The Truth Tree Library of Recommended Books

Untitled, composed and
sequenced by Doug Smoak

The Truth Tree's Library

This list of books in alphabetical order should be an excellent place to start for anyone interested in expanding his appreciation of the rational way of looking at things. Clicking on any title below will take you to that book's listing at Amazon Books.

Agnosticism and Christianity and Other Essays The topic of Agnosticism consumes a relatively minor part of this book by Thomas Huxley. It is interesting to read Huxley's exposition on Darwin's theory of evolution and how he makes the case for why it is more plausible than any other theory. While some of what he says would require modification in light of modern evolutionary thought, most of his arguments (using data from anthropology, archaeology, biology, embryology, genetics, geology, etc.) are still valid. Other essays include discussions on epistemology especially with regard to supernaturalism and claims of miracles. Only in the last several pages does Huxley elaborate on the origin and meaning of Agnosticism. In fact, he seems almost reluctant to descend into the discussion. He indulges the reader nevertheless and does a stupendous job of stating the case. A pleasant read on a rainy day.

Alan Turing : The Architect of the Computer Age This biography was written for "young adults" and is apparently available in school libraries. It would not be surprising therefore if it fails to mention that Alan was gay. I have not seen the book and don't really know, but it was the only biography I could find that was in print.

The Atheist Priest Based on a true story, this book by Marshal Lawrence Pierce III tells the story in novel form of a very successful Roman Catholic priest who was an atheist. It touches on all the current controversial issues such as the sex scandals, mandatory celibacy in the priesthood, and the acceptability of women priests. In 206 pages the author writes an entertaining narrative which puts these problems in a new light. The book is in need of editorial assistance, but in spite of its flaws it is well worth reading for anyone interested in the problems of the Roman Catholic priesthood and the philosophical problems faced by the traditional beliefs and practices of Christianity in the modern age.

The Animal Mind This Scientific American book by J. Gould is a good introduction to the cognitive abilities of animals. Highly recommended. - Remi

Anti-Intellectualism in American Life A relatively old book by Richard Hofstadter which traces the roots of a tendency that many of us have noticed. Even in grade school the smart kids were scorned. No doubt the kids picked up some of these attitudes from their parents, and it is helpful to understand that they have historic roots.

At Home in the Universe This book by Stuart Kauffman is a valiant effort to come up with a theory of "self organization in complex systems" to supplement Darwin's principle of natural selection. Those who think that natural selection needs a little help (or maybe a lot of it!) to explain such things as the "Cambrian explosion" will certainly find this book interesting. I'm not convinced that he has come up with a substantial theory here, but his arguments regarding processes which are close to the point of chaos are certainly interesting. I think it is required reading for anyone who wants to argue for intelligent design in evolution. I don't mean to imply that this book would strengthen their argument, however. It would make their task more difficult because it points out how a lot of complex structures and functions can happen naturally

The Bell Curve Herrnstein and Murray have stirred up a lot of anger with this book. It looks at IQ and race and comes to some highly controversial conclusions. I hope I don't receive any threatening e-mails or phone calls for placing this book on my list! I think it is an important case study, and I invite people to look at the book against the background of The Truth Tree's "On Debating" page.

Beyond Freedom and Dignity Deals with some of the important philosophical questions raised by a deterministic analysis of human behavior. Written by the most important spokesman for Behaviorism, B. F. Skinner, this book (although it may not provide the right answers) certainly raises some interesting questions.

Beyond This Horizon Suggested reading for either the cloning or the eugenics message board would be Robert A. Heinlein's "Beyond This Horizon", in which a society has evolved from the application of very advanced genetic manipulation techniques. There is a good discussion of attempts to 'create the perfect human' strategies.

A Boy's Own Story Edmund White displays wit and insight as he traces his 1950s-era American childhood, dysfunctional family, and adult life as an emerging gay literary writer.

A Brief History of Time This book by Stephen Hawking provides an excellent update on current cosmology. It includes discussion of "the big bang" and black holes. There are also a few interesting remarks related to religious ideas which have been widely misunderstood and quoted out of context by religious writers.

Burr: A Novel "Aaron Burr (1756-1836), a hero of the American Revolution, served as vice-president under Thomas Jefferson, took the life of Alexander Hamilton in a duel and was tried for treason when Jefferson accused him of plotting to make an empire of his own in the western territories. This novel is in the form of a memoir, told partly by Burr at the end of his long life and partly by a young journalist in whom Burr confides." --From the dustjacket
Possibly the best and most famous of Gore Vidal's historical novels. Highly recommended!

Care of the Soul Care of the Soul is considered to be one of the best primers for soul work ever written. Thomas Moore, an internationally renowned theologian and former Catholic monk, offers a philosophy for living that involves accepting our humanity rather than struggling to transcend it. By nurturing the soul in everyday life, Moore shows how to cultivate dignity, peace, and depth of character. For example, in addressing the importance of daily rituals he writes, "Ritual maintains the world's holiness. As in a dream a small object may assume significance, so in a life that is animated by ritual there are no insignificant things." Well, if we can agree on what is meant by "holiness" and by "ritual" perhaps this is subject to test. I disagree with Moore about this. I see no benefit from ritual except as a sort of art form. Synopsis: A therapist draws on the world's religions, music, art, and his own experiences with patients to examine the connections between spirituality and the problems of individuals and society.

