This is my second foray in to the subject of free will, having read Dan Barker's excellent Free Will Explained back in 2018. I enjoyed Sam's take bettThis is my second foray in to the subject of free will, having read Dan Barker's excellent Free Will Explained back in 2018. I enjoyed Sam's take better, as he was more committed to one side of the argument - that we DO NOT have free will - and the fact that he's an eloquent writer. In this book he doesn't get bogged down in the details and makes his case in a short 66 pages, not including the acknowledgements, notes, and index.
Harris makes a convincing argument and addresses his disagreements with others who have written on the subject such as German neuroscientist Martin Heisenberg and the late, great American philosopher Dan Dennett (one of the four horsemen of atheism along with author Harris, Richard Dawkins, and the late Christopher Hitchens). I particularly liked these parts of the books as Harris did a nice job making his points against the theories presented by these great minds.
Harris also uses a number of interesting examples and historical events to illustrate how those on both sides of the free will debate would interpret what went on.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the concept of free will. Short, to the point, and full of thought provoking ideas regarding a concept most people probably have never thought about. Harris makes it make sense. ...more
The main text of The Four Horsement: The Conversation That Sparked an Atheist Revolution is the transcript of a 2007 discussion between four secular hThe main text of The Four Horsement: The Conversation That Sparked an Atheist Revolution is the transcript of a 2007 discussion between four secular heavyweights: Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, and Dennett. As I expected, it was fantastic to read the ping-ponging of unhallowed goodness between the four great minds. I will now watch the video of this meeting.
As an added bonus the book also contains a Forward by the always interesting Stephen Fry and chapters by the three living horsemen. Unfortunately for the world, Christopher Hitchens died in 2011. I need to read more Dennett. I've read some Harris and own a few more of his books that are on my TBR list. I own most, if not all, the Dawkins there is to read. He is my favorite living scientist and it was an absolute thrill to meet him in Dallas last fall. I still can't believe it.
It was wonderful to read a book in which these four great minds skewer all things religion. Reality is a beautiful thing. Embrace it. ...more
I absolutely loved this book! Harris crams so much secular goodness in to 114 pages (my book has the 21 page afterword added in he 2008 edition). WhilI absolutely loved this book! Harris crams so much secular goodness in to 114 pages (my book has the 21 page afterword added in he 2008 edition). While I have read many books which debunked and laid waste to the religious fantasies presented as "facts" during my seven years of Catholic school, this one did so more succinctly than any other and is probably more accessible to believers as is a very quick read and less intimidating than one of Dawkins' great, but chunkier books. Harris' arguments are presented in rapid-fire succession and most hit the mark directly.
My favorite parts were the following: the clash between science and religion (Jerry Coyne's great book Faith vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible addresses this in greater detail); the goodness of God (Christopher Hitchens and Dan Barker have written great books about this fallacious concept); and the discussion about embryonic stem cell research which is right on point and perhaps one of the best examples of how religious fanaticism is holding back modern medicine.
I'm guessing that this "letter to a Christian nation" is widely ignored by its intended audience. This is a shame. Most humans are indoctrinated with their parents' beliefs in magic and the supernatural at birth and I would guess not many have heard both sides of the science vs. religion argument. This short, quick read might open some eyes and free some minds. Its content is especially important in the US these days as the current administration continues to push its conservative Christian agenda down our throats wherever they can.
I'm going to read it again, this time with a highlighter.
Twenty stars.
*Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ says that this is my 500th book read! Hooray!* (Although my total is probably understated as I can't remember everything I read in elementary school!) Here's to the next 500 good reads! ...more
I liked Waking Up for the most part, some parts had me riveted but there were also parts where I felt like fast-forwarding. In the book, Sam Harris prI liked Waking Up for the most part, some parts had me riveted but there were also parts where I felt like fast-forwarding. In the book, Sam Harris provides an overview for the nonreligious how to be spiritual � or more specifically, how to be more aware of one’s consciousness and peacefulness by meditation. He states, “Spirituality remains the great hole in secularism, humanism, rationalism, atheism, and all the other defensive postures that reasonable men and women strike in the presence of unreasonable faith.� Harris is a neuroscientist and has a knack for explaining how our brains work and how mental discipline can lead one to a happier life.
Harris attempts to wrestle the concept of spirituality away from where it as always resided, in the minds of believers of the supernatural. He argues that spiritually is a natural state based on experience and neurology and not anything supernatural or religious. He takes down the claims of near-death experiences, especially some of the recent high-profile cases which resulted in the subjects making millions on their New York Times bestseller-list book. Also fantastic was the conclusion of the book, in which Harris takes off the gloves in his criticism of religion. He contends, "We have failed, generation after generation, to abolish the delusions and animosities of our ignorant ancestors. The worst ideas continue to thrive and are still imparted in their purest form to children.�
Also interesting was the chapter about pharmacology. Harris talks about the therapeutic benefits of certain illegal drugs such as LSD and Ecstasy. I've never heard someone talk about such drugs in a positive, neurological context.
The parts of the book that lost me were where Harris talks about his mediation training under his Eastern spiritual leaders. The history of some of these gurus and their movements seemed to drag a bit and felt like unnecessary information.
I listened to his in audio and it was read by Sam himself. He has a pleasant but monotonous voice. There are parts I will go back and listen to. Overall, a good read....more
I thought Harris was on the mark for most of this book and I thought it was an excellent read. He lost me a bit in the last chapter "Experiments in CoI thought Harris was on the mark for most of this book and I thought it was an excellent read. He lost me a bit in the last chapter "Experiments in Consciousness" where he dives in to some abstract concepts. I did find his comparisons between Eastern and Western spirituality in this chapter particularly interesting. He quotes the text of a Buddhist philosopher and challenges the reader to compare it to contemporary writings found in the Bible or Koran. It seems that believers of these two sacred texts are under the false impression that their holy books were the ultimate source of wisdom in their times.
Standout chapters for me were "Reason in Exile", "The Problem with Islam", and "West of Eden". In "Reason in Exile" he points out the absurdity of religious beliefs and the folly of killing oneself over the contents of book. How is it that knowledge of the natural world has advanced so much over two thousand years but archaic religious ideals are still beyond reproach?
In "The Problem with Islam" Harris does a deep dive in to Islam and uses five pages of quotes from the Koran to illustrate its underlying tenets and fundamentals. It is his belief that this religion needs to go through an enlightenment, or the civilized world will constantly be plagued by fundamentalists willing to die for their belief systems, all the while weapons are becoming more readily available. We are constantly hearing in the news about fundamentalist nations looking to acquire nuclear arms. This is a scary proposition.
In "West of Eden", Harris illustrates how religion has seeped in the decision-making in the United States. This is a truly depressing chapter. He notes examples of laws based on Christian notions of sin when it comes to curtailing the private freedoms of citizens and addresses instances of the religious sticking their noses in medicine, the drugs war, and abortion.
There are 62 pages of notes at the end which expand on the main text if you want to take an ever deeper dive in to some of the subject matter. My copy is a second edition which contains an afterward written in 2005 which addresses some of the criticism Harris received in the first year after the book was published. This was very interesting reading. There is also an extensive bibliography and and an index in case you want to revisit some of your favorite topics.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was written over a decade ago but it is still VERY relevant today in the United States as current administration is increasingly under the influence of religious fundamentalists and there is a creationist a heartbeat away from the presidency! In 2019! How can this be possible?! Read this book and you will understand why. 4.5 stars. I'll read it again some day with a highlighter. ...more
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