Books You Should Read

[@CosmicSkeptic]

Watch my updated book recommendations (50 of them!): kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXSYq2uJi9-ImJY Also, 'How To Read More Books (And How Not To): kzbin.info/www/bejne/pp6boIuXl5itic0

[@bakshindersingh3933]

Please read slavoj zizek before recommending Sam Harris

[@jonahellis]

Crime and punishment Fyodor Dostoevsky

[@AlexanderRivkind]

@Daniele F. On philosophy of science I'd recommend Karl Popper "Objective Knowledge: An Evolutionary Approach" or Thomas Kuhn "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions".

[@GruvTraveller01]

I would recommend Alvin Tofflers trilogy - Futureshock, The Third Wave and Powershift.

[@childfreesingleandatheist8899]

@Daniele F: Probably because many atheists were believers at one time and already know most or all arguments used by believers.

[@SgtPandaGaming]

I was patiently waiting for Skeptic to hold up a bible

[@douglasdea637]

I read it. It was a disappointment. Doesn't live up to the hype.

[@Enzorgullochapin]

I read it 3 times, plus study it (since childhood), so, that's how I became an atheist at age 15 .... got kicked out of the house and the church: I do not regret it.

[@yhwyorthehwy2476]

@@Enzorgullochapin me too. Shame.

[@mansoorramizy9801]

3331CUR4ntSaturnVI E. Javier 😂 good for you man. I studied and read the Quran. Ended up as an atheist at 14 but still with parents. 17 now.

[@jmitterii2]

@@douglasdea637 As an adult when I finally read the entire thing both in the King James Version as well as current English version, it began to give me chills on how people worship the nonsense. I started thinking "What in the crazy?! People worship this stuff, people I love, like my dad, like my grandparents, my friends, and other relatives!" The only reason I felt compelled to read it, I was in the Air Force and many times the only thing allowed during duty hours and certain other times we could only read literature that was to do with our job or religious works. Otherwise I just thought loosely about the bible, and recalling reading portions and a "kids bible" that paraphrases and uses current English; but reading the stuff as an educated (at the time a bachelor's and an associates degree) I was sheer stunned at the poor anthropological history and various fields of science it tries to explain. I think at that point not only did I lose my faith in faith, but faith that people could hold logical consistent thoughts otherwise how can anyone really worship this often outright incorrect stuff? It's spooky.

[@Hitch93Hiker]

I've read most of those. If you are interesting in reading books from the other side of the spectrum consider the big ones; Reasonable Faith by Craig, The Language of God by Collins, or Mere Christianity by Lewis. You will learn more about your own position by challenging your position.

[@jordanw6918]

Joel Almloff I loved Time and Eternity and Theism, Atheism, and Big Bang Cosmology. I think it's important to read Craig's work to get a good understanding of the philosophical point of view of religion. It has really made me think more rigorously about theism and atheism.

[@biggregg5]

Whenever I try to read a book like that, I can't get through it. Same old same old. I guess I've listened to so many debates that I've heard all the arguments. I tend to get annoyed.

[@Hitch93Hiker]

biggregg5 Are you talking about Craig? He is the only debater of those three. Collins and Lewis were both atheists so they will bring something different to the table than Craig.

[@AleksandarIvanov69]

William Lain Craig is a piece of shit liar... watch the one debate between him and Lawrence Krauss, then fact check him... liar of the lowest caliber!

[@Hitch93Hiker]

MusiCover You can take a look at Craig's aftermath thoughts about it. If you so desire. www.reasonablefaith.org/debate-with-krauss1

[@gwyndion]

1st edition 1st print, Alex :-) It was my pleasure. I know you will treat that book well and it will be a good part of your collection.

[@ProgressiveVoice]

Skeptic your videos are sick dude! Pretty cool seeing a 17 y/o destroy adults intellectually. Keep it up dude!

[@mynameisaichlinn]

The word dude makes me laugh

[@bootyhunter4084]

mynameisaichlinn some of the smartest people talk stupid as fuck lol

[@agerestricted3056]

booty hunter at times

[@pallekanin91]

booty hunter Like Trump?

[@portalenthusiast823]

The Progressive Voice im 13 and i destroyed a 40 year old christian. *and noone cared*

[@lenright2388]

I love sapiens; its an amazing book incorporating anthropology, biology, history, sociology, psychology and economics. Its a brilliant read.

[@taleasoldastash]

RIP to my once reasonably sized reading list!😂

[@colinsiegler8626]

Peter Rabitt wow!