The Chalice and the Blade By Riane Eisler, this book is arresting and remarkable. Sometimes it looks like the ravings of an enthusiast for feminism with somewhat half baked allusions and references to archeological research. But beware! Ashley Montagu said of it, "The most important book since Darwin's Origin of Species." The basic thesis is that there have been two types of religious beliefs in the history of the human race: the ones with male gods glorifying domination and war and the ones with female goddesses glorifying nurturance and partnership. The author attempts to show that the neolithic peoples worshipped "The Goddess" and had matrilineal kinship systems. Although she insists that she is not glorifying these ancient societies, it certainly does look as if she might be willing to go back and live during those times. Anyhow she has a grand vision for the future: We must move toward partnership and away from domination. This, she says, will be resisted by the current male-dominated dominator culture, but that culture really has nothing to fear because the new culture, based on partnership theory (whatever that is!) will not enthrone a female competitor who will dominate the now dominant males but will instead show us a new (but really ancient) way of organizing human relations around partnership and cooperation and domination and submission will somehow simply be done away with!

Chaos John Gleick's excellent introduction to a new branch of mathematics. An understanding of "chaos theory" as it is sometimes called, is necessary background for understanding some of Roger Penrose's discussion of artificial intelligence. The ideas are not difficult, but many people are talking about "chaos" who don't know what they are talking about. Don't be one of them!

Chernobyl Frederik Pohl's historical fiction based on the nuclear plant accident at Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union. Grim and sober, but good reading and especially important at a time when Vice President Cheney wishes for the U.S. to build more nuclear plants. Explores the question of nuclear energy, while providing a portrait of Soviet life at the early stages of glasnost.

Children: the Challenge Rudolf Dreikurs, an Adlerian psychiatrist, has written a book which, unlike most books of its kind, is really quite helpful. If you are a parent who sometimes has moments of intense frustration (and what parent doesn't?) this book may really be a great help to you. It is not "permissive" but it isn't "punitive" either. You'll just have to read it to see what I mean. The book contains a number of ideas that will help your child to learn to control his own behavior, and that after all is the goal of parenting, isn't it?

The Choosing Tree This book by Molly Jones is written for young readers but would be of interest to adults also. It is the story of two brothers whose mother had to take them to a Shaker community to live because she could no longer support them after their father's death. The story takes place in the state of Maine in the late nineteenth century. It is based in part on the diary of an actual boy who had a similar experience. The two brothers had very different reactions to their plight, but the lesson of the book is that no matter what the circumstances, a person's life is significantly determined by the choices he makes.

Climbing Mount Improbable Incredulity is frequently an obstacle to the acceptance of evolution. In this book, Richard Dawkins does an excellent job of showing that the events needed by evolution are not nearly so improbable as might be supposed.

Comet Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan explain the history and science of comets and how they relate to our planet and our own history. As always, Carl Sagan writes about science in a way that is clear and easy to understand.

Consciousness Explained Daniel C. Dennett has written a really important book here. The idea of consciousness as the primary subject matter of psychology has always been a serious problem for psychologists who want to have psychology included among the hard sciences. One whole school of psychology (behaviorism) was forced into the radical position of denying its existence altogether! This book is a summary of many recent developments which seem at last to have begun to make a potentially successful attack on the problem of consciousness. In addition it provides numerous original insights and an altogether new approach which is not only edifying but also quite entertaining. I expect it to have a significant impact on scientific psychology. Marvin Minsky's suggestion that psychology ought to be "the reverse engineering of the brain", which few psychologists have taken seriously, now gets a new lease on life. This book will separate the men from the boys in psychology. If you want to know which category a particular psychologist belongs just ask him his opinion of Consciousness Explained!

The Conscious Universe This book, by Dean Radin, states forthrightly the position that psi (the word he uses for all the "paranormal" phenomena such as clairvoyance, ESP, etc.) has been actually established beyond any reasonable doubt. Unlike many other such books, however, he does seem to appreciate what a serious claim this is. If such phenomena are real, we must indeed make some rather fundamental changes in the scientific conception of the universe we live in. He undertakes some preliminary steps to formulate some of these necessary changes. He relies a good bit on the recent rather strange findings of quantum physics. This is a book everyone interested in the subject most certainly should read, whatever the ultimate conclusion.

