Books — hermiene.net

Site	Index & News	Archive	Full Archive	About Me	Colophon	Contact
Main	Quotes	Games	Gaming Glossary	Links
Readings	Books	Essays
Puzzles	Nonogram	Net
Desultory	Anime	Random
Off-site	Llamaphobia	YouTube

Listing books in philosophy

Full title	The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark ^[permalink]
Language	English
Author	Carl Sagan (author)
Categories	Astronomy, philosophy and science
Publication year	1996
Pages	416
Synopsis	The Demon-Haunted World deals with human imagination, science, and scepticism, in a nutshell. In reality it's so much more: It's a defense of scepticism, an advertisement for science, a crash course in wonder, and an explanation of science and what it's all about. My favorite chapters, I think, are The Dragon in My Garage and The Fine Art of Baloney Detection.

Full title	Free Will ^[permalink]
Language	English
Author	Sam Harris (author)
Category	Philosophy
Publication year	2012
Pages	96
Synopsis	Using psychology, results from neuroscience, and clever reasoning, Sam Harris shows how free will is an illusion.

Full title	Freedom Evolves ^[permalink]
Language	English
Author	Daniel Dennett (author)
Publisher	Viking Books
Categories	Philosophy, psychology and science
Publication year	2003
ISBN	0-670-03186-0 ^{[Amazon, B&N, Abe, Powell's]}
Pages	347
Images
Structure	[Toggle visibility] Preface Chapter 1: Natural Freedom Learning What We Are I Am Who I Am The Air We Breathe Dumbo's Magic Feather and the Peril of Paulina Chapter 2: A Tool for Thinking About Determinism Some Useful Oversimplifications From Physics to Design in conway's Life World Can We Get the Deus ex Machina? From Slow-motion Avoidance to Star Wars The Birth of Evitability Chapter 3: Thinking About Determinism Possible Worlds Causation Austin's Putt A Computer Chess Marathon Events without Causes in a Deterministic Universe Will the Future Be Like the Past? Chapter 4: A Hearing for Libertarianism The Appeal of Libertarianism Where Should We Put the Much-needed Gap? Kane's Mode of Indeterministic Decision-making "If you make yourself really small, you can externalize virtually everything" Beware of Prime Mammals How Can It Be "Up to Me"? Chapter 5: Where Does all the Design Come From? Early Days The Prisoner's Dilemma E Pluribus Unum? Digression: The Threat of Genetic Determinism Degrees of Freedom and the Search for Truth Chapter 6: The Evolution of Open Minds How Cultural Symbionts Turn Primates into Persons The Diversity of Darwinian Explanations Nice Tools, but You Still Have to Use Them Chapter 7: The Evolution of Moral Agency Benselfishness Being Good in Order to Seem Good Learning to Deal with Yourself Our Costly Merit Badges Chapter 8: Are You Out of the Loop? Drawing the Wrong Moral Whenever the Spirit Moves You A Mind-writer's View A Self of One's Own Chapter 9: Bootstrapping Ourselves Free How We Captured Reasons and Made Them Our Own Psychic Engineering and the Arms Race of Rationality With a Little Help from My Friends Autonomy, Brainwashing, and Education Chapter 10: The Future of Human Freedom Holding the Line against Creeping Exculpation "Thanks, I Needed That!" Are We Freer Than We Want to Be? Human Freedom Is Fragile Bibliography Index

Full title	Lying ^[permalink]
Language	English
Authors	Annaka Harris (editor) and Sam Harris (author)
Categories	Essay, philosophy and psychology
Publication year	2011
Original publication year	2011
Pages	66
Synopsis	Lying is a very short book about the implications and morality of lying. In short, Harris argues (successfully, in my opinion) that one should never lie, even about the smallest things, if what you're trying to do is build good relationships with people. He even goes into border cases, such as a wife asking her husband if she looks good in a dress (one can answer the sub-text of a question, not necessarily the literal meaning of it) and someone hiding a Jew when a Nazi comes a-knockin' on the door (in that case, you're not really trying to build a lasting relationship with the person).
Review	Sam Harris is a really talented writer, and reading his material is never boring. This book is no exception, and the fact that it's as short as it is, is a point in its favor. It's the perfect length when all you're doing is making an argument, not laying out in detail a theory. (I wish more writers would be similarly inspired to brevity.)
Structure	[Toggle visibility] What Is a Lie? The Mirror of Honesty Two Types of Lies White Lies Trust Faint Praise Secrets Lies in Extremis Mental Accounting Integrity Big Lies Conclusion Acknowledgments

Full title	The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values ^[permalink]
Language	English
Author	Sam Harris (author)
Publisher	Black Swan
Categories	Philosophy and science
Publication year	2012
Original publication year	2010
ISBN	978-0-552-77638-7 ^{[Amazon, B&N, Abe, Powell's]}
Pages	380
Images
Structure	[Toggle visibility] Introduction: The Moral Landscape Chapter 1: Moral Truth Chapter 2: Good and Evil Chapter 3: Belief Chapter 4: Religion Chapter 5: The Future of Happiness Acknowledgments Notes References Index

