I have just started reading, well listening to the god delusion, and I am thinking of other books that other atheists think most of all atheists should read. I am mostly looking to really expand my own philosophy’s. I used to consider my self an intellectual person, however I have been out of college for a few years now I feel like I am less intellectual then I used to be, from back when I was reading and researching and doing school and class projects along with conversations with other people who I considered intellectual’s and professors who I consider some of the most intelligent people I have ever meet, so now I am looking for books to read or listen to. Sorry for the long explanation.
Comparing a number of books and there ideas is a difficult task and one which can be very confusing. However to study these provides enlightenment which takes time and effort.Most individuals stop along the way and therefore retain a position only half developed.
Not just atheists but everybody who is serious about acquiring knowledge would do well to read literature which challenges their world view. If you only immerse yourself in texts or ideologies which re-enforce your belief system, their is no advancement in your outlook and consequently your ideology becomes a self-referencing loop. As I am sure you are aware this is frowned upon in most academic circles. The most dangerous claim from any individual/group is that they know the Answer or the have the Truth. This is especially true of Manchester United supporters who think they are the greatest soccer team ever!
The New Atheist Trilogy, consisting of The End of Faith by Sam Harris, The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, and God is not Great by Christopher Hitchens.
Also Dawkins' The Selfish Gene
@desertHumanist And Harris's Letter to a Christian Nation.
Anything - Its funny you reminded me of an encounter in Spain - When Franco died many of us went to Spain to celebrate - my partner and i with two children went to a campsite and politely asked where we should pitch our tent. The owner made this amazing smile and laughed & threw his arms in the air and shouted 'Anarchista!' Anywhere! at all!
Hilarious..great memory to have..?
The Hitchhiker' Guide to the Galaxy (entire series) : Douglas Adams
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency : Douglas Adams
Bloom County: The Complete Library Book Series : Berkeley Breathed
On Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America : Kevin Kruse
Pilgrim Withdraws: The Rebuttal to Pilgrim's Progress : Benjamin David
The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make us Human : Jonathan Gottschall
Hitch-Hikers definitely. Douglas Adams was one of the world's greatest atheists. Read in that light, his trilogy in five parts is as funny and as genius (actually more so) as Monty Python's Life of Brian.
The Bible, you bunch of immoral heathens!!!!!!
If I'm understanding the context of your question correctly, I thought Michael Shermer's 'The Believing Brain' was a pretty decent read.
He goes into lots of different beliefs, including conspiracy theories, ghosts, etc. Kind of complex, but I liked it.
Why I Am Not A Christian, Bertrand Russell
I forgot about that book! Never read it, but a sociology teacher recommended it to me!
@TheGreatShadow
It’s probably the best book on the subject.
If you are looking for both intellectual stimulation and increasing your knowledge go to the In Our Time podcasts from BBC Radio 4. Melvyn Bragg and three guests (experts in their field) discuss a different topic each week. The show lasts for 45 minutes. Each topic under broadly speaking five categories, Philosophy, Culture, Science, Religion and History. Recent topics have been Henrik Ibsen, The Proton and Beethoven. Erudition at its finest delivered with humour and humility. On top of that each episode from the last 20 years is available as a podcast, over 500 in all. Just go to the In Our Time website [bbc.co.uk]
and you will never want for intellectual stimulus again!
Try Small Gods by Terry Pratchett.
And Sock by Penn Gillette.
And for nonfiction everyone should read Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do (the Absurdity of Consensual Crime in a Free Society) by Peter McWilliams. That last looks like a major spider killer and far more intimidating than it is. It could so easily have been dry and depressing but it's neither. Extremely readable and a most approachable take on blue laws and such.