[@anmolsharma5514]

@Peter Rabbit omggg!!! 😳😍

[@anmolsharma5514]

@Peter Rabbit that's something woah! I would love to read those comments too. I think a small chat with your granny would have been such a blessing. 🙏

[@SuperNoeld]

"Sapiens" and "Homo Deus" from Harari literally changed my mind! I can't stop suggesting those to anyone.

[@kumark7930]

Currently reading sepiens

[@ravenagnes2813]

God I love your channel. You are great at explaining Atheism without sounding arrogant or condescending. I used to love other Atheist channels such as The Amazing Atheist, but I've grown out of his type of videos and others like him. Your videos are mature, precise, and educational. Thank you.

[@ianworley5842]

Raven Agnes completely agree. a lot of times you tubers who become popular think that they need to play up to the crowd and become more sensationalist. keep up the good work Cosmic, rational, reasonable, informative and we'll presented.

[@nelly411]

Cannot agree with this comment enough unfortunately, I fell into the trap of subscribing religiously to atheist channels like AmazingAtheist. I didn't really like militance and politically charged socially liberal aspects to his videos, I'm an atheist and I'm a conversvative which is a rare combination but I've always appreciated the deeper aspects of embracing being an atheist, which is the appreciation of science and skepticism. TheAmazingAtheist, doesn't scratch that scientific itch I have.

[@jakfan09]

Raven Agnes I like The Amazing Atheist, but his lack of atheist videos left me wanting. So thankful for Cosmic Skeptic.

[@ravenagnes2813]

Jak Mar personally, I didn't appreciate his "my way or the highway" point of view. It adds to the stigma that all Atheists are rude and loud about their beliefs.

[@nelly411]

***** Not really, because my non-belief in a god is not a moral dilemma that I have because that dilemma just doesn't exist much like a god. I have strong thoughts and opinions about abortion but it's strictly on moral grounds, it has nothing to do with any sort of capricious religious belief that I think that partial birth abortion is wrong. So things like LGBT rights, for instance the right to marriage, I'm absolutely fine with that. Conservastism is just basically traditional values, gay relationships may even pre-date the first human cities so for a religion that comes after the fact to define the strict moral values we should hold, I think that's just absurd. To think that perhaps for instance that the Romans were more morally okay with gay relationships, just goes to show the spread of christianity, hemmoraged our society well into the future and set us way back.

[@rachelj3073]

lowkey thought you'd recommend the bible for fictional entertainment.

[@igniteaconversation192]

The bible is weird though.

[@igniteaconversation192]

@@renato5384 Spoiler alert: and then he is bodily assumed into heaven because why the fuck not.

[@arandomuser9459]

I have a friend who likes to read bible stories as “fun/interesting fictional stories.”

[@igglepiggle8447]

Rachel J shut up. That’s first of all disrespectful and second of all, when you die you’ll see that God is real, but you won’t be able to tell us. So don’t lie and say He doesn’t exist.

[@igglepiggle8447]

Renato but He rises again

[@sheepsy90]

I recommend - Ethics in the real world - by Peter Singer - it's collection of short essays each tackling a moral questions

[@ceen3237]

Is that the one where here argues that it is OK to kill young children?

[@JamesJoyce12]

no reasonable philosopher takes Singer seriously

[@LearnToCompound]

@@JamesJoyce12 no real moral person takes you seriously

[@archyneverpicked]

You're the only atheist youtuber that i like. Most of the other ones are also anti feminist crybabies that get triggered over people getting triggered. You are simply nicer than Thunderfoot or the "Amazing" Athiest. Keep it up

[@Sakaran2010]

Very late but if you like Cosmic Skeptic try "Theoretical Bullshit"...ignore the name his approach was/is very much the same.

[@khayes1098]

Check Out Darkmatter2525, his animations are entertaining and informative.

[@nerakin6679]

If you're more interested in calmer atheist youtubers, hiith is good too.

[@Evi3142]

I like rationality rules the best, because of he pure logical approach.

[@joana319]

Professor stick is amazing, check him out

[@davesipsy7587]

Just finished Sapiens today and it is superb! I had taken his online course; A Brief History of Humankind, created and taught by Yuval Noah Harari at Hebrew University Jerusalem. I was extremely impressed with the course, so was anxious to read "Sapiens". Highly recommend it. Another book,in the same vein, that I consider to a must read is; "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond (Pulitzer Prize Winner). It may be the single most illuminating book I have ever read.

[@charicliakaravanas7636]

I wanted to get God is not great for my birthday but my Christian mom wouldn't let me get it :(

[@CosmicSkeptic]

Tweet at me, I'll send you a copy.

[@primeirrational]

CosmicSkeptic l must comment on this. You're simply so kind

[@gregoryallan3137]

I feel strongly about this as people should not restrict what anyone reads. If Alex's tweet does not work, you can always request books from your local library.

