The Atheist's Guide to Christmas

The Atheist's Guide to Christmas

Author: Robin Harvie

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2010-11-02

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 0062064274

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This funny, festive, and thoughtful collection delves into age-old holiday questions for the non-believer—like what do you get an atheist for Christmas? If you’re an atheist, you don’t believe in the three wise men, so this Christmas, we bring you not three, but forty-two wise men and women, bearing gifts of comedy, science, philosophy, the arts, and knowledge. What does it feel like to be born on Christmas day? How can you most effectively use lights to make your house visible from space? And where can you listen to the echoes of the Big Bang on December 25? The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas answers all these questions and more: Richard Dawkins tells an original Christmas story. Phil Plait fact-checks the Star of Bethlehem. Neal Pollack teaches his family a lesson on holiday spirit. Simon Singh offers a very special scientific experiment. Simon le Bon loses his faith (but keeps church music). AC Grayling explains how to have a truly happy Christmas. Plus thirty-six other brilliant, funny, free-thinking pieces perfect for anyone who doesn’t think of holidays as holy days.


Book Synopsis The Atheist's Guide to Christmas by : Robin Harvie

Download or read book The Atheist's Guide to Christmas written by Robin Harvie and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2010-11-02 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This funny, festive, and thoughtful collection delves into age-old holiday questions for the non-believer—like what do you get an atheist for Christmas? If you’re an atheist, you don’t believe in the three wise men, so this Christmas, we bring you not three, but forty-two wise men and women, bearing gifts of comedy, science, philosophy, the arts, and knowledge. What does it feel like to be born on Christmas day? How can you most effectively use lights to make your house visible from space? And where can you listen to the echoes of the Big Bang on December 25? The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas answers all these questions and more: Richard Dawkins tells an original Christmas story. Phil Plait fact-checks the Star of Bethlehem. Neal Pollack teaches his family a lesson on holiday spirit. Simon Singh offers a very special scientific experiment. Simon le Bon loses his faith (but keeps church music). AC Grayling explains how to have a truly happy Christmas. Plus thirty-six other brilliant, funny, free-thinking pieces perfect for anyone who doesn’t think of holidays as holy days.


The Atheis's Guide to Christmas

The Atheis's Guide to Christmas

Author: Ariane Sherine

Publisher: HarperCollins UK

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 0007389825

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Last year, Guardian journalist Ariane Sherine launched the Atheist Bus Campaign and ended up raising over 150,000 Pounds, enough to place the advert 'There's probably no God. Now stop worring and enjoy your life' on 800 UK buses in Januaray 2009.


Book Synopsis The Atheis's Guide to Christmas by : Ariane Sherine

Download or read book The Atheis's Guide to Christmas written by Ariane Sherine and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2010 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Last year, Guardian journalist Ariane Sherine launched the Atheist Bus Campaign and ended up raising over 150,000 Pounds, enough to place the advert 'There's probably no God. Now stop worring and enjoy your life' on 800 UK buses in Januaray 2009.


Religion for Atheists

Religion for Atheists

Author: Alain De Botton

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 2012-03-06

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 0307907104

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What if religions are neither all true nor all nonsense? The long-running and often boring debate between fundamentalist believers and non-believers is finally moved forward by Alain de Botton’s inspiring new book, which boldly argues that the supernatural claims of religion are entirely false—but that it still has some very important things to teach the secular world. Religion for Atheists suggests that rather than mocking religion, agnostics and atheists should instead steal from it—because the world’s religions are packed with good ideas on how we might live and arrange our societies. Blending deep respect with total impiety, de Botton (a non-believer himself) proposes that we look to religion for insights into how to, among other concerns, build a sense of community, make our relationships last, overcome feelings of envy and inadequacy, inspire travel and reconnect with the natural world. For too long non-believers have faced a stark choice between either swallowing some peculiar doctrines or doing away with a range of consoling and beautiful rituals and ideas. At last, in Religion for Atheists, Alain de Botton has fashioned a far more interesting and truly helpful alternative.


Book Synopsis Religion for Atheists by : Alain De Botton

Download or read book Religion for Atheists written by Alain De Botton and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2012-03-06 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What if religions are neither all true nor all nonsense? The long-running and often boring debate between fundamentalist believers and non-believers is finally moved forward by Alain de Botton’s inspiring new book, which boldly argues that the supernatural claims of religion are entirely false—but that it still has some very important things to teach the secular world. Religion for Atheists suggests that rather than mocking religion, agnostics and atheists should instead steal from it—because the world’s religions are packed with good ideas on how we might live and arrange our societies. Blending deep respect with total impiety, de Botton (a non-believer himself) proposes that we look to religion for insights into how to, among other concerns, build a sense of community, make our relationships last, overcome feelings of envy and inadequacy, inspire travel and reconnect with the natural world. For too long non-believers have faced a stark choice between either swallowing some peculiar doctrines or doing away with a range of consoling and beautiful rituals and ideas. At last, in Religion for Atheists, Alain de Botton has fashioned a far more interesting and truly helpful alternative.


Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday!

Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday!

Author: Penn Jillette

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2013-10-29

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 0142180270

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From Emmy Award–winning, world-famous magician Penn Jillette comes an irreverent, hilarious, and provocative book of essays—the perfect gift for the skeptic in your life. Let's be honest—nobody has more fun than atheists. Don't believe it? Well, consider this: For non-believers, every day you're alive is a day to celebrate! And no one celebrates life to the fullest like Penn Jillette, the larger, louder half of legendary magic duo Penn & Teller, whose spectacularly witty and sharply observant essays in Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday! will entertain zealots and skeptics alike. Whether he's contemplating the possibility of life after death, deconstructing popular Christmas carols, or just calling bullsh*t on Donald Trump, Jillette does not fail to shock and delight his readers. And as ever, underneath these rollicking rants lie a deeply personal philosophy and a generous spirit, which find joy and meaning in family, and peace in the simple beauty of the everyday. Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday! is a hysterical affirmation of life's magic from one of the most distinctly perceptive and provocative humorists writing today.


Book Synopsis Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday! by : Penn Jillette

Download or read book Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday! written by Penn Jillette and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-10-29 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Emmy Award–winning, world-famous magician Penn Jillette comes an irreverent, hilarious, and provocative book of essays—the perfect gift for the skeptic in your life. Let's be honest—nobody has more fun than atheists. Don't believe it? Well, consider this: For non-believers, every day you're alive is a day to celebrate! And no one celebrates life to the fullest like Penn Jillette, the larger, louder half of legendary magic duo Penn & Teller, whose spectacularly witty and sharply observant essays in Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday! will entertain zealots and skeptics alike. Whether he's contemplating the possibility of life after death, deconstructing popular Christmas carols, or just calling bullsh*t on Donald Trump, Jillette does not fail to shock and delight his readers. And as ever, underneath these rollicking rants lie a deeply personal philosophy and a generous spirit, which find joy and meaning in family, and peace in the simple beauty of the everyday. Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday! is a hysterical affirmation of life's magic from one of the most distinctly perceptive and provocative humorists writing today.


God, No!

God, No!

Author: Penn Jillette

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2012-06-05

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1451610378

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The outspoken half of magic duo Penn & Teller presents an atheistic reinterpretation of the Ten Commandments, discussing why doubt, skepticism, and wonder should be celebrated and offering humorous stories from his own experiences.


Book Synopsis God, No! by : Penn Jillette

Download or read book God, No! written by Penn Jillette and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-06-05 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The outspoken half of magic duo Penn & Teller presents an atheistic reinterpretation of the Ten Commandments, discussing why doubt, skepticism, and wonder should be celebrated and offering humorous stories from his own experiences.


Hope After Faith

Hope After Faith

Author: Jerry DeWitt

Publisher: Da Capo Press

Published: 2013-06-25

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0306822245

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A former Louisiana pastor's courageous memoir chronicling his conversion to atheism.


Book Synopsis Hope After Faith by : Jerry DeWitt

Download or read book Hope After Faith written by Jerry DeWitt and published by Da Capo Press. This book was released on 2013-06-25 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A former Louisiana pastor's courageous memoir chronicling his conversion to atheism.


The Atheist's Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life without Illusions

The Atheist's Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life without Illusions

Author: Alex Rosenberg

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2011-10-03

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 0393083330

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A book for nonbelievers who embrace the reality-driven life. We can't avoid the persistent questions about the meaning of life-and the nature of reality. Philosopher Alex Rosenberg maintains that science is the only thing that can really answer them—all of them. His bracing and ultimately upbeat book takes physics seriously as the complete description of reality and accepts all its consequences. He shows how physics makes Darwinian natural selection the only way life can emerge, and how that deprives nature of purpose, and human action of meaning, while it exposes conscious illusions such as free will and the self. The science that makes us nonbelievers provides the insight into the real difference between right and wrong, the nature of the mind, even the direction of human history. The Atheist's Guide to Reality draws powerful implications for the ethical and political issues that roil contemporary life. The result is nice nihilism, a surprisingly sanguine perspective atheists can happily embrace.


Book Synopsis The Atheist's Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life without Illusions by : Alex Rosenberg

Download or read book The Atheist's Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life without Illusions written by Alex Rosenberg and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2011-10-03 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A book for nonbelievers who embrace the reality-driven life. We can't avoid the persistent questions about the meaning of life-and the nature of reality. Philosopher Alex Rosenberg maintains that science is the only thing that can really answer them—all of them. His bracing and ultimately upbeat book takes physics seriously as the complete description of reality and accepts all its consequences. He shows how physics makes Darwinian natural selection the only way life can emerge, and how that deprives nature of purpose, and human action of meaning, while it exposes conscious illusions such as free will and the self. The science that makes us nonbelievers provides the insight into the real difference between right and wrong, the nature of the mind, even the direction of human history. The Atheist's Guide to Reality draws powerful implications for the ethical and political issues that roil contemporary life. The result is nice nihilism, a surprisingly sanguine perspective atheists can happily embrace.


