David Smalley has narrated 9 audiobooks on Listento.it by 7 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.6★ across 43 ratings. The most-rated is Heavens on Earth.
Heavens on Earth
Summary
In his most ambitious work yet, Shermer sets out to discover what drives humans' belief in life after death, focusing on recent scientific attempts to achieve immortality by radical life extentionists, extropians, transhumanists, cryonicists, and mind uploaders, along with utopians who have attempted to create heaven on earth. For millennia, religions have concocted numerous manifestations of heaven and the afterlife, the place where souls go after the death of the physical body. Religious leaders have toiled to make sense of this place that a surprising 74 percent of Americans believe exists but from which no one has ever returned to report what it is really like. Heavens on Earth concludes with an uplifting paean to purpose and progress and what we can do in the here and now, whether or not there is a hereafter.
©2018 Dr. Michael Shermer (P)2018 Dr. Michael Shermer
Fear of Physics
Summary
Fear of Physics is a lively, irreverent, and informative look at everything from the physics of boiling water to cutting-edge research at the observable limits of the universe. Rich with anecdotes and accessible examples, it nimbly ranges over the tools and thought behind the world of modern physics, taking the mystery out of what is essentially a very human intellectual endeavor.
©2007 Lawrence M. Krauss (P)2014 Dogma Debate, LLC
God - the Failed Hypothesis
Summary
Throughout history, arguments for and against the existence of God have been largely confined to philosophy and theology, while science has sat on the sidelines. Despite the fact that science has revolutionized every aspect of human life and greatly clarified our understanding of the world, somehow the notion has arisen that it has nothing to say about the possibility of a supreme being, which much of humanity worships as the source of all reality. This book contends that, if God exists, some evidence for this existence should be detectable by scientific means, especially considering the central role that God is alleged to play in the operation of the universe and the lives of humans. Treating the traditional God concept, as conventionally presented in the Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions, like any other scientific hypothesis, physicist Stenger examines all of the claims made for God's existence. He considers the latest Intelligent Design arguments as evidence of God's influence in biology. He looks at human behavior for evidence of immaterial souls and the possible effects of prayer. He discusses the findings of physics and astronomy in weighing the suggestions that the universe is the work of a creator and that humans are God's special creation. After evaluating all the scientific evidence, Stenger concludes that beyond a reasonable doubt the universe and life appear exactly as we might expect if there were no God.
©2007 Victor J. Stenger (P)2016 Pitchstone Publishing
Jesus: Mything in Action, Vol. I
Summary
David Fitzgerald's award-winning 2010 book, Nailed: Ten Christian Myths That Show Jesus Never Existed At All, pointed out the top 10 fatal flaws of Christianity's origin story. Now, Jesus: Mything in Action presents the most compelling new findings in Jesus myth theory, critically examines its controversial reception by biblical scholars and the extent and reliability of our sources for Jesus, and reveals the surprising history behind Jesus' evolution. In this volume, Mything in Action (chapters 1-12) looks at the myths of Jesus mythicism: what it is and isn't and what biblical scholars are saying about it (and why); and examines our oldest "biographical" source for Jesus - the allegorical story we know as the Gospel of Mark. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2017 David Fitzgerald (P)2017 Pitchstone Publishing
The Complete Heretic's Guide to Western Religion, Book 1
Summary
The next time that squeaky clean pair of LDS elders comes knocking on your door, they're in for a surprise! Find out the secrets the Mormon Church would rather you didn't know (and for which they paid plenty of money to keep hushed up unsuccessfully!) In this first book of The Complete Heretic's Guide to World Religion series, historian and award-winning atheist author Dave Fitzgerald takes us behind the Salt Lake curtain for a glimpse at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and answers your questions: Where did this multi-billion dollar tax-exempt corporation come from? Did Joseph Smith really sleep with all those women? Are the Mormons going to take over the whole world, and if so, is there any way to stop them? But that's not all! Learn about the bizarre, oxymoronic world of Mormon archeology and discover their strange beliefs - not just all the crazy stuff you already know, but all the truly twisted things you never even suspected - including the astounding shocking skeletons rattling around in the closet of the Mormon church hierarchy. Don't miss out on this fun, informative and painstakingly researched historical romp by the highly praised and award-winning author of Nailed: Ten Christian Myths that Show Jesus Never Existed at All. So when the missionaries show up on your doorstep, you'll have plenty to discuss with them.... Later days, Saints! The Complete Heretic's Guide to Western Religion. Because religion isn't just wrong. It's hilarious.