[@rachelj3073]

damn, what a bloody legend! I get ebooks to avoid Catholic family interruption.

[@007order007]

Holldoll99 Karavanas intellectual freedom is a right. If you want, you can download it on your phone and read it, here's the URL: docs.google.com/file/d/0B5nCm5VTsOTmdmdyVzA3aXpUNEk/view

[@surperian4340]

To a Christians, these books are... READiculous *Won't get fooled again in the background*

[@vampyricon7026]

+

[@1977markedwards]

PyroA What?

[@Mikri90]

hahahahha, don't forget about putting sunglasses on :D....

[@danishsamir8807]

Pale blue dot : A Vision Of The Human Future In Space - Carl Sagan Cosmos - Carl Sagan The Time Machine - HG Wells Brief Answers to Big Questions - Stephen Hawking Beyond Einstein - Michio Kaku PS you're book recommandation is just perfect !!!

[@michaellurch9472]

I'd personally recommend Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. It looks into civilization, human and animal evolution as well as geography. It blends so many fields of science into explaining the differences between civilizations in the world. A bit lengthy but a great read

[@kevinjohnanand]

@@themule8625 You're a moron.

[@bookaddict260]

@@themule8625 tf 😂

[@themule8625]

@@kevinjohnanand ad hominem

[@bilalbangash7731]

Sapiens is way better.

[@themule8625]

Looks like my og comment was deleted, I said that guns germs and steel has been debunked and that it doesnt seem to fully account for the differences between the races, which genetics dies account for. The differences in accomplishments between races is because some races have higher IQ than other races.

[@hayleyluxton2046]

Alex you are possibly the most interesting person I have ever kinda met. It would be really great if you could update your Goodreads account more often, I love seeing your recommendations for reading. It inspires me to read and buy more books but most importantly to learn. Thank you Alex.

[@lukerazor1]

"A History of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russel is a great general intro to the subject, and if you find "The God Delusion" arrogant may I also suggest Russel's "Why I am not a Christian" which covers the same sort of ground but wittier and shorter ")

[@annette8130]

I'm surprised you didn't mention anything by Carl Sagan. I definitely recommend any of his books.

[@plastic.spoons]

I really wish I had a job so that I could be a patreon. I really love your content and I also love books so great video. To see such a young person, much like myself, speak so eloquently and organized. I just wanted to say I really like your content.

[@plastic.spoons]

Also "I sold my soul on Ebay: a look at faith through an atheist's eyes" by Hemat Mehta (I think I spelled that wrong), is really good. As well as "The young atheist's survival guide" by the same author. I consider them must reads.

[@yuvaaditya]

"few books on the desk" *jaw drop*

[@tommonk7651]

Alex, I was so impressed to see you list Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything." It is a truly engrossing and wonderful book about the history of science and so much else. I recommend it to everyone. I bet I have listened to the audio book 10 times, and I learn something new every time.

[@kelman727]

I'd recommend the following: The Dark, John McGahern Enduring Love, Ian McEwan The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky Whit, Iain Banks. The Revolutions Trilogy (Copernicus, Kepler, The Newton Letter), John Banville.

[@Fshmms]

Late to the party, but happy to have arrived than not arriving at all! I'm gonna explore this channel today. Loved the way he presented all the books.

[@ozymvndiaz]

downloading PDF's rn cause im cheap😂

[@AliJr_MetalGames_MetalGuitar]

Alejandro Martinez Knowledge for free!!

[@calebr7199]

Alejandro Martinez Same! I like physical books but pdf's are so much easier to get and cheaper.

[@iaguirre88]

PDF is sooo 2000 :P Try epub or mobi.

[@meterparin]

What are the best sites for such PDF's? I only know scribd.

[@calebr7199]

I just type in the book name and PDF. I can usually find in on the first or second site.

[@4L3XS4UR10]

Great books! Some of my favourites are: - The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan - The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins - The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene - The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins - Sapiens by Yuval Harari - The Brain by David Eagleman (honestly, every single Dawkins book is so great. I recommend so much other books like The Ancestor's Tale, The Blind Watchmaker, Climbing Mount Improbable...)

[@chairmanmeow3390]

The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins. It's pretty much a great introduction and kinda like a love letter to science. Although it's primarily made for a younger demographic, it can be enjoyed by both children and adults.

[@unicyclist97]

CrazyCrafter 812 Fantastic book, the audiobook version is beautifully read.

[@Dantegrey1]

I agree. I have always considered Hitchens a sort of Pavarotti, when listening to god Is Not Great. And then Dawkins is Art Garfunkel with his thinner, but very clear, clean, and mild voice. Oh, and Lalla Ward of course... Damn, my autism is showing.

