Books - William Benedict

Politics, Religion, Philosophy, Science & Justice

The following are books that I recommend. Those read most recently are at the top of the list.

What Do You Do with a Chocolate Jesus?: Author: Thomas Quinn
A funny easy to read book that explores the history of Christianity. It is a great companion to Jesus, Interrupted that is a more serious presentation of biblical research (see below). Both books provide an analysis of historical Christianity that show it to be a very human creation.
"The problems don't start when people have faith in bizarre beliefs. The problems start when people want you to have faith in their bizarre beliefs and, if you decline the offer, they stop making good arguments and start making bad laws. ... Faith is personal opinion, which is why it's not called 'fact'."
American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America: Author: Chris Hedges
This book provides the clearest description of the Christian Right that I have found. The Christian Right has a world view that is antithetical to mine and detrimental to our society. Theirs is a non-reality-based belief system of magic, signs, miracles and wonders that isolates them from society. The certitude of Christian fundamentalism shelters them from a despair that threatens to consume them again if they return to a reality-based world as exemplified by science and evolution.
The Third Industrial Revolution: Author: Jeremy Rifkin
"The five pillars of the Third Industrial Revolution are (1) shifting to renewable energy; (2) transforming the building stock of every continent into micro-power plants to collect renewable energies on site; (3) deploying hydrogen and other storage technologies in every building and throughout the infrastructure to store intermittent energies; (4) using Internet technology to transform the power grid of every continent into an energy-sharing intergrid that acts just like the Internet (when millions of buildings are generating a small amount of energy locally, on site, they can sell surplus back to the grid and share electricity with their, continental neighbors); and (5) transitioning the transport fleet to electric plug-in and fuel cell vehicles that can buy and sell electricity on a smart, continental, interactive power grid." (pg. 37)
I found the last three chapters entitled "Retiring Adam Smith", A Classroom Makeover" and "Morphing from the Industrial to the Collaborative Era" the most interesting.
World On The Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse: Author: Lester R. Brown
The author provides an easy to read and compelling analysis of our current situation and proposes an approach to addressing the problems. This book provides an abbreviated version of the proposal that Brown details in his book "Plan B 4.0." "The Plan B goals—stabilizing climate, stabilizing population, eradicate poverty, and restoring the economy's natural support systems—are mutually dependent."
The Debunking Handbook (pdf): Authors: John Cook and Stephan Lewandowsky
Download the nine page booklet containing recommendations for addressing myths.
"Debunking myths is problematic. Unless great care is taken, any effort to debunk misinformation can inadvertently reinforce the very myths one seeks to correct. To avoid these "backfire effects", an effective debunking requires three major elements. First, the refutation must focus on core facts rather than the myth to avoid the misinformation becoming more familiar. Second, any mention of a myth should be preceded by explicit warnings to notify the reader that the upcoming information is false. Finally, the refutation should include an alternative explanation that accounts for important qualities in the original misinformation."
The End of Growth: Adapting to Our New Economic Reality: Author: Richard Heinberg
"The central assertion of this book is both simple and startling: Economic growth as we have known it is over and done with. The "growth" we are talking about consists of the expansion of the size of the economy and of the quantities of energy and material goods flowing through it."
This book made me think about the economy in new ways and realize the scope of the problem we face. I highly recommend this very accessible a clearly written book.
The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability: Author: Lierre Keith
This is a well written and very readable book that is both dense in information and inspiring in its passion. The author whose health was negatively affected by being a vegan for 20 years presents a case against a vegetarian diet on moral, political and nutritional grounds. I recommend this book to everyone. I learned a great deal about how food affects our health, social justice and the earth.
The Watchman's Rattle: Thinking Our Way Out of Extinction: Author: Rebecca D. Costa
The author begins by arguing that once a society exhibits signs of "gridlock and the substitution of beliefs for facts—the stage is set for collapse." These signs arise because the problems facing a society become so complex that facts are difficult to acquire and poor decisions eventually lead to collapse. She next describes five supermemes (Irrational Opposition, The Personalization of Blame, Counterfeit Correlation, Silo Thinking and Extreme Economics) that are hindering our ability to imagine solutions. Finally, the author presents the latest research surrounding our brain's ability to employ insight to solve complex problems. I found that the research on insight confirmed my experience and provided ideas for its enhancement and application. A book that provides hope for our time.
Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Culture: Authors: Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum
This short and readable book provides a history of science's place in America, an analysis of its current condition and recommendations for the future.
Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity: Author: John W. Loftus
The author systematically addresses the arguments that Christian apologists present to support Christianity. What the book provided me was a much better understanding of how Christians justify their beliefs. It also provided clear and convincing arguments against Christianity. Not an easy read due to the detail with which the arguments are presented.
The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values: Author: Sam Harris
The book is clearly written, easy to read and provides more great questions than answers. In the process, Sam Harris argues for a morality of human well-being based on events in the world and states of the human brain—“that morality and values relate to facts about the well-being of conscious creatures.” His position is that science and reason should have a central role in the development of an objective and universal morality—that they can help us define right and wrong answers to moral questions.
In the section entitled "The Clash Between Faith and Reason," (158-176) the author provides an excellent critique of The Language of God by Francis Collins. The chapter provides a concise critique of religion.
Raising Elijah: Raising Our Children in an Age of Environmental Crisis: Author: Sandra Steingraber
In this wonderfully written book, the author provides clear and detailed information about the toxic environment in which our children are born and raised. She weaves this information into the story of raising her children. Her two epiphanies are: “One: Current environmental policies must be realigned to safeguard the healthy development of children and sustain planetary life-support systems on which their lives depend. Two: Such realignment necessitates emancipation from our enslavement to fossil fuels in all their toxic forms.” Once again you see that capitalism values only profit and social institutions must provide constraints or everything else will be lost.
The Ecological Rift: Capitalism's War In The Earth: Authors: John Bellamy Foster, Brett Clark, and Richard York
This book is not an easy read but makes vividly clear the destructive nature of capitalism due to its thirst for profits and growth. This is manifest through ecological imperialism—the stripping of the natural resources of one area to support another—carried out by corporations under the protection of powerful nations. This book, along with several of those listed below, has opened my eyes to our nation’s support of ecological imperialism and facilitation of the destruction of the world’s natural environment. They have also reinforced my disgust for the quality of information provided by the media. For example, if you understand the following, do you respond to economic news in the same way?
Agriculture and Food in Crisis: Edited By: Fred Magdoff and Brian Tokar
This is an eye opening book that provided me an understanding of the current state of agriculture in the world. It contains clearly written and factually supported chapters by a variety of authors. For me the concept of food sovereignty was the most powerful.
The Science and Humanity of Stephen Jay Gould: Authors: Richard York and Brett Clark
The book provides an understanding of the contributions that Stephen Jay Gould made to evolutionary theory and to the understanding of the interactions of science and human life. The book helped deepen my understanding of evolution and science.
"Nature is nonmoral. It holds no ethical message or grand plan. It is indifferent to our desires, aspirations, dreams, hopes, and existence. Gould indicated that it is pure human arrogance to believe that nature exists for any purpose or that humans are somehow central to it. . . . Gould did not see the absence of meaning in nature as depressing. Instead it is liberating to recognize that meaning and morality are human projects." (page 180)
The Good Atheist: Living a Purpose–Filled Life Without God: Author: Dan Baker
In Part 1: Life–Driven Purpose, the author provides a critique of Rick Warren's book "The Purpose Driven Life." In the critique, the author takes the position that "To say there is no purpose of life does not mean there is no purpose in life." "Purpose is not something you search for." "It is something you choose to create. "Purpose comes from solving problems, As long as there are challenges, there is purpose in life." "Life is not driven by purpose; purpose is driven by life."
In Part 2: Profiles in Non-Belief, the author has written about and collected quotes by people from all walks of life that provide insight into atheist that have lived purpose-filled lives.
Death of the Liberal Class: Author: Chris Hedges
The book provides an understanding of the history of the liberal class in America and the factors that have lead to its demise. For example, the Taft-Hartley Act, passed in 1949, killed the ability of labor to fight back effectively against the corporate state. The act was a product of anti-communist hysteria that persecuted and marginalized a whole generation of liberal union leaders and intellectuals. The book provides a great deal for those of us that consider ourselves liberals to consider. I found it enlightening, depressing and inspirational.
The Spirit Level: Author: Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett
The easy to read and understand book, based on thirty years of research, shows that greater equality makes societies stronger. The authors "argue convincingly that wide inequity is bad for a society, and that more equal societies tend to do better on many measures of social health and wealth." The social factors that improve with greater equity include: community life and social relations; mental health and drug use; physical health and life expectancy; obesity; educational performance; teenage births; violence; imprisonment; and social mobility. This is a critically important realization at this time of increasing inequity in the United States. The problem can be addressed through taxes and benefits to redistribute income from the rich to the poor along with strategies to narrow differences in incomes before redistribution.
Go to http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/ for continuing information.
