Secular Seasons: Resources

A FREETHOUGHT BOOKLIST

One of the biggest problems facing people new to the freethought and secular movement is the availability of books on subjects important to them. Many times young people who have just "come out" as freethinkers have a difficult time procuring books that educate them about the history and purposes of humanism, secular humanism, atheism, science education, freethought, and related issues. Even long-term freethinkers can have a problem gathering books when they are scattered across the freethought terrain of the Internet - especially considering the Herculean task of sifting through the more prevalent non- and anti-freethought resources that are available.

As part of our educational initiative, the Secular Student Alliance is proud to introduce The Student Freethought Book List. Its purpose is to provide students with a centrally located list of reading materials from which they can choose (and even purchase!) books that discuss topics of importance to the freethought and secular movement. These books also further the education of freethinkers of all ages on matters that they often find important enough to discuss online and with one another socially.

It is with the greatest enthusiasm that we introduce this list to the student (both traditional and non-traditional) freethought population.

Booklist Index:

Atheism
Church/State Separation
Contemporary Issues
Contemporary Literary Authors
Creation/Evolution
Critical Thinking
Feminism
Freethought
Humanism
Mythology / Ancient History
Philosophy: Classical Texts
Philosophy: Ethics
Philosophy: Introduction
Popular Culture
Religious Criticism
Science
Skeptical Literature
Young Readers
Other Freethought Bookshelves

Atheism:

Am I an Atheist or an Agnostic?: Bertrand Russell
An Anthology of Atheism and Rationalism: Gordon Stein
Atheism: Ed. S. T. Joshi
Atheism: A Philosophical Justification: Michael Martin
Atheism, Ayn Rand, and Other Heresies: George H. Smith
Atheism: The Case Against God: George H. Smith
The Atheist Debater's Handbook: B. C. Johnson
Atheist Heroes and Heroines: Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Atheist Primer: Madalyn Murray O'Hair
The Big Domino in the Sky: Michael Martin
The Case Against Religion: A Psychotherapist's View: Albert Ellis, Ph.D.
The Encyclopedia of Unbelief: Volume I & II: Ed. Gordon Stein
Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist: Dan Barker
The Making of the Messiah: Robert Sheaffer
The Necessity of Atheism and Other Essays: Percy Bysshe Shelley
Philosophy and Atheism: Kai Neilsen
Positive Atheism: Shri Goparaju Ramachandra Rao
A Second Anthology of Atheism and Rationalism: Gordon Stein
Superstition: Felix A. Planer
The Ways of an Atheist: Bernard Katz
Western Atheism: James Thrower
What is Atheism?: Douglas E. Krueger
Why Atheism?: George H. Smith

Church/State Separation:

The Case Against School Vouchers: Edd Doerr, Albert J. Menendez, John M. Swomley
Church and State in Canada: Albert J. Menendez
Close Encounters with the Religious Right: Journeys into the Twilight Zone of Religion and Politics: Rob Boston
Evangelicals at the Ballot Box: Albert J. Menendez
The First Freedom: Ed. Albert J. Menendez
The Most Dangerous Man In America? Pat Robertson and the Rise of the Christian Coalition: Rob Boston
No Religious Test: Albert J. Menendez
Religion, State and the Burger Court: Leo Pfeiffer
The Right to Religious Liberty: The Basic ACLU Guide to Religious Rights: Barry Lynn, Marc D. Stern, Oliver S. Thomas
Stars in the Constitutional Constellation: Federal and State Constitutional Provisions on Church and State: Steven Green
Why the Religious Right is Wrong About Separation of Church and State: Rob Boston

Contemporary Issues:

Contemporary Literary Authors:

Creation/Evolution:

Abusing Science: Philip Kitcher
But is it Science?: Ed. Michael Ruse
Creationism's Upside-Down Pyramid: How Science Refutes Fundamentalism: Lee Tiffin
Evolution and the Myth of Creationism: Tim M. Berra
How To Debate a Creationist: Michael Shermer
In The Beginning: A Scientist Shows Why the Creationists are Wrong: Chris McGowan
Interpreting Evolution: Darwin and Teilhard de Chardin: H. James Birx
The Mythmaker's Magic: Behind the Illusion of Creation Science: Delos B. McKown
Science and Creationism: Academy of Sciences
Science and Earth History: The Evolution/Creation Controversy: Arthur N. Strahler
Science vs. Religion: Tad S. Clements
Scientists Confront Creationism: Ed. Laurie R. Godfrey
Summer of the Gods: Edward Larson
Tales of the Rational: Massimo Pigliucci
Tower of Babel: The Evidence Against the New Creationism: Robert Pennock
Voices for Evolution: Ed. Molleen Matsumura