[@unicyclist97]

Dantegrey1 I'm autistic but I don't see the relevance.

[@brianlaudrupchannel]

I'm 35 and loved it. I find the clearer writing style suits me better because I'm not naturally a book person.

[@locutusdborg126]

"Demon Haunted World" by Carl Sagan. The best book on science and reason ever written.

[@Jay_Scott_Raymond]

I 2nd this one. I recommend that book all the time. I gave a copy to a friend of mine who does most of his reading via audiobooks these days, and he was so engrossed in it he was taking notes while reading.

[@TheMusicmak3r]

I love this book too!

[@androsida8704]

Reading right now :)

[@kaiajasmine]

Sapiens is incredible! One of my favorite 'sciencey' books along with A Universe From Nothing and The Ancestor's Tale, happy reading :)

[@masonmill9112]

Thanks for posting this video! I was going through your KZbin channel last week trying to find any place you might mention your favorite books but couldn't find any, so this is exactly what I was looking for. Started to delve into The God Delusion just last week because of your videos and I have every intention of reading the rest of your favorites. You make absolutely amazing videos that have helped to change my life and I thank you for that. Keep up the great work and I can't wait to see what you channel does in the future. Best of luck Alex!

[@lilj4818]

Dawkin's Ancestor's Tale is absolutely brilliant. Just breaks down the evolutionary tree, and shows how we are connected to the rest of the life on the planet!

[@Blazingwaffles123]

Very interesting! As a Catholic. I also love reading books. I appreciate the intellectual side of atheism as fellow seekers of truth. If there is a such thing as objective truth than I believe one can find it by studying and comparing all major religions/philosophies/science. I am Catholic but love to read alternative perspectives such as Buddhist and atheistic viewpoints. Ultimately I believe that good ideas beat bad ideas so long as one remains open minded. I look forward to studying the works of Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris as well as studying the Christian side and trying to figure out the arguments for both sides. Figuring out whether Christianity or atheism makes more sense will completely change the way you live your life. The only way to figure this out is by examining both sides of the table without bias. i seek what is true and am willing to conform myself to the set of ideas that is actually true.

[@MicheleGardini]

Great books to read: 1) Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter. A classic, deep and powerful 2) The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds and The Laws of Physics by Roger Penrose. Really challenging 3) Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singh. Maths as easy and interesting as possible. 4)Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick. Maybe old but still interesting 5)The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee. What a terrible disease can teach us about life. 6) Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies + Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond. The future from the past. 8) Every book by Stephen J. Gould. Evolution and more, from one of the best essayst ever.

[@REDPUMPERNICKEL]

Your list and mine are similar except at 2) I insert Julian Jaynes, "The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" which I've found to be extraordinarily synergistic with "Gödel, Escher, Bach". s-f-walker.org.uk/pubsebooks/pdfs/Julian_Jaynes_The_Origin_of_Consciousness.pdf Cheers!

[@dylanjones7472]

holy cheese sprinkles this video is the biggest coincidence in my entire life!!! I was just meandering through books on amazon and wanted some suggestions. I haven't amassed a substantial collection by any means. but anyways my mind started wandering and I thought about your channel and how i was going to drop a comment about wanting recommendations, then i saw this video. my mind literally exploded. ik this is silly but it was still kinda hilarious

[@CosmicSkeptic]

There must be a god!

[@calebr7199]

CosmicSkeptic Hallelujah!

[@ed9957]

Now some creationist is going to quote mine the cosmic skeptic finally admitting there is a god.

[@laplacesdemon82]

knightbear evans Crooks??

[@michaelsieger9133]

1. Kant- Critique of Pure Reason 2. Hegel- Science of Logic (Objective and Subjective) 3. Nietzsche- On the Genealogy of Morals 4. Wittgenstein- On Certainty 5. Marx- Das Kapital 6. Hannah Arendt- The Human Condition 7. Foucault- The History of Sexuality 8. Derrida- On Grammatology 9. Baudrillard- Simulacra and Simulation 10. Deleuze- Difference and Repetition For anyone who wants an understanding of modern philosophy

[@Dailylilyful]

I'm half way into "The Hitchhiker's guite to the galaxy" and It's one of the best Sci-fi/Fantasy books I've read.

[@jaanrett]

let's not forget Carl Sagan.

[@kengilliland727]

Or Albert Einstein !

[@jmitterii2]

@@kengilliland727 Thanks! I didn't even know Einstein wrote any books, or had anything other writings other than his scientific journals! Just found "The World as I See It." Thanks again! :) history.aip.org/history/exhibits/einstein/essay.htm

[@konyvnyelv.]