©2013 David Fitzgerald (P)2013 Dogma Debate, LLC
Disproving Christianity and Other Secular Writings (2nd edition, revised)
Summary
Not only do I believe that it is possible to maintain moral standards without the crutch of religion but I would argue that it is the only way to achieve true goodness. Disproving Christianity and Other Secular Writings compiles popular and lesser-known arguments against the principles established by the Christian canon. Using a phenomenological approach to build his case based on in-depth study at the University of California, Santa Barbara McAfee analyzes the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament doctrine to build a logical and reasonable case against their validity. From contradictions between lived and portrayed religions to factual errors within the texts themselves, no stone is left unturned in this fully updated and expanded refutation of Christianity.
©2010 David G. McAfee (P)2013 Dogma Debate, LLC
God and the Folly of Faith
Summary
A thorough and hard-hitting critique that is a must-hear for anyone interested in the interaction between religion and science. It has become the prevalent view among sociologists, historians, and some theistic scientists that religion and science have never been in serious conflict. Some even claim that Christianity was responsible for the development of science. In a sweeping historical survey that begins with ancient Greek science and proceeds through the Renaissance and Enlightenment to contemporary advances in physics and cosmology, Stenger makes a convincing case that not only is this conclusion false, but Christianity actually held back the progress of science for 1,000 years. It is significant, he notes, that the scientific revolution of the 17th century occurred only after the revolts against established ecclesiastic authorities in the Renaissance and Reformation opened up new avenues of thought. The author goes on to detail how religion and science are fundamentally incompatible in several areas: the origin of the universe and its physical parameters, the origin of complexity, holism versus reductionism, the nature of mind and consciousness, and the source of morality. In the end, Stenger is most troubled by the negative influence that organized religion often exerts on politics and society. He points out antiscientific attitudes embedded in popular religion that are being used to suppress scientific results on issues of global importance, such as overpopulation and environmental degradation. When religion fosters disrespect for science, it threatens the generations of humanity that will follow ours.
©2012 Victor J. Stenger (P)2016 Pitchstone Publishing
The Belief Book
Summary
What is belief, and why is it so important? Where did it come from, and what does it do? This book answers all of those questions and more! David G. McAfee, an author who studies religions, teamed up with writer and illustrator Chuck Harrison to create The Belief Book. No matter how old or how young you are, this easy-to-listen-to book can help you learn more about religions, gods, and beliefs in general. It will also teach you about something called the scientific method, which is how we learn new things about the world! By the time you're done listening, you will know the answers to some of life's biggest questions, but more importantly you will see why your questions, and all questions for that matter, are so important. This book is the first in a series of books all about belief, gods, and religion. The Belief Book is for listeners and thinkers of all ages, including kids and kids at heart.
©2015 David G. McAfee & Chuck Harrison (P)2015 Secular Media Group, LLC
The Secular Activist
Summary
Are you interested in preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation? Do you think a secular system is the only way to ensure freedom of religion and conscience for all? Do you want creationism out of classrooms, religious dogma out of health care, sectarian prayers out of government meetings, and taxpayer funding out of "faith-based" initiatives and programs that promote religious indoctrination? Think there's not much you can do about it? If so, as secular writer and activist Dan Arel demonstrates in word and deed, think again. Drawing on his experience in fighting to keep $18 million in taxpayer money out of the construction of the Noah's Ark theme park in Kentucky, Arel makes it clear that the only way to stop the religious right's assault on the wall separating church and state is for each of us to be active and vocal. He offers pragmatic lessons and guidance for protecting secularism, whether by raising awareness on social media, protesting in the public square, or knocking on doors in government corridors. Sharing not only his story but also the stories of other secular activists, he offers an inspirational and forceful call to action. For those who are waiting for others to stand up against antisecular forces, he reminds us that each of us can make an individual difference - and that ultimately we must be the wall separating church and state.
©2016 Dan Arel (P)2016 Pitchstone Publishing