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Wednesday, January 9, 2008 | Reason : In the News | print version Print | Comments

Document The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief

by Tom Flynn (editor), Richard Dawkins (foreword)

This is probably too expensive for most people ($145 USD), but maybe it's something to recommend for university or local libraries?

See:
http://www.amazon.com/New-Encyclopedia-Unbelief-Richard-Dawkins/dp/1591023912/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199899161&sr=8-1

unbeliefSuccessor to the highly acclaimed Encyclopedia of Unbelief (1985), edited by the late Gordon Stein, the New Encyclopedia of Unbelief is a comprehensive reference work on the history, beliefs, and thinking of America's fastest growing minority: those who live without religion. All-new articles by the field's foremost scholars describe and explain every aspect of atheism, agnosticism, secular humanism, secularism, and religious skepticism. Topics include morality without religion, unbelief in the historicity of Jesus, critiques of intelligent design theory, unbelief and sexual values, and summaries of the state of unbelief around the world. More than 130 respected scholars and activists worldwide served on the editorial advisory board and over 100 authoritative contributors have written in excess of 500 entries.

In addition to covering developments since the publication of the original edition, the New Encyclopedia of Unbelief includes a larger number of biographical entries and much-expanded coverage of the linkages between unbelief and social reform movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, including the labor movement, woman suffrage, anarchism, sex radicalism, and second-wave feminism.

The distinguished contributors—philosophers, scientists, scholars, and Nobel Prize laureates—include Robert Alley, Joe Barnhart, David Berman, Sir Hermann Bondi, Vern L. Bullough, Noam Chomsky, Daniel Dennett, Paul Edwards, Barbara Ehrenreich, Antony Flew, Annie Laurie Gaylor, Peter Hare, Van Harvey, Susan Jacoby, Paul Kurtz, Richard Leakey, Gerd Lüdemann, Michael Martin, Martin E. Marty, Kai Nielsen, Steven Pinker, Robert M. Price, Richard Rorty, John R. Searle, Peter Singer, Ibn Warraq, Steven Weinberg, George A. Wells, David Tribe, Sherwin Wine, and many others.

With a foreword by evolutionary biologist and best-selling author Richard Dawkins, this unparalleled reference work provides comprehensive knowledge about unbelief in its many varieties and manifestations.

Comments 1 - 18 of 18 |

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1. Comment #109652 by Friend Giskard on January 9, 2008 at 12:08 pm

 avatarI know this is off topic, but WOOHOO!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7178439.stm

Other Comments by Friend Giskard

2. Comment #109655 by Friend Giskard on January 9, 2008 at 12:14 pm

 avatarAny chance of Richard's foreword appearing here?

Other Comments by Friend Giskard

3. Comment #109657 by AshtonBlack on January 9, 2008 at 12:17 pm

 avatar$145.... Whaaaaaa???

Also to FG on the news item.... YAY!!! About bloody time.

Other Comments by AshtonBlack

4. Comment #109659 by movingshadow on January 9, 2008 at 12:28 pm

 avatar$145, thats about a dollar a scholar

not bad if you ask me

Other Comments by movingshadow

5. Comment #109663 by Roger Stanyard on January 9, 2008 at 12:36 pm

Interesting. The book includes a contribution by Antony Flew.

Strange, isn't it, that the fundies involved in Intelligent Design are claiming that his "conversion" supports a literal interpretation of the Bible.

Or are they lying yet again?

Other Comments by Roger Stanyard

6. Comment #109666 by jimmm33 on January 9, 2008 at 12:45 pm

When I was about 16 yo I spent many hours at the main branch of the Virginia Beach public library reading the first Encyclopedia of Unbelief. It was a great thing to have available. I will buy this one and leave it laying around the house in hopes that my kid will pick it up one day.

I think Flew went to Pantheism or Deism. I pretty sure he never professed xtianity.