Full title	Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar...: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes ^[permalink]
Language	English
Authors	Daniel Klein and Thomas Cathcart
Publisher	Penguin Books
Categories	Humor and philosophy
Publication year	2008
Original publication year	2007
ISBN	978-0-14-311387-4 ^{[Amazon, B&N, Abe, Powell's]}
Pages	215
Synopsis	The book is divided into ten chapters, each dealing with a different area of philosophy. The chapters explain concepts concerning each area, interspersed with banter and jokes.
Review	As many people have observed, a session of jokes can often illuminate a subject more than hours of discussion can, and this book is an example of that. The book is essentially a string of jokes with banter to connect them and explain the concepts introduced in the jokes. The explanations themselves are light-hearted and full of puns. An example of a joke illustrating the difference between what philosophers call essential and accidental attributes: "Why is an elephant big, hairy, and wrinkled?" "Because if he was small, white, and round, he'd be an aspirin." And another on skepticism and the scientific method (or inductive reasoning, if you will): A scientist and his wife are out for a drive in the country. The wife says, "Oh look! Those sheep have been shorn." "Yes," says the scientist. "On this side." In the section on the philosophy of religion are also jokes, of course, and I found this Jewish one pretty funny: Two women are sitting on a bench. After a while the first woman says, "Oy!" The second woman replies, "Oy!" The first woman says, "All right, enough about the children." And a final one, on the relativity of time: A snail was mugged by two turtles. When the police asked him what happened, he said, "I don't know. It all happened so fast." Go read it if you've got time to kill.
Images
Structure	[Toggle visibility] Philogaggin: An Introduction I. Metaphysics II. Logic III. Epistemology IV. Ethics V. Philosophy of Religion VI. Existentialism VII. Philosophy of Language VIII. Social and Political Philosophy IX. Relativity X. Meta-Philosophy Summa Time: A Conclusion Final Exam Great Moments in the History of Philosophy Glossary Suggestions for Further Reading Index

Full title	The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Non-Believer ^[permalink]
Language	English
Author	Christopher Hitchens (foreword)
Publisher	Da Capo Press
Categories	Anthology, philosophy and religion
Publication year	2007
Pages	499
Synopsis	A huge collection of writings by atheists about religion, faith, non-religion, reason, science, and logic, with biographical information on each author. Some of them are pretty dated, but they're interesting nonetheless.
Images

Full title	The Reason-Driven Life: What Am I Here on Earth For? ^[permalink]
Language	English
Authors	Robert M. Price (author) and Julia Sweeney (foreword)
Publisher	Prometheus Books
Categories	Bible, philosophy, religion and skepticism
Publication year	2006
ISBN	978-1-59102-476-7 ^{[Amazon, B&N, Abe, Powell's]}
Pages	363
Synopsis	The Reason-Driven Life is written as a response and critique of Rick Warren's similarly-titled book, The Purpose-Driven Life. It's structured in much the same way as Warren's book, with 40 chapters meant to be read over 40 days. At the end of each chapter is a Point to Ponder, a Quote to Remember, and a Question to Consider. It's written mainly for Christians who have actually read Warren's book, which I'm not and which I haven't.
Review	It's a somewhat interesting read in that Price is a Bible scholar and really knows his stuff, however the book is meant for someone with a different mentality than my own. So I had to imagine I was a fundamentalist Christian for most of the book. The tone of the book is very respectful, though forceful and to-the-point (all this to say that it's a very personal and honest book). I imagine a wavering intelligent (fundamentalist) Christian would really enjoy it, and maybe even be deconverted by it. Go for it if you're curious, but if you're like me (skeptical and non-religious by nature) you can safely skip it! There are other, better, Price books.
Images
Structure	[Toggle visibility] Foreword Introduction It Is about You You Are a Work of Art One-Track Mind? Sons of Dust My View Is God's View No Changes Are Permanent, but Change Is The Mystery of Everything God: Planned for Our Pleasure What Makes Me Sick The Achilles' Heel of Worship Becoming Imaginary Friends with God Providence and Superstition Worship That Creates God I Can't Get No Sanctification Joining the Sect The Greatest of These A Place to Conform Heretics Anonymous Price's Ten Commandments Healing Religious Divisions Damage Control The Character of Christ When Is a Religion Not a Religion? This Paper Idol Jesus with a Jackhammer Satan's Sunday School Temp Job Jerusalem Wasn't Built in a Day Service Industry Cut Out the Holy Ghost Noise! Cogs for Christ Being Who You Are How Twisted Texts Scream Meetings with Unremarkable Men Was Is Peace/Freedom Is Slavery/Weakness Is Strength Made into Missionaries Fabricating Your Life Message The Hidden Agenda of Witnessing Juggling Your Life Not without Reason Bibliography