Critical Thinking:

Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking: M. Neil Browne and Stuart M. Keeley
Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life: Richard Paul and Linda Elder
Critical Thinking: What Every Person Needs to Survive in a Rapidly Changing World: Richard W. Paul
Critical Thinking, Reading and Writing: Sylvan Barnet, Hugo Bedau
Dumbth: Steve Allen
How To Think About Weird Things: Theodore Schick, Jr. and Lewis Vaughn
Metaphysical Delusion: Fraser Cowley
The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools: Richard Paul and Linda Elder
Telling Right From Wrong: Timothy J. Cooney

Feminism:

Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion: Carol Tavris
Betrayal of Trust: Clergy Abuse of Children: Annie Laurie Gaylor
The Beauty Myth: Naomi Wolf
The Born Again Skeptic's Guide to the Bible: Ruth Hurmence Green
The Feminine Mystique: Betty Friedan
Freedom, Feminism, and the State: Ed. Wendy McElroy
From Housewife to Heretic: Sonia Johnson
The Happy Heretic: Judith Hayes
I'm Dysfunctional, You're Dysfunctional: The Recovery Movement and Other Self-Help Fashions: Wendy Kaminer
It's All the Rage: Crime and Culture: Wendy Kaminer
The Mismeasure of Woman: Carol Tavris
One Woman's Fight: Vashti McCollum
Queen Silver: The Godless Girl: Wendy McElroy
The Reasonable Woman: A Guide to Intellectual Survival: Wendy McElroy
Religion, Feminism, and Freedom of Conscience: George D. Smith
Sexual Correctness: The Gender-Feminist Attack on Women: Wendy McElroy
Suffragettes to She-Devils: Women's Liberation and Beyond: Liz McQuiston, Germaine Greer
The Uppity Old Atheist Woman's Dictionary: Carol Faulkenberry
Vamps and Tramps: Camille Paglia
Why Abortion? The Myth of Choice for Women Who Are Poor: Anne Nicol Gaylor
Who Stole Feminism?: How Women Have Betrayed Women: Christina Hoff Sommers
The Whole Woman: Germaine Greer
The Widow-Traditions in Luke-Acts: A Feminist-Critical Scrutiny: Robert M. Price
Woe to the Women: The Bible Tells Me So: Annie Laurie Gaylor The Woman's Bible: Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Women Who Run With the Wolves: Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Women Without Superstition: No Gods-No Masters: Annie Laurie Gaylor
XXX: A Woman's Right to Pornography: Wendy McElroy

Freethought:

All About Adam & Eve: Robert J. Gillooly
Classics of Free Thought: Paul Blanshard
The Critical Way in Religion: Duncan Howlett
Dragons For Sale: Studies in Unreason: Robert W. Wheeler
Essays in Freethinking: Chapman Cohen
The Fall of Yugoslavia: Svetozar Stojanovic
The Fatal Flaw: Duncan Howlett
For the Sake of Clarity: Stephen H. Fritchman
Freethought Across the Centuries: Gerald R. Larue
Freethought on the American Frontier: Eds. Fred Whitehead and Verle Muhrer
The Joy of Books: Eric Burns
The Militant Agnostic: E. Haldeman-Julius
Polydoxy: Explorations in a Philosophy of Liberal Religion: Alvin J. Reines
The Religious Beliefs of our Presidents: From Washington to F.D.R.: Franklin Steiner
Some Reasons Why I am a Freethinker: Robert G. Ingersoll
Thomas Jefferson's Freethought Legacy: Roger E. Greeley
2000 Years of Disbelief: James A. Haught
Why I Am An Agnostic and Other Essays: Clarence Darrow
Who's Who in Hell: Warren Allen Smith
Why I Am Not a Christian: Bertrand Russell
Why I Am Not a Muslim: Ibn Warraq

Humanism:

