Book Review: Generation Atheist by Dan Riley
With his book “Generation Atheist,” Dan Riley starts to fill a large gap in atheist literature. While many books give the logic, history or the philosophy of atheism and humanism, personal stories, so prevalent in... Read More
Every Day is an Atheist Holiday!
Penn Jillette, the resonant half of the magic duo Penn & Teller, is the master of meander. A carny in love with the carnival, he wants to make damn sure you see every glittery exhibit... Read More
Fooling Houdini: Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks, and the Hidden Powers of the Mind
Dear reader, this is your lucky day! I can teach you how to steal a watch, cheat at cards, read minds, and astonish friends and strangers. Actually, I can’t teach you any of those things—but... Read More
Breaking Their Will: Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment
A long time ago I used to be a Roman Catholic, and in those days we talked a lot about tests of faith. They happened when you were confronted with facts that clearly challenged the... Read More
Kurt Vonnegut: Letters
In his study of the psychological damage wrought by World War II, historian Paul Fussell details a soldier’s view of death in combat as a “slowly dawning and dreadful realization” that begins with the rationalization:... Read More
Embroidering History: An Englishwoman’s Experience as a Humanitarian Aid Volunteer in Post-War Poland, 1924-1925
Jane Cooper’s book, Embroidering History, opens wide a window into the workings of an early humanitarian aid project in a complex emergency, namely the refugee crisis of Polish peasants from 1924-1925. Cooper has ably edited... Read More
Attack of the Theocrats! How the Religious Right Harms Us All—And What We Can Do About It
A friend recently passed on a slick magazine to me published by a religious right group. The cover depicted a close-up shot of a large steamroller under dark and threatening skies. The headline read, “Secularism:... Read More