Creation [Review by the author, Gore Vidal] : "Mary McCarthy, another true wit, once observed that if you got nothing else out of "War and Peace," there was always Tolstoy's gourmet recipe for strawberry jam. I sometimes write novels that tell us things we ought to know about but don't. In the fifth century B.C., one man, had he lived to 75, could have known Socrates, the Buddha, Confucius and Zoroaster, not to mention Lao Tse, Mahavira, Democritus, et al. I invented such a character and these admittedly unlikely confrontations take place as we encounter, at its root, every religious and political system that we know today. My recommendation here is entirely disinterested: One writes this sort of book to pass on knowledge of worlds we are encouraged to know nothing of -- which explains why, when we were in Vietnam, we were amazed that Buddhists were setting themselves on fire. Our educational system and media have seen to it that we know nothing at all of other cultures and religions and next to nothing of our own. Worst of all, curiosity is carefully switched off in our schools."

The Crisis of Islam Bernard Lewis is a scholar of the Middle East and has published more than a dozen books. This one provides the reader with important information on the historical basis of Islam and the relevance of Islamic beliefs to the current crisis of suicide bombings and other terrorist activities. There are at least two broad categories of recommended response to these threats: the "get tough" response and the "understand, engage, and educate" response. Lewis seems to me to be clearly on the latter side. He says, "To most Americans, bin Ladin's declaration is a travesty, a gross distortion of the nature and purpose of the U.S. presence in Arabia. They should also be aware that for many, perhaps most Muslims, the declaration is an equally grotesque travesty of the nature of Islam, and even of its doctrine of jihad. The Qur'an speaks of peace as well as of war. . . . significant numbers of Muslims are ready to approve, and a few of them to apply (a less violent) interpretation of their religion. Terrorism requires only a few. Obviously, the West must defend itself by whatever means will be effective. But in devising means to fight the terrorists, it would surely be useful to understand the forces that drive them." The policies of the current administration seem seriously ignorant and unlikely to succeed in reducing the seriousness of the problem.

Critical Path Enough cannot be said about R. Buckminster ("Bucky") Fuller. He dedicated his life to the success of all humanity, and lived it to the end. Eighty-eight years old at his death in 1983, he spent the last years of his life as a "global guru" warning all of us about the crossroads we are facing as a global society and our possible choices. Paramount in his thesis in Critical Path is the jettisoning of capitalism as an archaic and limiting economic model for the furure. Critical Path will show the reader logical and practical alternatives to the madness of the current system which places profit before planet and people. Cynics are especially invited to read Bucky's tome, and students of all ages will find answers and insights to myths and misinformation which will liberate the mind and soul! Also, highly recommended is Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth also by Bucky and available through Amazon. This little book is an incredible introduction to synergy and why and how we can "make it" here aboard our home planet, our Spaceship Earth. Don't miss these books!

Dancing Naked in the Mind Field Kary Mullis, Nobel Laureate for Chemistry in 1993 for his discovery of PCR, has written a gem of a book. I couldn't put it down. Read it straight through in one sitting. The word "refreshing" has been used to describe the book no doubt because it completely lacks any of the stuffiness we have perhaps come to expect from academicians. He uses "fuck" and "shit" when he feels like it. He's a shameless gadfly against such modern trends as the emphasis on grantsmanship, self perpetuating government agencies, and instruments for increasing corporate profits. He has a number of theses among which are that we should spend more time and money preparing ourselves for a collision with a meteorite than investigating the collisions of elementary particles in giant colliders, that global warming is not happening and that even if it were happening it could not possibly be due to the burning of fossil fuels, that there is no evidence that AIDS is caused by HIV, and that there is no problem of depletion of ozone in the atmosphere. He thinks all these propositions are given publicity by government bureaucrats or corporations to maintain grant money or economic advantag. I think he's wrong about some of this, but his book is well worth reading. A criticism is that he complains that there has been no definitive study definitely establishing certain ideas but then he gives no definitive studies that cast doubt on these ideas either. He just gives his opinion. One suspects that his Nobel prize may have gone to his head!

Darwin's Dangerous Idea Daniel C. Dennett reveals the unusual explanatory powers of the basic ideas of evolution. This book is especially useful in separating the valid consequences of the evolutionary process from the many unsound suggestions that have been made.

The Death of Adam Another good book which makes the case for the evolution of the human species in an especially convincing way.

The Death Penalty in America: Current Contraversies Death penalty abolitionists will find much to like about The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies. Editor Hugo Adam Bedau makes his bias plain in the preface: "I ... am opposed to the death penalty in all its forms, no matter how awful the crime or how savage the criminal." Other than a token mid-1980s essay from Ernest van den Haag, then, the thrust of this collection is decidedly anti-death penalty. As such, it is a useful compendium of the abolitionist viewpoint, and its extensive bibliography will serve anyone as a starting point for research on the subject. The book also contains excerpts from important Supreme Court opinions and laws on the subject. Those of a quantitative bent will be frustrated by the argumentation and the short shrift it gives to the work of Isaac Ehrlich, who demonstrated the deterrent value of the death penalty. But those interested in an exhaustive survey of the arguments against all components of the death penalty will find this a must-have volume. --Ted Frank

Decline and Fall of the American Empire Gore Vidal is at his insightful best here. Required reading for all thinking Americans.