African-American Humanism: Norm A. Allen, Jr.
A Celebration of Humanism and Freethought: David Allen Williams
Basic Ideas of Secular Humanistic Judaism: Eva Goldfinger
Challenges to the Enlightenment: In Defense of Reason and Science: Eds. Paul Kurtz and Timothy J. Madigan
The Courage to Become: The Virtues of Humanism: Paul Kurtz
Eupraxophy: Living Without Religion: Paul Kurtz
Exuberance: A Philosophy of Happiness: Paul Kurtz
Forbidden Fruit: The Ethics of Humanism: Paul Kurtz
Foundations of Humanism: J. P. van Praag
The Genesis of a Humanist Manifesto: Edwin H. Wilson
Humanism: Finding Meaning in the Word: Nicolas Walter
Humanism as the Next Step: Lloyd and Mary Morain
Humanist Anthology: Eds. Margaret Knight, James Herrick
Humanist Ethics: Dialogs on Basics: Morris B. Storer
In Defense of Secular Humanism: Paul Kurtz
Man, Science, Humanism: Ivan Frolov
Marxist Humanism and Praxis: Gerson S. Sher
The Philosophy of Humanism: Corliss Lamont
A Secular Humanist Declaration: Paul Kurtz
The Transcendental Temptation: Paul Kurtz

Mythology & Ancient History

Hero With a Thousand Faces: Joseph Campbell
The Power of Myth: Joseph Campbell

Philosophy: Classic Texts:

The Age of Reason: Thomas Paine
The Analects: Confucius
The Analysis of Mind: Bertrand Russell
The Art of War: Sun-Tzu
Being and Nothingness: An Essay on Phenomonological Ontology: Jean-Paul Sartre
Being and Time: Martin Heidegger
Beyond Good and Evil: Friedrich Nietzsche
Common Sense: Thomas Paine
The Communist Manifesto: Karl Marx with Frederick Engels
Consciousness Explained: Daniel C. Dennett
The Critique of Judgment: Immanuel Kant
Critique of Practical Reason: Immanuel Kant
Critique of Pure Reason: Immanuel Kant
Discourse on Metaphysics and The Monadology: Gottfried W. Leibniz
Discourse on Method and The Meditations: Rene Descartes
Enchiridion: Epictetus
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: David Hume
The Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and Phaedo: Plato
Essays: Francis Bacon
The Essence of Christianity: Ludwig Feuerbach
The Essential Epicurus: Epicurus
Ethics: Benedict de Spinoza
Existentialism and Human Emotions: Jean-Paul Sartre
Freedom and Culture: John Dewey
How We Think: John Dewey
Influence of Darwin on Philosophy: John Dewey
Intentionality: An Essay on the Philosophy of Mind: John Searle
Letters on the English: Voltaire
The Leviathan: Thomas Hobbes
The Life of Reason: George Santayana
Meditations: Marcus Aurelius
The Metaphysics: Aristotle
The Myth of Sisyphus: Albert Camus
Nichomachean Ethics: Aristotle
On Liberty: John Stuart Mill
On the Nature of Things: Lucretius
Outlines of Pyrrhonism: Sextus Empericus
Paradoxes of Freedom: Sidney Hook
Parmenides: Plato
Philosophy of Right: G. W. F. Hegel
Philosophical Investigations: Ludwig Wittgenstein
Poetics: Aristotle
Politics: Aristotle
Pragmatism: William James
The Prince: Niccolo Machiavelli
The Problems of Philosophy: Bertrand Russell
The Quest for Being: Sidney Hook
Reason, Social Myths, and Democracy: Sidney Hook
Reflections on the Revolution in France: Edmund Burke
The Republic: Plato
Rights of Man: Thomas Paine
The Second Treatise on Civil Government: John Locke
Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous: George Berkeley
Thus Spake Zarathustra: Friedrich Nietzsche
Tractatus Logico-philosophicus: Ludwig Wittgenstein
A Treatise of Human Nature: David Hume
The Wisdom of Life and Counsels and Maxims: Arthur Schopenhauer

Philosophy: Ethics:

A Comprehensive History of Western Ethics: Warren Ashby
A Preface to Morals: Walter Lippmann
Does Life Have a Meaning?: Milton K. Munitz
Ethics and the Search for Values: Eds. Luis E. Navia & Eugene Kelly
The Ethics of Ambiguity: Simone de Beauvoir
Ethics Without God: Kai Neilsen
Good and Evil: Richard Taylor
How are We to Live? Ethics in an Age of Self-Interest: Peter Singer
Nonbelief and Evil: Theodore M. Drange
Principia Ethica: G. E. Moore
Principles of Morals and Legislation: Jeremy Bentham
The Problems of Philosophers: An Introduction: Patrick T. MacKenzie
A Short History of Ethics: Alasdair MacIntyre
A Theory of the Good and the Right: Richard B. Brandt
The Theory of Moral Sentiments: Adam Smith
Values: What They Are & How We Know Them: John T. Goldthwait