Try Mauro Biglino.

[@androsida8704]

@@konyvnyelv. thats a huge idiot

[@isaacnewton7424]

Or me ;)

[@lucky-mud]

"Burning the candle from both ends and finding that it often gives a lovely light" -Christopher Hitchens (Mortality)

[@johandeboer9790]

'Guns, Germs & Steel' by Jared Diamond is an amazing book!

[@tobymartin2137]

I've not read Sapiens, but I am in the process of reading Harari's other book Homo Deus, which attempts to use human development and evolution to try and paint an image of the future. Definitely interesting and probably worth a look.

[@Tommyinoz1971]

Reading the Bible helped me become an atheist.

[@mackjonsey4999]

The bible should make *_everyone_* an atheist. That happened for me before I made my 12th cycle around the Sun.

[@kosukeueki84]

As an ex-muslim quran made me athiest.

[@ackhimzatrebacula6757]

You can’t just read the Bible; you need critical understanding on the material. An Atheist’s _What The Bible is All About_ might just make a great topic for a theological dissertation. You’ll need to be very careful about what you say in your classes, and you might be able to get special permission from the biology department for mentorship in that important academic setting.

[@douglasdea637]

@@ackhimzatrebacula6757 I agree. When I read the Bible I also read Asimov's Guide to the Bible along with it. He helped to explain many of the obscure references (tribes, place names, etc) found within. A little dated today but still a good companion.

[@JE-ng4ty]

Me too

[@ayraj6184]

Wild to see how far you've come. Would like another one of these with academic and high level philosophical theological and anthropological recommendations.

[@littlemalta3332]

Books you should read part 2 pleasee!!

[@Vincent-fo7xp]

Mark Twain's "Letters from the Earth" is absolutely beautiful and brilliant

[@andrewkrylov1501]

Are you Norman Bates?

[@tjinfofrance6453]

Reading Sapiens at the moment, easily became my favorite book pretty quickly.

[@PolarBearon]

I always recommend "The moral landscape" by Sam harris. Even if you don't agree with his argument in this book, it is interesting to hear a thoughtful argument for objective truths about morality. Much more interesting to think about than "there can be no objective morality, because it's just an opinion", in my opinion.

[@dementare]

Not sure if you've already delved into this topic... but I highly recommend Jordan Peterson's Lectures on Maps of Meanings, the architecture of belief. I was previously unaware of the concept of the Archetypal Characters being played out through religious dramas as a means to convey the eternal truths of "Being" as the culture could understand them at their time. I was blown away, it was the missing piece I needed to really understand the formation of religion, it's meanings, and actual usefulness.

[@pietersch7836]

Great list! Personally, I would highly recommend "The Ancestors' Tale" by R. Dawkins. I've never read any book that captured the beauty of evolution in a way that it is presented there.

[@sylvash1024]

I've read Sapiens and I've got to tell you it is very interesting. It's really opened my eyes to a lot of things. For example, I grew up in a very conservative family who is VERY fond of traditional gender roles, especially in the looks department. This book touches a bit on how views of masculinity have changed over time. For example monarchs used to wear especially colorful and quite beautiful clothes as a sign of status, wealth, and strength. Which is a stark contrast to the bland suits that modern leaders wear. I always think back to this whenever someone tells me that I need to act like a man or that I dress like a gay man (which I am not). This book helped show me that social norms are relative and will change, so why should I strictly conform to them?

[@cosmicslice7267]

Books are always my favourite topic. I might...have a bit of a problem, if you've ever seen my book catalogue. It has it's own Google doc. Be quiet. :) Here's a few other recommendations! "Atom" by Lawrence Krauss is a slightly older book but it's SO worth looking for. It follows a single oxygen atom's life starting after the Big Bang. Beautifully written and utterly fascinating. One of my favourite Dawkins' books is "The Ancestor's Tale". It goes back in time starting at modern humans and meeting up with all of our kin along the way. I also have to recommend a fantastic book by Randall Munroe, the creator of the XKCD toon. It's called "What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions". It tackles things like, what happens if you hit a baseball that is travelling at the speed of light? (Turns out you'd have a really bad day.)

[@cosmicslice7267]

***** The book is both incredibly fun and really interesting. If you aren't familiar with XKCD...you should be. ;-)

[@roycalderon6899]

Bro.. your videos are fantastic. As a fellow Atheist, I love how you propose and prove information and facts. I'm thankful for people like yourself. Just Amazing!

[@noahsolomon1550]

Mortality by Christopher Hitchens was a great read in my opinion. I also found it to be depressing and fascinating. Rip hitch

[@kaqueburlington4278]

“God is not Great” by Christopher Hitchens might be my favorite book. It’s fantastic!