Full title	The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature — Being the Gifford Lectures on Natural Religion Delivered at Edinburgh in 1901–1902 ^[permalink]
Language	English
Author	William James (author)
Categories	Philosophy, psychology and religion
Publication year	1902
Online version	Link
Synopsis	This is the manuscript version of a series of lectures that the Harvard psychologist and philosopher William James gave in Edinburgh between 1901 and 1902 (the so-called Gifford series of lectures given annually at a number of Scottish universities). It explores, as the title implies, varieties of religious experience, from different parts of the world in different times and by different means (although, perhaps only to modern readers, the absence of a full discussion on animistic or primitive or tribal religion is conspicuous). These lectures contain a plethora of case studies, excerpts, and poignant vignettes on whatever the subject happens to be, which really helps give the expositions more context.
Review	I think I will have to re-read this book eventually, as I don't feel I can give a proper review not having really understood it completely.
Structure	[Toggle visibility] LECTURE I: Religion and Neurology LECTURE II: Circumscription of the Topic LECTURE III: The Reality of the Unseen LECTURES IV AND V: The Religion of Healthy-mindedness LECTURES VI AND VII: The Sick Soul LECTURE VIII: The Divided Self, and the Process of its Unification LECTURE IX: Conversion LECTURE X: Conversion—concluded LECTURES XI, XII, AND XIII: Saintliness LECTURES XIV AND XV: The Value of Saintliness LECTURES XVI AND XVII: Mysticism LECTURE XVIII: Philosophy LECTURE XIX: Other Characteristics LECTURE XX: Conclusions Postscript

Full title	Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time ^[permalink]
Language	English
Authors	Michael Shermer (author) and Stephen Jay Gould (foreword)
Publisher	W. H. Freeman and Company
Categories	Philosophy, science and skepticism
Publication year	1997
ISBN	0-7167-3387-0 ^{[Amazon, B&N, Abe, Powell's]}
Pages	306
Images
Structure	[Toggle visibility] Foreword: The Positive Power of Skepticism by Stephen Jay Gould Introduction to the Paperback Edition: Magical Mystery Tour: The Whys and Wherefores of Weird Things Prologue: Next on Oprah Part 1: Science and Skepticism 1. I Am Therefore I Think: A Skeptic's Manifesto 2. The Most Precious Thing We Have: The Difference Between Science and Pseudoscience 3. How Thinking Goes Wrong: Twenty-five Fallacies That Lead Us to Believe Weird Things Part 2: Pseudoscience and Superstition 4. Deviations: The Normal, the Paranormal, and Edgar Cayce 5. Through the Invisible: Near-Death Experiences and the Quest for Immortality 6. Abducted!: Encounters with Aliens 7. Epidemics of Accusations: Medieval and Modern Witch Crazes 8. The Unlikeliest Cult: Ayn Rand, Objectivism, and the Cult of Personality Part 3: Evolution and Creationism 9. In the Beginning: An Evening with Duane T. Gush 10. Confronting Creationists: Twenty-five Creationist Arguments, Twenty-five Evolutionist Answers 11. Science Defended, Science Defined: Evolution and Creationism at the Supreme Court Part 4: History and Pseudohistory 12. Doing Donahue: History, Censorship, and Free Speech 13. Who Says the Holocaust Never Happened, and Why Do They Say It?: An Overview of a Movement 14. How We Know the Holocaust Happened: Debunking the Deniers 15. Pigeonholes and Continuums: An African-Greek-German-American Looks at Race Part 5: Hope Springs Eternal 16. Dr. Tipler Meets Dr. Pangloss: Can Science Find the Best of All Possible Worlds? 17. Why Do People Believe Weird Things? Bibliography Index

Full title	Letters to a Young Contrarian ^[permalink]
Language	English
Author	Christopher Hitchens (author)
Publisher	Basic Books
Categories	Journalism and philosophy
Series	Art of Mentoring (1/14)
Publication year	2005
Original publication year	2001
ISBN	978-0-465-03033-0 ^{[Amazon, B&N, Abe, Powell's]}
Pages	141
Synopsis	A collection of imaginary letters to a young contrarian. The beginning of each letter imagines that the reader has sent a reply to the previous one, and the current one is a reply to that, so that reading the book seems to be a conversation. The book deals with how to be a public intellectual with contrary views, and how to deal with all the hardships that come with that obligation.
Review	It's a very short book, and once started, it's very hard to put it down. Hitchens is a very eloquent writer, besides being knowledgeable and engaged. In the book he deals a little bit with his public confrontations (his criticism of Mother Theresa and Henry Kissinger, for instance), really as examples for pontificating on the life of a contrarian. There's a little part of the book that I liked where he explores various words for a contrarian, such as rebel, revolutionary, and an "angry young man".
Images