Philosophy: Introduction:

An Invitation to Philosophy: Nicholas Capaldi, Eugene Kelly, and Luis E. Navia
Contemporary Analytic and Linguistic Philosophies: Ed. E. D. Klemke
Doing Philosophy Historically: Ed. Peter H. Hare
Elementary Logic: W. V. Quine
Esthetics Contemporary: Ed. Richard Kostalenetz
Introduction to Metaphysics: The Fundamental Questions: Ed. Andrew B. Schoedinger
Introductory Readings in the Philosophy of Science: E. D. Klemke, Robert Hollinger, and David Wuss Rudge, with A. David Kline
Journeys Through Philosophy: Eds. Nicholas Capaldi, Eugene Kelly, and Luis E. Navia
Modern Cosmology and Philosophy: Ed. John Leslie
On Knowing and the Known: Introductory Readings in Epistemology: Ed. Kenneth G. Lucey
Philosophy: An Introduction: Antony Flew
The Story of Philosophy: Will Durant
The Truth About Everything: An Irreverent History of Philosophy, with Illustrations: Matthew Stewart

Popular Culture:

Seinfeld & Philosophy: Ed. William Irvin
The Simpsons & Philosophy: Ed. William Irvin, Mark Conard, Aeon Skoble

Religious Criticism:

The Bad News Bible: David Voas
The Christ: John E. Remsberg
The Christ Myth: Arthur Drews
Critiques of God: Ed. Peter A. Angeles
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Christian Myth: John Allegro
Deconstructing Jesus: Robert M. Price
Did Jesus Exist?: G. A. Wells
Does God Exist?: J. P. Moreland and Kai Neilsen
Fanatics and Hypocrites: Jay Newman
The Forgery of the Old Testament and Other Essays: Joseph McCabe
God and the Burden of Proof: Keith M. Parsons
Gospel Fictions: Randel Helms
The Historical Evidence for Jesus: G. A. Wells
Holy Hatred: James A. Haught
Holy Horrors: James A. Haught
Immortality: Paul Edwards
Is Christianity True?: Michael Arnheim
Jesus Doesn't Live Here Anymore: Skipp Porteous
Jesus in History and Myth: R. Joseph Hoffman and Gerald R. Larue
The Life of Jesus: Ernest Renan
The Myth of the Resurrection and Other Essays: Joseph McCabe
On the Gods and Other Essays: Robert G. Ingersoll
The Origins of Christianity: R. Joseph Hoffman
Porphyry's Against the Christians: R. Joseph Hoffman
Self-Contradictions of the Bible: William Henry Burr
Some Mistakes of Moses: Robert G. Ingersoll
Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality: Steve Allen
The Trouble With Christmas: Tom Flynn
The Unauthorized Version: Truth and Fiction in the Bible: Robin Lane Fox
The Unriddling of Christian Origins: Joel Carmichael
What is the Bible?: Carl Loftmark
What the Bible Really Says: Morton Smith and R. Joseph Hoffman
Without a Prayer: Robert S. Allen

Science:

Billions and Billions: Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan
The Blind Watchmaker: Richard Dawkins
The Book of Scientific Anecdotes: Adrian Berry
Broca's Brain : Reflections on the Romance of Science: Carl Sagan
Climbing Mount Improbable: Richard Dawkins
Consilience: E. O. Wilson
Cosmos: Carl Sagan
Darwin's Ghost: The Origin of Species Updated: Steve Jones
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark: Carl Sagan
Dinosaur in a Haystack: Stephen J. Gould
The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence: Carl Sagan
Ever Since Darwin: Stephen J. Gould
The Extraordinary Story of Human Origins: Piero and Alberto Angela
The Extraordinary Story of Life on Earth: Piero and Alberto Angela
The Forces of Matter: Michael Faraday
Genome: Matt Ridley
Germ Theory and its Applications to Medicine: Louis Pasteur
Great Essays in Science: Ed. Martin Gardner
Guns, Germs and Steel: Jared Diamond
The Magic Numbers of Dr. Matrix: Martin Gardner
The Mismeasure of Man: Stephen J. Gould
The Neandertal Enigma: James Shreeve
On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres: Nicolaus Copernicus
On T he Origin of Species: Charles Darwin
Pale Blue Dot: Carl Sagan
Past, Present, and Future: Isaac Asimov
The Principia: Sir Isaac Newton
Relativity: Albert Einstein
Science: Good, Bad and Bogus: Martin Gardner
The Science Gap: Dispelling the Myths and Understanding the Reality of Science: Milton A. Rothman
Science Without Limits: James S. Perlman, Ph.D.
The Selfish Gene: Richard Dawkins
Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by its Most Brilliant Teacher: Richard P. Feynman
The Sixth Extinction: Richard Leakey with Roger Lewin Studies Show: John H. Fennick
Timeless Reality: Symmetry, Simplicity, and Multiple Universes: Victor J. Stenger
Understanding Science: Arthur N. Strahler
Unweaving the Rainbow: Richard Dawkins
A User's Guide to the Brain: John J. Ratey
Vaccination Against Smallpox: Edward Jenner
Wonderful Life: Stephen J. Gould