[@Michael-Hammerschmidt]

Alex, have you read "The Logic of Scientific Discovery" by Karl Popper? If not I would highly recommend it. It posed some new ideas for the time in which it was published, in the 1950's. Many of these ideas have come to revolutionize the philosophy of science, and now make up some of the foundations of the modern philosophy of science, such as falsificationism.

[@kennethfrawley]

You are absolutely brilliant! So pleased you're making vids. Well done! Oh, whilst at uni in the 90s, I read Twain's 'The Mysterious Stranger,' which is extremely powerful, and another in a long series of his statements on his disappointment of the human race.

[@Pines_Druid]

Infidel is amazing. Ayaan is a REAL feminist icon.

[@SkillUpMobileGaming]

feminism is cancer

[@Pines_Druid]

Real feminism is second wave feminism, if you knew anything about Ayaan Hirsi Ali and her recent disputes with Linda Sarsour then you would know wtf you're talking about

[@dianab4834]

SkillUp Gaming *first world feminism is cancer

[@Pines_Druid]

^ yes that is sadly accurate

[@elisabeth4912]

@@SkillUpMobileGaming I hate feminism when it is used as an excuse to hate on men. I like it if it stands for the equality of genders, also fighting for men's rights and concentrating more on the problems of women in Muslim nations and 3. World countries.

[@LatrineDerriere]

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera is one of my favorites

[@EdgeOf1996]

I could listen to Alex narrate just about anything.

[@sararogers6705]

Have you listened to Dawkins read his own books on Audible?

[@withouta315]

Love your work, kid. One book I suggest to anyone who questions the status quo of reality is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

[@NelloLawliet1223]

Do you have any drawer recommendation? XD

[@eyreaus2736]

Which begs the question, how much do you read, how many books a week or so, when do you find the time between classes and running the channel, and how fast do you read?

[@withlove-emi]

I want to buy all of these books and read them from front to back, but I come from a strict, conservative family, so my problem should be obvious..

[@withlove-emi]

***** : I neglected to inform that I don't have my own money and I'm not terribly interested in piracy

[@amylucas8709]

Get them from your local library.... for free.... 😉

[@ishaschdv1]

You can download them. You can also try projectgutenberg

[@footsteps2179]

Reading Rules for Radicals right now, excellent book (thus far) for understanding reactions of different financial classes towards political events. Also, Freakonomics is probably one of the most interesting books I've read in the last few months. Definitely will blow your mind if you want something involving financial circumstances.

[@awsomboy123]

I have to start to read again

[@WaskiSquirrel]

We have some overlap in our reading. But, the more important point: keep reading and educating yourself. Read history, science, philosophy, mathematics, culture, and everything you can.

[@Knightfall8]

You should round out your reading diet with some philosophy

[@sheepsy90]

Knightfall8 Ethics in the real world by Peter Singer

[@Knightfall8]

general american public: "lol we dont need to learn ethics in school" the same general american public: "aaagh why is everything wrong?!"

[@Knightfall8]

That danger is present in any american classroom and not just in an ethics course

[@Knightfall8]

So I wouldnt accept that possibility as being a valid reason to keep it out of high schools

[@MilesFazio]

It's becoming more and more clear that he doesn't read much philosophy. Initially, as this realization crept in, I found it somewhat surprising. But he's young and clearly intelligent. I suspect he'll find his way there.

[@jeffwatkins352]

That's an impressive list! Of those, I've read only the Hawking. Odd, a life-long atheist like me, a 66 year-old no less, never having read a word of Dawkins or Hitchens. In my defense, my focus has been on music, Richard Wagner specifically. No, I'm not a Nazi, and think the fashionable view of Wagner as a proto-Nazi is bunkum. In all events, I continue to be gobsmacked that one as young as you has such a penetratingly deep mind. Please take care of yourself and continue on your present trajectory. I cannot conceive of your powers at age 30, 40, and beyond.

[@stubdo16]

Jeff Watkins Good call. I received much solace from nights listening to Richard Wagner mega-orchestra CDs. Cheers!

[@bendikskrede8420]

i recomand reading the hitchikers guid to the galaxy

[@Kzoowallace]

Atheist handbook. Great choice.

[@Vincent-fo7xp]

I recommend Christopher Hitchens "Hitch 22"

[@arthunter92]

The Greatest Show On Earth by Richard Dawkins is a brilliant book on the evidence of evolution...

[@SkittlesInYourHand]

Just thought about getting some books yesterday, this video couldn't have come at a better time.