Go to TED talk: Richard Wilkinson: How economic inequality harms societies.
God Is Not One: Author: Stephen Prothero
The book provides a basic understanding of the eight great religions and is written to help us understand that religions are different at their core and this difference matters.
The Story of Stuff: Author: Annie Leonard
A very easy read that really caught my attention. This is the first time someone ties so many things together relative to our consumer society and its impact on our lives and the planet. It caused me to make different decisions in my life and be aware of the implications of my actions.
All My Bones Shake: Seeking a Progressive Path to the Prophetic Voice: Author: Robert Jensen
This book rescued my memory of the caring religious community that has been stolen by fundamentalists over the last twenty years. The author describes the community that I remember as being by my side instead of being in the way.
The Evolution of God: Author: Robert Wright
One of the book's main premises is that "scriptural interpretation is obedient to facts on the ground." What I found interesting is the author's description of how religion has evolved relative to its cultural context. Religion that in the past was a key factor in keeping cultural webs intact now often contributes to cultural divisions. This raises a key question for religion today: "Can religions in the modern world reconcile themselves to one another, and can they reconcile themselves to science?"
Jesus, Interrupted: Author: Bart D. Ehrman
Ehrman presents the research and theories of biblical scholars that show "Christianity as a very human religion and the bible as a very human book." It presents a "Christianity that has long been recognized by critical historians as the religion about Jesus, not the religion of Jesus." I learned a great deal from this very accessible book.
What's so Wrong with being Absolutely Right: Author: Judy J. Johnson
The book presents current research and theories about dogmatism and its negative effects on people and society. The author takes the position that "dogmatism–not religious fundamentalism, terrorism, or fanaticism in general–is the greatest threat to social, political, and scientific progress. Not an easy read.
Living Without God: New Directions for Atheists, Agnostics, Secularists, and the Undecided: Author: Ronald Aronson
"Given our contemporary understanding of the universe, what is our place in the world and our sense of life's meaning? What happens to our sense of individual responsibility for our world and our own lives as we become increasingly aware of the immensity of the social, natural, and psychological forces imposing themselves on us, and the complexity of the systems to which we belong? How do we face dying today, and what does death mean for a life without god?" These are some of the questions that the author addresses while providing several very thoughtful observations and ideas.
The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus: Author: Peter J. Gomes
In the book, Peter addresses two bits of conventional wisdom. "The first view is that religion is part of the problem and not part of the solution to the human problem, and the second view is that for Christians in particular, the bible is too tempting a diversion from the hard work of attempting to live a religious life worthy of the times in which we find ourselves." He describes a Christianity that I can respect as a positive cultural force.
Would Jesus Discriminate?: Author: Rev, Dr. Cindi Love
A small book that "helps us stand our ground in the midst of the rhetoric that attempts to distort the inclusive love of Jesus Christ." A simple argument for inclusion.
50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God: Author: Guy P. Harrison
A respectful critique of the reasons believers in many countries over several years have given the author for believing in a god. Includes a bibliography of recommended readings at the end of each chapter.
Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism: Author: Susan Jacoby
A history of America that provides insight into the issue of the separation of church and state.
God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It: Author: Jim Wallis
This book makes an argument for the religion I grew up in and felt aligned with after becoming an atheist.
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto: Author: Michael Pollan
Presentation of a simple but powerful manifesto: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
Just A Theory: Exploring the Nature of Science: Author: Moti Ben-Ari
A wonderful small book that provides a clear discussion of the nature of science and the theory of natural selection. This should be required high school reading.
The Religious Case Against Belief: Author: James P. Carse
A small very readable book that will expand your thinking about the essence of religion and how beliefs can limit its vision.
The God Delusion: Author: Richard Dawkins
"The real war is between rationalism and superstition. Science is but one form of rationalism, while religion is the most common form of superstition"
God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything: Author: Christopher Hitchens
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason: Author: San Harris
"Imagine a world in which generations of human beings come to believe that certain films were made by God or that specific software was coded by him. Imaging a future in which millions of our descendants murder each other over rival interpretations of Star Wars or Windows 98. Could anything—anything—be more ridiculous? And yet, this would be no more ridiculous that the world we are living in."
The Science of Good & Evil: Author: Michael Shermer
An excellent discussion of the sources of morality.
The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love: Author: John Shelby Spong
A clear critique of the bible that attempts to rescue it from fundamentalism combined with some insights into what religion means to him.
The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule: Author: Thomas Frank
A very depressing book that makes you aware of how the current crop of conservatives have seriously weakened our nation.