Christmas in the Crosshairs

Christmas in the Crosshairs

Author: G. Q. Bowler

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 0190499001

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Christmas, a global phenomenon adored by billions and a backbone of international trade, is the biggest single event on the planet. For Christians it is the second-most sacred date on the calendar. But whether one celebrates it or not, it engages billions of people who are caught up in its commercialism, music, sentiment, travel, and frenetic busyness. Since its controversial invention in the Roman Empire, Christmas has struggled with paganism, popular culture, fierce Christian opposition to its celebration, its abolition in Scotland and New England, and its neglect and near-death experience in the 1700s, only to be miraculously reinvented in the 1800s. The twentieth century saw it opposed by Bolsheviks, twisted by Hitler, and appropriated by every special interest group in the industrialized world. Lately it has been caught up in the cultural struggles between the left and the right in America, often misinterpreted as a war on Christmas, when the fight is really over whether religion in general will be allowed a public face. Gerry Bowler tells the fascinating story of the tug-of-war over Christmas, replete with cross-dressing priests, ranting Puritans, atheist witches, the League of the Militant Godless, aesthetic terrorists in Quebec and rap-singing Santa killers in Spain.


Book Synopsis Christmas in the Crosshairs by : G. Q. Bowler

Download or read book Christmas in the Crosshairs written by G. Q. Bowler and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christmas, a global phenomenon adored by billions and a backbone of international trade, is the biggest single event on the planet. For Christians it is the second-most sacred date on the calendar. But whether one celebrates it or not, it engages billions of people who are caught up in its commercialism, music, sentiment, travel, and frenetic busyness. Since its controversial invention in the Roman Empire, Christmas has struggled with paganism, popular culture, fierce Christian opposition to its celebration, its abolition in Scotland and New England, and its neglect and near-death experience in the 1700s, only to be miraculously reinvented in the 1800s. The twentieth century saw it opposed by Bolsheviks, twisted by Hitler, and appropriated by every special interest group in the industrialized world. Lately it has been caught up in the cultural struggles between the left and the right in America, often misinterpreted as a war on Christmas, when the fight is really over whether religion in general will be allowed a public face. Gerry Bowler tells the fascinating story of the tug-of-war over Christmas, replete with cross-dressing priests, ranting Puritans, atheist witches, the League of the Militant Godless, aesthetic terrorists in Quebec and rap-singing Santa killers in Spain.


Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Author: Judy Blume

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2014-04-29

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1481409948

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Faced with the difficulties of growing up and choosing a religion, a twelve-year-old girl talks over her problems with her own private God.


Book Synopsis Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by : Judy Blume

Download or read book Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. written by Judy Blume and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-04-29 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Faced with the difficulties of growing up and choosing a religion, a twelve-year-old girl talks over her problems with her own private God.


The War on Christmas

The War on Christmas

Author: Bodie Hodge

Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group

Published: 2013-10-01

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 1614583773

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Is it a bunch of pagan symbols "Christianized" for the celebration? Why is our concept of Christmas so important for those who don't believe in Jesus? Most may say Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, but are we truly worshiping Him or just celebrating the earthly gifts we give ourselves? Filled with family get-togethers, office parties, breaks from school, decorating the tree, and more, Christmas is a time of peace and love. So why has so much controversy clouded this sacred holiday? It has become ground zero in an ongoing culture war where Nativity scenes are nixed, Merry Christmas becomes Happy Holidays, and even the word "Christmas" is considered by some as offensive. Find the truth about Christmas and the Christian's response to a culture that seems to be declaring war.


Book Synopsis The War on Christmas by : Bodie Hodge

Download or read book The War on Christmas written by Bodie Hodge and published by New Leaf Publishing Group. This book was released on 2013-10-01 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is it a bunch of pagan symbols "Christianized" for the celebration? Why is our concept of Christmas so important for those who don't believe in Jesus? Most may say Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, but are we truly worshiping Him or just celebrating the earthly gifts we give ourselves? Filled with family get-togethers, office parties, breaks from school, decorating the tree, and more, Christmas is a time of peace and love. So why has so much controversy clouded this sacred holiday? It has become ground zero in an ongoing culture war where Nativity scenes are nixed, Merry Christmas becomes Happy Holidays, and even the word "Christmas" is considered by some as offensive. Find the truth about Christmas and the Christian's response to a culture that seems to be declaring war.