I have an entire bookshelf of bibles and biblical commentaries, concordances, appendices, and the like, but the SAB is by far the best tool for biblical research I have ever come across." - Dr. Michael Shermer, Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine and Executive Director of the Skeptics Society"I've been waiting for this book for my entire life! Finally, the Bible with organized notes and critique--pointing out the profane, the craziness, the tribalism, the murder, the incestuous episodes, and the beautiful and the sublime. All in one book!" - Julia Sweeney Writer and performer of "Letting Go of God" and "God Said Ha!" and the book, "If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother""The Skeptic's Annotated Bible offers an invaluable presentation of the bible that doesn't hide the cruelties, contradictions, absurdities, misogyny, and everything else that makes the 'Good Book' bad. It is an indispensible resource and the only book I keep on my desk." - Dr. Peter Boghossian, Dept. of Philosophy, Portland State University. Author of: "A Manual for Creating Atheists"

    Offit, M.D., a scathing exposé of the alternative medicine industry, revealing how even though some popular therapies are remarkably helpful due to the placebo response, many of them are ineffective, expensive, and even deadlyIn Do You Believe in Magic?, Paul Offit, M.D., reveals how alternative medicine—an unregulated industry under no legal obligation to prove its claims or admit its risks—can actually be harmful to our health.Using dramatic real-life stories, Offit separates the sense from the nonsense, showing why any therapy—alternative or traditional—should be scrutinized. He also shows how some nontraditional methods can do a great deal of good, in some cases exceeding therapies offered by conventional practitioners.An outspoken advocate for science-based health advocacy who is not afraid to take on media celebrities who promote alternative practices, Dr. Offit advises, “There’s no such thing as alternative medicine. There’s only medicine that works and medicine that doesn’t.”

    But there is a method for avoiding such pitfalls of human nature, and it's called skepticism. By using rational inquiry and seeing subjects from a scientific perspective, we can approach even the most sensitive claims with clear eyes to ultimately arrive at the truth. During 18 lectures that will surprise, challenge, and entertain you, you will learn how to think, not just what to think-and you'll come to understand why extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.You'll discover how skepticism can help differentiate between real science and pseudoscience, as well as between "scientific" history and pseudohistory-distinctions that have serious educational and political implications.Fascinating case studies illustrate how you can apply the methods of skepticism to detect specious claims and faulty logic in any scenario you encounter such as:•The methodology employed by Holocaust deniers•Arguments made by proponents of creationism•The biology of near-death experiences and the sensed-presence effect•Psychic abilities and other "paranormal" phenomena.As you learn how our brains work to form beliefs, you'll examine the classic fallacies of thought that lead us to experience mistakes in thinking and to form bad arguments in favor of our beliefs.Is there a God? Is there life after death? Is there a basis for morality without God? Skepticism 101 doesn't shy away from controversial questions, nor does it give final answers. What it offers are methods and hard evidence for rationally evaluating various claims and positions, and an opportunity to understand why you believe what you believe.Listening Length: 9 hours and 10 minutes

    Designed to promote constructive dialogue, Christians will find the book useful as a basis for developing their apologetics, while skeptics will welcome Harrisons probing rational analysis of religious claims.

    The underlying premise is untrue, which means that everything that is built upon that premise is also untrue. The staggering amount of time, money, emotional energy and bloodshed expended in the name of something completely fictitious is a crime against humanity. So while there are debates about religion’s place in society, whether the charitable works they do add value, whether they should have tax exemptions and access to power in government, whether the comfort some people seem to derive from their faith is worthwhile and should be left unchallenged, I will focus on one thing: To show that the God of Abraham, from which the three great monotheisms were spawned, does not exist. I have read many books on the subject of gods, religions and belief in the supernatural. I’ve watched many debates on the matter as well, and one particularly vexing issue comes up frequently and leaves me feeling dissatisfied. That issue is the one of disproving the existence of God. Scientists will often stop well short of even making a claim about the existence of God, answering instead that one cannot prove a negative, i.e. we cannot prove that God doesn’t exist. Many debates about the existence of God are often mired down in that esoteric point and the natural progression from there to debates regarding who carries the burden of proof. Arguments are presented and then countered and in the end, people must decide for themselves if they heard anything that impacted their thinking on the subject. I began to think that I could build a compelling argument for the non-existence of God, but I wanted more than just arguments: I wanted proof. What you will find in this book is a combination of both. Part I features arguments supporting my statement that the god of monotheism; the God of Jews, Christians and Muslims featured prominently in the Holy Bible and the Quran, does not actually exist. In Part II of the book, I will use evidence, or more precisely, the lack of evidence where evidence should exist, to show beyond a reasonable doubt that the Biblical God is a mythical figure no more real than Zeus, the King of Gods from Greek Mythology.

    ---------Is The Bible the source of human morality? Did Noah really build an ark? It is fair to say that PC Dixon is not convinced. ---------Whether you are a believer or not this book offers much food for thought and plenty of amusement.---------'This book is intended to make you think: "That's a good point" and also laugh from time to time. Hopefully simultaneously in many cases.' - PC Dixon

    Many people and institutions have exerted enormous efforts to misrepresent or flatly deny demonstrable scientific reality to protect their nonscientific ideology, their power, or their bottom line. To shed light on this darkness, Donald R. Prothero explains the scientific process and why society has come to rely on science not only to provide a better life but also to reach verifiable truths no other method can obtain. He describes how major scientific ideas that are accepted by the entire scientific community (evolution, anthropogenic global warming, vaccination, the HIV cause of AIDS, and others) have been attacked with totally unscientific arguments and methods. Prothero argues that science deniers pose a serious threat to society, as their attempts to subvert the truth have resulted in widespread scientific ignorance, increased risk of global catastrophes, and deaths due to the spread of diseases that could have been prevented.

    Faith in pseudoscience is rampant, and belief in the supernatural permeates society at every level. Critical thinking is key to understanding what is truly useful, and what merely distracts from progress and development. This book gives you the tools to sort the solid from the silly, and answer such questions as: Do military dolphins actually attack and kill divers? Who was Jack the Ripper? Can zombie powder actually turn you into a mindless slave? Was an amputee miraculously healed in the 1600s? What is truly known about Amelia Earhart’s fate? Does scientific evidence prove the existence of the Yeti? Author Brian Dunning hosts the Skeptoid podcast at http://skeptoid.com. In this book, he casts his skeptical eye on fifty paranormal, cultural, and supernatural beliefs that are at best foolish, and at worst, deadly.

    It's important that people understand findings from psychology, anthropology, sociology, and neuroscience to escape the notion that any one religion represents the only truth.

    The authors rebut claims that range from atheism being just another religion to the alleged atrocities committed in its name.• An accessible yet scholarly commentary on hot-button issues in the debate over religious belief• Teaches critical thinking skills through detailed, rational argument. Objectively considers each myth on its merits• Includes a history of atheism and its advocates, an appendix detailing atheist organizations, and an extensive bibliography• Explains the differences between atheism and related concepts such as agnosticism and naturalism

    A collection of the best essays from the blog Science-Based Medicine on the efficacy of acupuncture and "eastern" remedies.