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire David Womersly's abridged version of the classic historical volumes by Edward Gibbons, published in 1776. The text suffers from incorrect details later discovered by scholars (these are identified in footnotes at the bottom of each page). Also, Gibbons makes no bones about his prejudices which were fairly typical for the learned and landed class of his time. Sometimes rather more detail than necessary is supplied, which is why we prefer the abridged version of 795 pages to the full 3-volume set. Despite these drawbacks, we highly recommend this sweeping overview of 13 centuries of European history. Gibbons offers compelling ideas about the decline and fall of Rome, the rise of Christianity, the problems associated with monarchies, republics and empires, and the formation of Europe. The chapter on the Emperor Julian inspired Gore Vidal to write a book about the last pagan/atheist of integrity, ability, and authority to wear the purple (see Julian, below).

The Demon-Haunted World Carl Sagan's famous plea for a renunciation of superstition in favor of a scientific outlook. His position appears to be very similar to that of The Truth Tree.

Discovery of the Double Helix and Beyond The discovery of DNA may have been the most important scientific advance of the twentieth century. It certainly provided resounding confirmation for evolution, and has opened vistas in bio-engineering whose consequences have probably not yet been appreciated at more than a very rudimentary level. The discoverers, James Watson and Francis Crick, tell the story of their discovery in this book. Anyone with an interest in science should read it.

The Diversity of Life Edward O. Wilson has made a significant contribution in this book to the popular understanding of evolution. He has specialized on the evolution of ants, and may thus help to explain some of the puzzling aspects of the evolution of the elaborate social structures displayed by many insects.

The Drowned and the Saved Primo Levi, who was imprisoned at Auschwiz and has written before about the horrors he experienced there, has now written a more thoughtful work in which he tries to piece together the meaning of it all. How could any civilized nation have committed such atrocities? What does it mean about human nature? An adventure into a reality that few of us ever see.

The Elegant Universe Confused about quantum physics? Confused about relativity? Confused about being confused? Want to know about string theory? If you answer yes to one or more of these questions, Brian Greene's book is for you. This is the clearest presentation of all these subjects I have yet seen, and the writing style is very lucid and filled with entertaining remarks. I strongly recommend this book! - Remi

The Emperor's New Mind Roger Penrose provides us with an extended discussion of the various positions one can take regarding the question of the nature of consciousness and the question of whether it can be synthesized. He believes that it possibly can be synthesized, but attempts to prove that no computer as computers are presently conceived (no, not even parallel processing computers) can achieve consciousness. He has written a sequel: "Shadows of the Mind."

The Fifth Miracle The subtitle of Paul Davies's book is, "The Search for the Origin and Meaning of Life". This is an excellent discussion of the many unsolved problems concerning the origin of life. It also provides an illuminating list of ways that it could have happened. I suspect that most people reading this book for the first time will encounter little known facts about the possible ways life could have appeared. Strongly recommended!

Fire from Heaven Mary Renault's historical novel based on the first half of the life of Alexander the Great. The other half is ably supplied in "The Persian Boy", q.v. Her handling of Alexander's hypothetical homosexuality is sensitive and believable. She gets high marks from historians for these two novels.

Freedom Evolves Daniel C. Dennett has done it again! This book is the most entertaining non-fiction I've read in a long time, but it is a lot more than entertainment. It is the best defense of a naturalistic view of morality I have seen. Everyone whose ideas of morality are heavily dependent on religion should read this book and attempt to justify bringing in supernatural and metaphysical concepts in matters of ethics and morality.

The Ghost in the Atom Edited by Paul Davies, this book contains attempts by eight top physicists to explain quantum theory. The fact that they all have different "interpretations" of the "meaning" of quantum physics should be of great philosophical interest to everyone! This book resulted from a program presented on the BBC.

God and the New Physics There have been many books written by physicists which attempt to relate science to religion. This one by Paul Davies is one of the very best, in my opinion. I find that reading a dozen such books is better than reading any one of them a dozen times. Unless one is a nuclear physicist the mathematics of the quantum and a real understanding of relativity poses special difficulties. Authors of books of this kind attempt to bridge the gap by discussing the concepts of quantum physics and relativity in non-mathematical terms. Davies is extraordinrarily succesful here. But he also displays a considerable insight into the problems of theology, both classical and modern. I would particularly recommend this book to all members of the "religious right," but it is an excellent book for anyone who wants to broaden his philosophical perspective without losing his intellectual balance.

The Good Book A Republican Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard, who presided at the inaugurations of Presidents Reagan and Bush, writes a book explaining what the Bible means to Christians today. Think you know what this one's going to be about? Think again. Not that it necessarily makes a difference, but with a background as an African American and as a homosexual, Peter Gomes delivers a book for the diversity that is Christianity. Progressive at times and still conservative at others, The Good Book helps the hesitant Christian blow the dust off the Bible and make meaning of it in the context of modern life.