[@rhar3633]

Hey man, love the videos. Had a suggestion for a new video. As a skeptical atheist, formerly protestant Christian, I came across a bit of "evidence" that almost reconverted me. It was in the form of a math problem from a prophecy in the Bible sometimes known as the 70 sevens prophecy about the Messiah from Daniel 9:24-25. Not sure if you'd heard of it, but in a nutshell it is something that the modern Christian will use to claim that Jesus' coming was predicted to the very DAY in the book of Daniel. It took me a bit of research to figure out the tom-foolery going on here, but it was very compelling, and challenging at first (without research) to even the most stubborn atheist (much like myself). Anyway, you like disproving this stuff, as well as calculating math and shit, and I realized no one in the KZbin skeptical community is really talking about this, so would love to hear your well-thought out opinion on this.

[@thedoorsbest]

Where would we be without books?Adore books.

[@TheCerealHobbyist]

You may want to add the US Amazon links with your referral code as well!

[@mateoacostarojas6031]

I recommend science and human behavior. It´s a book that shows the study of the behavior of organisms (including thoughts,desires etc) from a deterministic perspective. I think it´s very parsimonious accounting for a lot of "what we are".The Tyranny Of Words. It´s a book about the field of general semantics (not to confuse with the field of semantics (maybe not the best title for a new field jeje)).The impact of language in our world view. And references back to Science And Sanity. The "start" or first (that i´m aware) definition of the field of general semantics. The subtitle is: An introduction of non-aristotelian systems and general semantics.

[@peace606]

I wanna read these books. Any tips on hiding them from religious family?

[@CosmicSkeptic]

twitter.com/CosmicSkeptic/status/830959469802713088

[@amylucas8709]

Book cover.....

[@nikolavitorovic6857]

Or just confront your family. If they have any sense in them, you can tell them you will read and believe anything you want. If not, move out.

[@joaodecarvalho7012]

This is a great time for psychology. Evolutionary thinking is being incorporated by the field, providing a solid ground to build models of the mind, and neuroscience is providing an objective substrate for mental phenomena. I recommend "Thinking, fast and slow" by Daniel Kahneman, and "The righteous mind", by Jonathan Haidt.

[@Hans-tl1mj]

I've noticed that a surprising amount of people will practice a religion not because it makes sense; but because it works. People who practice a religion (who aren't extremists) tend to be relatively happier and more peaceful than those who don't. At least that's what I've noticed. Now I'm an agnostic, I'm a relatively happy, positive person. But I see a lot more grumpy and unhappy atheists and agnostics these days. For example, there are so many Christians out there that can't argue for the bible, and simply consider everything in the bible to be a "God did it" kind of thing. They don't try to make sense of any of it, they just follow that way of living because it works! It's like a formula, and they'll teach their kids "the formula" too, expecting it to make their children happy in the future. And that's the thing, in my opinion, I don't think any of these religious beliefs should make any logical sense to any critical thinker, i find it easier for the average atheist, to "win" a debate or discussion against an average Christian. But they don't care about that, not average christians. These people believe in what they believe in because they believe it works. And it does, religion works. It's illogical, but it works! It can make people happy, It's not all that evil. That of course won't stop me from talking about my problem with religion, just like it won't stop Christians from spreading "the good news". We need happier non-believers, sure we aren't hoping for a heaven after we die, but we can be happy *now*! To live our lives to the fullest, doing what we love, procreating, contributing to society, and helping the next generation. That is what I believe is man's true purpose.

[@gregoryallan3137]

'The opiate of the masses'.

[@unicyclist97]

Mr. WonderEye Ignorance is bliss.

[@1977markedwards]

Mr. WonderEye Ah, anecdotal observations, brilliant. Maybe this is why you notice so many 'unhappy' unbelievers, their sick of yet more unsubstantiated bs in the way of your opinion.

[@Hans-tl1mj]

1977markedwards It's just something I've noticed. I've seen plenty of happy non-believers, but here's the thing; religious people have created a purpose for themselves. When things go wrong they look up to their God, atheists don't have that. Atheists don't believe in a deity who is always watching over them every minute of every day. So they only have themselves and the people around to depend on, which tends to make atheists more cynical and nihilistic than religious people.

[@unicyclist97]

Mr. WonderEye Atheists are the ones fighting to keep the world alive because we don't have the delusion that a cosmic caretaker will "make it better". Theistic delusions are harmful.

[@SabrinaXe]

Mortality-hitchens The meaning of it all- Feynman Paradox- Jim al khalili Carl sagan

[@tarikono141]

I suggest you: 1.The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan 2.Breaking The Spell :Religon as natural phenomen by Daniel Dennett 3.Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson 4.Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation by Bill Nye 5.12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan Peterson 6.The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind by Michio Kaku 7.Ecce Homo: How One Becomes What One Is by Friedrich Nietzsche 8.Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam by Michel Onfray

[@harryrobertson3746]

'Infidel' is a wonderful book. It made (along with some of her lectures) her one of my few true heroes.