Skeptical Literature:

Abracadabra!: Nathaniel Schiffman
The Adventures of a Parapsychologist: Susan Blackmore
The Art of Deception: Nicholas Capaldi
Astrology: J. V. Stewart, M.D.
Astrology Disproved: Lawrence E. Jerome
Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition: Stuart A. Vyse
Deception and Self-Deception: Richard Wiseman, Ph.D.
Dying to Live: Near Death Experiences: Susan Blackmore
Entities: Joe Nickell
The Faith Healers: James Randi
Flim-Flam!: James Randi
The God Part of the Brain: Matthew Alper
How Not to Test a Psychic: Martin Gardner
How We Believe: The Search for God in an Age of Science: Michael Shermer
The Hundredth Monkey: Kendrick Frazier
Inquest on the Shroud of Turin: Joe Nickell
Looking For a Miracle: Joe Nickell
Miracle Mongers and Their Methods: A Complete Expose: Houdini
The New Age: Martin Gardner
On The Wild Side: Martin Gardner
Paranormal Borderlands of Science: Kendrick Frazier
Physics and Psychics: Victor J. Stenger
Pseudoscience and the Paranormal: Terence Hines
The Psychology of the Psychic: David Marks and Richard Kammann
Readings in the Philosophical Problems of Parapsychology: Antony Flew
Science Confronts the Paranormal: Kendrick Frazier
Secrets of the Supernatural: Joe Nickell with John F. Fischer
Skeptical Odysseys: Ed. Paul Kurtz
A Skeptic's Handbook of Parapsychology: Ed. Paul Kurtz
The Supernatural, The Occult, and the Bible: Gerald R. Larue
Tales of the Occult: Eds. Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg, Charles C. Waugh
UFO Abductions: A Dangerous Game: Philip J. Klass
The UFO Invasion: Kendrick Frazier, Barry Karr and Joe Nickell
UFO Sightings: The Evidence: Robert Sheaffer
Why People Believe Weird Things: Michael Shermer

Young Readers:

All Families are Different: Sol Gordon
Bellybuttons are Navels: Mark Schoen, Ph.D.
Better Safe Than Sorry Book: Sol and Judith Gordon
A Birthday Present for Daniel: A Child's Story of Loss: Juliet C. Rothman
Did The Sun Shine Before You Were Born?: Sol and Judith Gordon
Girls are Girls, and Boys are Boys: So What's the Difference?: Sol Gordon
How Do You Know It's True?: Hy Ruchlis
If You Had to Choose, What Would You Do?: Sandra McLeod Humphrey
It's Magic!: Henry Gordon
It's Up to You…What Do You Do?: Sandra McLeod Humphrey
Little Feelings: Judy Spain Barton
Maybe Right, Maybe Wrong: Dan Barker
Maybe Yes, Maybe No: Dan Barker
Nibbling on Einstein's Brain: Diane Swanson
Old Tales for a New Day: Sophia Lyon Fahs and Alice Cobb
Sasquatches From Outer Space: Exploring the Weirdest Mysteries Ever: Tim Yule
Science in a Nanosecond: James A. Haught
The Snark Puzzle Book: Martin Gardner
The Tree of Life: The Wonders of Evolution: Ellen Jackson
What About Gods?: Chris Brockman
Wonder-Workers! How They Perform the Impossible: Joe Nickell

Other Freethought Bookshelves:

Atheist Alliance Freethought Bookshelf
Darwin Day Bookshelf
Secular Web Bookstore

Skeptic's Bookshelf

If you have suggestions for resources we could add here and would like to volunteer your services, please send us an e-mail at a.human@mindspring.com and reference the Secular Seasons project.