Gödel, Escher, Bach Douglas Hofstadter's award winning book in which he attempts show how the principle of recursion is fundamental in mathematics, art, music, and quite possibly in artificial intelligence. Unforgettable.

Gödel's Proof An extremely lucid explanation by Ernest Nagel and James R. Newman of Kurt Gödel's famous theorem. This theorem has profound philosophical as well as mathematical consequences, but it is little understood. Many people are talking about Gödel's proof who know next to nothing about it. Here a little knowledge is indeed a dangerous thing. Avoid making a fool of yourself! Read this excellent book!

Guns, Germs, and Steel This book by Jared Diamond takes a fresh look at the prehistory of the human race based on the latest archeological evidence (1997). But the author has an axe to grind. He attempts to show that the different civilizations of the entire world advanced at different rates and in different ways primarily because of environmental reasons. The availability of domesticable plants and large animals, and whether the land mass on which the given civilization had a principal north-south axis or an east-west axis are two of the factors he considers to be important. The book is worth reading no matter whether one agrees with the major thesis of the book because it takes a look at the human race from an unusually universal standpoint both with reference to time and space. He considers all the land masses on the planet and goes back some thirty thousand years in searching for an explanation of why western Europeans went forth and conquered the world instead of other civilizations. Highly recommended. (This book was recommended to me by a British gentleman as I was sitting in a hotel lobby in London. He said, "Reading this book completely does away with racial prejudice." - Remi)

Harmful to Minors By Judith Levine and Joycelyn Elders, this book bravely goes right ahead and talks rationally and sensibly about sexuality and children. It is a must read for anyone seriously interested in the problems created and sustained by the current spate of diatribes against the largely imaginary harmfulness to children of pornograpy. It puts into more realistic perspective the variety of sexual experiences which young people under the age of 18 typically have and provides sound therapy for those who would like to revive a witch hunt mentality.

How the Mind Works This important book by Steven Pinker is a landmark in de-mystifying the problem of understanding the mind. Required reading for anyone interested in artificial intelligence and consciousness.

Jesus and the Riddle of the Dead Sea Scrolls Barbara Thiering applies a method known as Pesher (described in one of the Dead Sea Scrolls) to the Gospels. Pesher is a method of inserting hidden messages into a text without revealing the fact that the message has been inserted. Thiering believes that there are two levels of interpretation of the Gospels. Some of her translations of the hidden messages are quite interesting.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull Richard Bach's small classic has a lot of "juice" in it, as Stephen Gaskin (of The Farm in Tennessee) would say. One might wonder why such a book would be included in a list on a web site dedicated to rational philosophy. But The Truth Tree is not opposed to poetry, music, romantic love, or religion. What we are striving for here is a balanced view, and we invite any interested person to challenge our attempts at balance.

Julian Gore Vidal's historical novel based on what we know of the life of the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate who attempted to control the intrusive growth and power of the Church and restore the influence of philosophy and the worship of the old gods.

The Language Instinct The Book of John in the New Testament of the Bible begins, "In the beginning was the word." Steven Pinker attempts to understand how language has evolved in the human species. Very well written and important reading for any serious student of these problems.

The Last of the Wine An excellent historical novel set in the Athens of Socrates. It is important in part because the two major characters are male lovers in the authentic Athenian style. Anyone interested in the nature of such relationships in Athens during the "golden age" should read this book. It gets high marks from historians as do all of Mary Renault's novels.

Life after Life Raymond Moody started something when he wrote this interesting book. Now everybody knows that when you have a "near death experience" you see a light at the end of a tunnel. The methodology is hopelessly flawed, but this book is an interesting study in how strongly held beliefs can influence "objective" investigation.

Lincoln I would say that this is the finest of Gore Vidal's historical novels, although Burr is deemed best by most people. Nevertheless this extraordinary masterpiece, this spell-binding and captivating book, answered most of my questions about former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and the conduct of the U.S. Civil War. Abraham Lincoln is our most enigmatic President, in addition to being one of the most admired, and having his visage on the U.S. cent and five-dollar bill. Lincoln's primary goal was not the abolition of slavery, but the preservation of the Union at all costs.

The Little Prince It is hard to think of any book so widely read and internationally loved by both children and adults as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince, originally written as Le Petit Prince in 1943. A fable in the most classic sense, this wise story offers layer upon layer to be peeled away with each reading. Just as with the narrator's Drawing Number One, The Little Prince can truly be understood only by children (a classification that has nothing to do with age). The narrator, who has spent too many years in the company of grown- ups and still doesn't care much for them, runs across the little prince while repairing his airplane in the desert. The "extraordinary small person," after demanding that the narrator draw a picture of a sheep, proceeds to tell him the story of his journey from planet to planet, a trip that has finally led him to Earth. In his galactic travels, he meets a variety of archetypal characters, each a different and equally undesirable manifestation of adulthood; along the way he encounters a king, a tippler, and a geographer, all of whom possess particular absurdities seen all too clearly through the eyes of the little prince. The bewildered prince visits Earth, which appears just as strange and alien as the other planets--until he meets a small fox who shows him what he has been looking for.