Other Comments by jimmm33

7. Comment #109674 by briancoughlanworldcitizen on January 9, 2008 at 12:59 pm

 avatarWe interrupt this program to bring you latest from "Talking to Theists".

http://richarddawkins.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=33112&p=611833#p611833

Apologies for the hiatus, normal programming resumes:-)

Other Comments by briancoughlanworldcitizen

8. Comment #109683 by darksaga66 on January 9, 2008 at 1:36 pm

 avatarScientific American Book Club members can get it for a bit less ($124.95 member price or $99.50 with bonus points).

http://www.sciambookclub.com/doc/browse/detail/product_detail.jhtml?repositoryId=696140B450

Other Comments by darksaga66

9. Comment #109701 by konquererz on January 9, 2008 at 2:14 pm

 avatarCool, think I'll pick it up. On another note, just a few months ago I couldn't find Carl Sagan "The Demon Haunted World" on amazon. I am glad they are selling it now again. I'm gonna pick that one up too.

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10. Comment #109713 by onclepsycho on January 9, 2008 at 2:45 pm

Roger Stanyard

Yes, there's a contribution from Flew, but it seems that it's rather an embarrassment to atheists...

see
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/11/more_flew_peculiarities.php
and
http://scienceblogs.com/strangerfruit/2007/11/flews_eugenic_leanings.php

Other Comments by onclepsycho

11. Comment #109821 by AmericanGodless on January 9, 2008 at 8:33 pm

 avatarI have this book (through Scientific American Book Club), and it is quite interesting, and I am sure it will be very useful. I find it disappointing, however, as it does not contain any articles about the two authors who helped me sort out my own scientific, material-monist, and naturalistic world view thirty some years ago: Jaques Monod (Chance and Necessity) and Jacob Bronowski (Science and Human Values; The Common Sense of Science; The Ascent of Man). Monod's description of naturalistic biochemistry is now somewhat dated, and his atheistic existential angst is completely unnecessary and counter-productive, but he did shake me out of my need as a young adult to continue to "seek" for a religion that might make sense. But Bronowski's passionate description of science as an ethical alternative to religion is timeless. His television production of "The Ascent of Man" is well worth anyone's time today, and his episode on "Knowledge or Certainty" is still one of the most moving pieces of television ever filmed, as he wades into a pond containing the human ashes from the crematoria at Auschwitz and pleads for tolerance, and an end to the "itch for absolute knowledge" that leads to such atrocities. Every person with an interest in science and its relation to religious faith should see the series (available on disk) or read the book.

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12. Comment #109826 by Chispita on January 9, 2008 at 9:13 pm

 avatarIf I can slurge $500 on shoes I think $145 on a book I can enjoy should not be a problem.

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13. Comment #109827 by eyz1005 on January 9, 2008 at 9:21 pm

 avatar$500 on shoes! They must be shoe/mp3/cell phone. JK don't take offense.

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14. Comment #109962 by lazarus on January 10, 2008 at 7:12 am

 avatar"$145.... Whaaaaaa???"

Strange, it is only £48.45 at Amazon UK - that's about $100 I think.

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15. Comment #109971 by funkyderek on January 10, 2008 at 7:40 am

 avatar
Strange, it is only £48.45 at Amazon UK - that's about $100 I think.


Look again. You save £48.45 on the list price - it still costs £94.05 or about US$180.

I'd consider buying it on the US site given the current exchange rate but the reviews aren't that favourable.

Other Comments by funkyderek

16. Comment #109992 by Mr Blue Sky on January 10, 2008 at 8:55 am

 avatarPrice now from £67.38 in new and used section but will attract postage costs

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17. Comment #110031 by BicycleRepairMan on January 10, 2008 at 10:55 am

 avatar
Strange, isn't it, that the fundies involved in Intelligent Design are claiming that his "conversion" supports a literal interpretation of the Bible.

Or are they lying yet again?


Oh yes, they are, very, very much so:
http://www.richarddawkins.net/article,1831,The-Turning-of-an-Atheist,Mark-Oppenheimer-NYTimescom
http://www.richarddawkins.net/article,1859,Antony-Flews-Bogus-Book,Richard-Carrier

Other Comments by BicycleRepairMan

18. Comment #125399 by VinnyfromVegas on February 11, 2008 at 10:10 am

 avatarA great book on unbelief $145
A book on religion much less....
Truth 145
Myth ....
Truth costs, lies are usually free

Other Comments by VinnyfromVegas
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