dream—it’s happening right now. Religions are in a continuous state of evolution, changing beliefs, values, and practices over time. All religions, including Christianity and Islam, can evolve to accept the scientific way of knowing and secularism, becoming agnostic and even atheistic without losing their essential value. Haley and McGowan explain how you can help this natural process, sharing reality with your friends and family in a way that encourages religions to embrace the best of humanity's knowledge and values.

About the Author(s)

Jeff T. Haley is a scientist, lawyer, and inventor. He has argued before the U.S Supreme Court, and founded and directed the nonprofit that led Washington state's successful medical marijuana initiative. He is currently the founder and CEO of OraHealth, which sells his patented healthcare products through 30,000 pharmacies worldwide. Dale McGowan is the author and editor of numerous books, including Parenting Beyond Belief, In Faith and In Doubt, and Atheism for Dummies. In 2008 he was named Harvard Humanist of the Year for his work in nonreligious parent education.

Details

ISBN: 9781634311267
Format: paperback
SRP: $14.95
Page count: 151 pages
Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5
Pub date: September 2017

“Andy Thomson, with Clare Aukofer, has written a wonderfully concise introduction to our growing scientific understanding of religion. If you would like to learn, in the span of an hour, why we have every reason to believe that God is man-made—this is the book to read.”
—Sam Harris, author of the New York Times best sellers The Moral Landscape, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The End of Faith

About the Book

In this groundbreaking volume, J. Anderson Thomson, Jr., MD, with Clare Aukofer, offers a succinct yet comprehensive study of how and why the human mind generates religious belief. Dr. Thomson, a highly respected practicing psychiatrist with credentials in forensic psychiatry and evolutionary psychology, methodically investigates the components and causes of religious belief in the same way any scientist would investigate the movement of astronomical bodies or the evolution of life over time—that is, as a purely natural phenomenon. Providing compelling evidence from psychology, the cognitive neurosciences, and related fields, he, with Ms. Aukofer, presents an easily accessible and exceptionally convincing case that god(s) were created by man—not vice versa. With this slim volume, Dr. Thomson establishes himself as a must-read thinker and leading voice on the primacy of reason and science over superstition and religion.

About the Author(s)

J. Anderson “Andy” Thomson Jr., MD, is a staff psychiatrist at the University of Virginia's Student Health Center and Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy, and maintains a private practice of adult and forensic psychiatry. He serves as a trustee of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. Clare Aukofer is a medical writer and editor in Charlottesville, Virginia. Richard Dawkins (foreword by) is a Fellow of the Royal Society and was the inaugural holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair of Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University.

Details

ISBN: 9780984493210
Format: paperback
SRP: $12.95
Page count: 144 pages
Trim size: 4 3/4 x 7
Pub date: June 2011