The Lost Years of Jesus A reinterpretation of the life of Jesus based on information contained in the Dead Sea Scrolls. This is a highly controversial book, and there is some reason to doubt the author's interpretation of the Scrolls, but it is well worth reading for anyone with a serious interest in the historical Jesus.

Mathematics for the Million It is most unfortunate that many people have developed a fear of mathematics. Without mathematics it is almost impossible to understand science, since mathematics is "the language of science." Lancelot Hogben was in hospital in 1937 and took advantage of his enforced leisure to write this book. It was immediately popular and has been translated into eight languages. It does a very good job of introducing mathematics to anyone who may have developed a fear of that wonderful and beautiful subject.

The Mind's I By Douglas R. Hofstadter and Daniel C. Dennett, this book is subtitled "Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul." It is filled with interesting ideas regarding artificial intelligence and the nature of consciousness.

More than a Carpenter This book by Josh McDowell has been recommended by Joe B on the Religion Board. This is an inexpensive book which presents evidence and arguments in favor of the beliefs of Christianity. Many people find it very convincing. However, it should be noted that the book has strong critics. As supplementary reading Franc has suggested an essay by Todd Pence.

My Secret Garden By Nancy Friday. More outspoken and graphic than any book before its time, this book quickly became a classic study of female sexuality. Today, 25 years after its initial publication, more than one million women hail this astonishing study as a groundbreaking book--a liberating force adding a new dimension to their sexual fantasies and lives.

One Two Three...Infinity This is another book that will greatly help in the understanding of relativity. George Gamow has also included many other helpful discussions to help in understanding mathematical and scientific concepts.

The Open Society and its Enemies A Karl Popper classic. This book presents Popper's progressivist ideas on social change and social injustice.

Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth If you have any interest in R. Buckminster Fuller's philosophies, inventions and thoughts, this book is a good starting point. Other of his works can be more difficult to absorb, easily. Fuller's basic concepts of "synergy," "ephemeralization" and "modern day pirates" are all made clear here. If you read this short work and are intrigued by the man and the distinctions he brought to the world, you can proceed from here. Sorry OMSE is getting difficult to find. Now that Bucky's "phantom Captain" has moved on, his words are what we have to instruct us -- these, and the wonderful contributions of Bucky's students to the "world game."

The Perennial Philosophy Huxley was clearly a man with great vision, undoubtedly ahead of his time. This book notes the crucial points of world religion/philosophy in terms understandable to both Eastern and Western minds. It will become essential reading to the student of philosophy/world religion and a work valued for centuries to come. The author points out the key elements of the human condition and the proper path to follow for ultimate salvation. Huxley shows us the way, the burden is now ours to understand. I highly recommend this book as a must reading for anyone.

The Persian Boy This sequel to "Fire from Heaven" presents the second half of the life of Alexander the Great. Mary Renault has succeeded in capturing the spirit of Alexander in this widely acclaimed book.

The Phenomenon of Man Teilhard de Chardin summarizes his philosophical and theological ideas in this book. During his lifetime the Pope would not give permission for him to publish it. He left the manuscript to his friend, Julian Huxley, who published it after Teilhard's death since permission is required only of living authors. Teilhard was at the same time a Jesuit priest and a world renowned paleontologist. The theme of this book is the evolution of the entire universe according to certain principles which Teilhard perceived to be operating universally. He seems to have foreseen the revolution in genetics as well as the communication revolution even though he died in 1958. He may have come as close as anyone to an integration of science and religion.

The Prophet Although this small book is not written, strictly speaking, as a poem, it is very poetical both in conception and in execution. First published in 1923, it is now in its hundred and thirtieth printing. It consists of the wise sayings of a "prophet" who, like all bodisatvas hesitates at the wharf before taking a ship and leaving the people of his chosen city.

The Purpose of Life Science can tell us what is but not what ought to be. Right? Rationality fails when it attempts to deal with morality. Right? There will never be a science of values. Right? Maybe wrong on all three counts. Donald Cameron has made a brave and original attempt to challenge these popular assumptions. In places the book is hilarious and in others it is outrageous, but it is always informative and thought provoking. I found myself agreeing about 80% of the time. This book may turn out to be an important landmark. It was published in 2001 by Woodhill Publishing in Bristol, UK. Go here to get an order form which you can either fax or mail. Amazon does not yet stock this book.

Reaching into Thought Reaching into Thought, by Russon and others, investigates the qualities that set the intelligence of chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans apart from that of other nonhuman primates and humans. In this fascinating book, Great Apes' high level abilities in both social and ecological contexts are investigated, showing that these species are capable of self-awareness, deception, imitation, consolation, teaching and proto-culture itself. As Great Apes can now be shown to think at symbolic levels traditionally thought to be uniquely human,this work challenges views on how human intelligence itself arose.