[@jellyjam9331]

I'm just gonna go to amazon and buy all of these now 👋

[@jaharising9788]

Just stumbled across your channel whilst bumming around YT.. was taken aback at the similarities of our respective book collections. Then I realized I've got the exact same mini-amp sitting on a stack of books, and a camera lens often sits on another, ...and I'm not sure, but I'd be absolutely stunned if that is a kalimba in the background...that would be just far too coincidental for my already dizzied mind... definitely subbed, of course, ...looks like a great channel I've been missing out on. Thanks.

[@rakvian]

3:12 I heard, "As he was dying from philosophical cancer" lol

[@elmo4672]

same here :p

[@not.harshit]

Lmao

[@atheisocial9088]

The God Delusion is on my shelf, never read it, read and reviewed God Is Not Great on my channel, never checked out Sam Harris. Hitchens' Mortality is a really powerful book, too. I'd really recommend that one. Great video, man.

[@santoshd6613]

I would recommend books on Advaita Vedanta ie nondual Vedanta as other perspective.. Because there r lot in the world other than Christianity!!!

[@brianfreeman5880]

Nice bruh. Out of these recommendations, based on what you said and how i already feel, I've been convinced to read Letter to a Christian Nation, The Blind Watchmaker, Mortality, and Paradox. Having seen some of your videos, I knew you'd have some good book recommendations. Thanks DUDE. P.S. i like the vybes from the birds at the end of the vid.

[@psprokkinrobin202]

I would recommend the great Oolan Caloophid's 4 book masterpieces:- Where God Went Wrong Some More of God's Greatest Mistakes Who is This God Person Anyway? and Well That About Wraps it up for God.

[@TmRnBn]

I've been waiting for these to appear on Amazon since, well, since the destruction of the world. Since then it's been all about the mice.

[@stephenbyrne8746]

Wow, Really happy I stumbled across this video. Thank you!

[@ethanrauf9216]

The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan!

[@dolnick7]

Fantastic post! I'm just now finishing up Dawkins' God Delusion and have A Brief History of Time and Origin of Species on their way to me as I write. Since so much theistic debate seems to gravitate to evolution and the Big Bang, I felt the need to brush up my knowledge in these areas. I think God Is Not Great will be next on my list.

[@jamspam5879]

Notification squad

[@niklasgransjen684]

Generic whiteguy Nope. Not here. Please stop.

[@grayskull1521]

Niklas Gransjøen Agreed.

[@cheesepleese_]

Awesome! Now how about a list of must watch documentaries?

[@gazerthefishman9036]

Hey alex,do you mind doing more vidieos on the Vigilant Christian and his videos and also do you believe in the illuminati?

[@MrJantikalu]

Illuminati! Yeah, I would like to see a video about that too!

[@hayliegrayson2107]

Thor max Yes! Please do, Alex!

[@vampyricon7026]

+

[@gazerthefishman9036]

Rastislav Palugyay I havent but thanks for the recommendation

[@gazerthefishman9036]

***** He did, but I think I would be nice if alex returned to Some of TVC's other videos like the ones where he talks about the illuminati in media or the one where he said Pokèmon Go is for man-children.

[@MichaelMohrshipofools]

Always reading. I have a bunch of on that list and will continue to collect. Many thanks for your good work.

[@BluStarGalaxy]

Great recommendations of fiction books by Dawkins!

[@FennecTheRabbit]

I'm new to your channel and am apparently late to the book party but a book I read towards the end of 2018 called I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong was quite enjoyable. He's a journalist as opposed to a scientist but his blatant enthusiasm for the subject he is writing about it quite infectious and I really enjoyed reading it. And then gushed about how much I loved it to anyone who would stand still long enough for a solid month (which considering it talks about animal research may be an awkward thing to do at your local vegan meet-up...)

[@Mikri90]

"The end of faith" and "The moral landscape" by Sam Harris are also worth a read, since you've already mentioned Harris. Thanks for a quick summary of your favorite books, some of them are already on my "to do" list, but some are new to me, and will be added to the list for sure. I wasn't much of a reader until recently, so I bought myself a Kindle and it's a joy to use, as I couldn't imagine myself going around bookstores searching for books. Oh, one more book that springs to mind, that I've recently heard of is Nick Bostrom's "Superintelligence", Sam Harris mentioned it in Joe Rogan podcast, where they about the future of AI. It's a very interesting and a serious matter, even scary one, and from what I've heard the book is a promising one.