Relativity This book by Albert Einstein himself is the best I've found for understanding relativity theory. There is as well a certain advantage in reading Einstein's own words in the hope of capturing something of his style of thought and his way of looking at the scientific enterprise. I think this book should be required reading in high schools.

Relativity Visualized By Lewis Carroll Epstein, this is an incredibly lucid, informative, and entertaining book on relativity. It uses extremely clear and understandable examples and analogies to introduce the reader to relativity theory. And it is more than a simple introduction. Every new idea is accompanied by a problem question followed by the answer. These questions are designed to guarantee that you actually understand the principles being presented. From the back cover, let me quote: "Why can't you travel faster than light? The reason you can't go faster than the speed of light is that you can't go slower. Everything, including you, is always moving at the speed of light. How can you be moving if you are at rest in a chair? You are moving through time." Perhaps this is the book that should be required reading in high schools instead of Einstein's. Epstein's book should maybe be required to be read first, and then Einstein's. Look further down the list to Epstein's other book, "Thinking Physics".

River out of Eden One of Richard Dawkins's most eloquent books. It dispels a lot of misconceptions about evolution and clarifies many of its puzzles.

Schrödinger's Kittens This book by John Gribbin is one of the best descriptions of the problems posed by quantum physics that I have seen. It goes a good deal deeper into the various amazing experiments that have been conducted than most such books. At the end, Gribbin tries to present a viewpoint that satisfies our natural preference for an interpretation which seems more familiar and is easier to accept than some of the other more outlandish ideas such as that a particle can be in more than one place at the same time or that parallel universes are created every time any quantum state is decided. His proposal is based on Wheeler's interpretation which brings most of the quantum dilemma within what seem to be reasonable bounds. The only camel the reader must swallow is the proposition that photons must go backward in time for very brief time intervals their wonders to perform.

A Separate Creation By Chandler Burr this book is an excellent summary of the evidence concerning the genetics of sexual orientation. It is incidentally an excellent book for anyone not acquainted with genetics to get an excellent introduction to that subject. The author's handling of the nature versus nurture issue is unparalleled! Not only all of the above, it is cleverly written and maintains the reader's interest to the very end. Strongly recommended.

Sex, Art, and American Culture This book is a collection of essays by Camille Paglia. Intelligent, perceptive, sassy Paglia, as she says herself, has an ego to rival Norman Mailer's. She's also got a brain to rival Einstein's. Not to mention her own brand of originality. In this collection of essays, Paglia takes on and demolishes post modernism, deconstruction and a forest of Foucaultian foolishness befouling the modern American university. Paglia does not hesitate to assert that the feminist movement has been taken over by man-haters, bull dykes and the sexually frustrated. Not to mention the terminally stupid. The book is a great read, but it's really only for those familiar with the debates and debaters she skewers. If you don't know what she's talking about...well, you won't know what she's talking about.

Sexual Personae By Camille Paglia. From ancient Egypt through the nineteenth century, Sexual Personae explores the provocative connections between art and pagan ritual; between Emily Dickinson and the Marquis de Sade; between Lord Byron and Elvis Presley. It ultimately challenges the cultural assumptions of both conservatives and traditional liberals. 47 photographs.

Shadows of the Mind This is the book in which Roger Penrose proposes that there is something more than classical physics and chemistry going on in the brain. Specifically, he believes that quantum physics will ultimately get involved in understanding the problem of consciousness. This is a sequel to his earlier book, "The Emperor's New Mind."

Shrub This book, by Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose, provides factual information about George W. Bush and his political career. It sets the record straight on the difference between what "Dubya" claims and what the facts are regarding his role as governor of Texas. This book should appear on everyone's coffee table or bedside reading stand immediately, or at least in time to prevent literate people from voting for Bush for President. Unfortunately my magic wand is broken.

Six Easy Pieces
and
Six Not-So-Easy Pieces These two small books by Richard Feynman are the very best I have found for gaining an understanding of modern physics. Perhaps the most successful of these is the second volume which presents the concept of the curved four-dimensional space-time continuum in a way that reveals the structure of these ideas with great clarity but also astounds with a revelation of the extreme beauty and generality of the theory.

The Society of Mind Marvin Minsky very ambitiously tries to list the necessary components of an artificial intelligence. What an incredibly bold effort! But then, Marvin Minsky is an incredibly bold thinker. If you are anything of a thinker yourself, you will find this book refreshing and stimulating.

The Song of the Dodo David Quammen has written an extremely entertaining and informative book about the work of biologists from Wallace and Darwin up to the present who are trying to understand speciation, radiation, migration, extinction, and other phenomena of interest to those who want to preserve the earth's flora and fauna. Although Quammen styles himself as a journalist, he is clearly much more than that. He actually travels to many of the islands and obscure places where animal and plant populations are under attack, mostly by human activity. This would be an excellent book for anyone who has no firsthand knowledge about the field methods used by biologists. Anyone who thinks biologists are cloistered and write their books in front of the fire at home will certainly be in for a shock. Our planet is in desperate trouble, and it's mostly our fault. We need to know about these matters!

Thinking Physics By the same author as "Relativity Visualized" (see below), this book is a masterpiece among physics books. It provides an introduction to the whole field of physics, not just relativity. Epstein has really outdone himself on this one. A few quotes will give an idea of the general tone of this book. On the inside front cover: "Algebra is a wonderful invention. It enables fools to do physics without understanding." On the page right after the copyright one reads, "Most people study physics to satisfy some school requirement. A small number study physics to learn the tricks of Nature so they may find out how to make things bigger or smaller or faster or stronger or more sensitive. But a few, a tiny few, study physics because they wonder--not how things work, but why they work. They wonder what is at the bottom of things--the very bottom--if there is a bottom." And on the back cover we have, "In life, the question, the hook, comes first and the explanation follows. But in school, the lecture explanation comes first and the exam question follows. In this book, as in real life, the hook comes first. When the explanation follows it goes to the central point fast. There is an easy way to explain anything--it's just hard to find it. That is Epstein's Law, and this book demonstrates it." The title is taken from Albert Einstein's phrase, "gedanken Physics" which when translated from the German is "thinking physics". As in Relativity Visualized there are test questions which if the reader seriously thinks about them will guarantee a thorough understanding. In this book the answers are printed upside down to discourage cheating! :-)

Unintended Consequences This no-holds-barred suspense thriller novel by John Ross gives insight into what kind of daydreams a member of "the gun culture" might have about how the world should be. The hero, a lover of guns since a very early age, happens also to be a kind of genius. He and his friends and associates bring the U.S. government to its knees and achieve a dramatic restoration of the right to bear arms.

The Varieties of Religious Experience This is the famous book by William James on religion. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to be informed on the philosophy of religion.

Virtually Normal By Andrew Sullivan the problem of homosexuality is discussed from the perspective of the "Abolitionists" who want it to be punished and eradicated, the "Liberationists" who believe that homosexuality is just a "construction" which needs to be "deconstructed", the "Conservatives" who believe we should be tolerant but publicly should disparage it, and the "Liberals" whose original libertarian persuasion has become a self contradiction in that it wants to force people to be "free" thus ensuring that they are enslaved! This is a very thought provoking book and should be read by anyone interested in the politics of sexuality.

Vote.com Dick Morris, who has been political advisor to President Clinton, has written this book to call attention to the tremendous political potential of the Internet. He believes that the 2000 election year will be the last in which television, radio, and the print media will play the dominant role in getting candidates' campaign messages out to the American people. He points to the diminishing viewership of commercial TV and the increasing number of people who get their news online. He predicts that politicians will not buy expensive TV time for their campaigns because they will be able to reach more people on the Internet. He also advocates voting on the Internet.

The Way Things Aren't Steven Rendall, writing for FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting), lists 100 false statements made by Rush Limbaugh on his radio or TV shows. He concludes with an interesting denouncement of LImbaugh's demagoguery and all demagoguery with some highly insightful remarks about how demagoguery becomes popular and although it is false how much power it can wield. But the book itself is a wonderful example of writing which would not pass the rules of the Tree. For example, he labels the followers of Limbaugh as "ditto-heads" and cutely talks of "going out on a Limbaugh".

What I Believe Bertrand Russell summarizes the main tenets of his rational philosophy. His style is extraordinarily clear and persuasive. No one can consider himself educated who has not read what Russell has to say. He was undeniably one of the great geniuses of the twentieth century. (This is an audio cassette.)

What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality Daniel Helminiak, a classical scholar, theologian, and philosopher does an intensive linguistic analysis of what both the Old and the New Testaments have to say about homosexuality. A former catholic priest, he is perhaps uniquely qualified to understand the theological arguments. He finds that the Biblical condemnation of homosexuality is far from being as severe as is popularly believed. This book is a must read for anyone seriously interested in the subject.

Who We Are This is a remarkable book by Kirk Heriot which certainly bites off more than any author could possibly chew, let alone digest. It is an attempt to summarize all of human pre-history and history on the planet Earth and to create a picture which delineates the essential character of the human species in all its aspects. These aspects include religion, art, science, politics, economics, society, and everything else. Inclusive is the word. Heriot refuses to exclude anything! It's all there some place. Strongly recommended.

Why I Am Not a Christian Another series of essays by Bertrand Russell. This book should be required reading especially for all Christians, whether fundamentalist or liberal. An ongoing debate over issues raised in this book would make a very good thread for The Truth Tree!

Why People Believe Weird Things By Michael Shermer. Martin Gardner, author of "Science: Good, Bad, and Bogus" says: "Brilliant, informed, and incisive dissections of bogus science and history are a major contribution to what one dares hope is a backlash against the still rising tide of New Age nonsense and public gullibility."

Amazon Books has many related titles and has the unique service that after you have ordered one or more books, other books will automatically be suggested. It has been my experience that the suggestions are usually quite relevant. To go to Amazon directly, click their icon to the right.

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