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Examining the scriptural underpinnings of occult and supernaturalistic notions that survive in contemporary society, this book is based on the author's knowledge of the history of ancient Near-Eastern cultures and their mythology.

Offering an introduction to the basis of critical analysis, this book shows how to evaluate evidence, isolate facts, and use sound reasoning skills in everyday situations. It focuses on: The Importance of Clear Thinking; The Nature of Facts; The Reasoning Process; Language and Reasoning; Common Errors in Reasoning; Conflicting Opinions; and more.

Argues that morality cannot be based on religion, and that there is no evidence to show that non-believers despair or lose their sense of identity and purpose. This book shows that the implications of Christian absolutism are more likely to be monstrous than are those of a secular ethic that incorporates an independent principle of justice.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau is among the leading political philosophers of the Enlightenment. He sought to ground his political theory in an understanding of human nature, which he believed to be basically good. Here self-interest degenerated into a state of war from which humanity could only be extricated by the imposition of a contract.

"For much too long, the public has been misled by half-truths, by cover-ups, and by outright falsehoods . . . It is time to talk sense to the public about Unidentified Flying Objects," writes Philip J. Klass in UFOs: The Public Deceived.

Presents a picture of the ideas of the early Greek philosophers men and attempts to find a balance between the scholarly paraphernalia of etymology and philology, and a stripped-down version of the ideas. This book includes testimonials by other thinkers. It also contains a guide to these testimonial sources and a bibliography for this period.

Offers explanations of heart valves and arterial pulse.

To Muslims the Hadith literature represents the Koran in action, stories of 'revelation made concrete in the life of the Prophet. Among the orthodox they are considered as sacred as the Koran itself. This work provides non-Muslims many insights into the mindset of the average Muslim who is raised on these traditions about Muhammad.

Places the jury system in its historical and contemporary context giving the stories behind important trials while providing fact-based answers to critical questions. This book proposes suggestions for improving the way juries carry out their duties.

Presents a historical survey of religious persecution encompassing three millennia and a great diversity of cultures world-wide. Defining religious persecution as "repressive actions initiated or condoned by authorities against their own people on religious grounds", this work begins with ancient Egypt, followed by the biblical history of Israel.

Employing intuitive ideas from mathematics, this quirky "e;meta-memoir"e; raises questions about our lives that most of us don't think to ask, but arguably should: What part of memory is reliable fact, what part creative embellishment? Which favorite presuppositions are unfounded, which statistically biased? By conjoining two opposing mindsets--the suspension of disbelief required in storytelling and the skepticism inherent in the scientific method--bestselling mathematician John Allen Paulos has created an unusual hybrid, a composite of personal memories and mathematical approaches to re-evaluating them.Entertaining vignettes from Paulos's biography abound--ranging from a bullying math teacher and a fabulous collection of baseball cards to romantic crushes, a grandmother's petty larceny, and his quite unintended role in getting George Bush elected president in 2000. These vignettes serve as springboards to many telling perspectives: simple arithmetic puts life-long habits in a dubious new light; higher dimensional geometry helps us see that we're all rather peculiar; nonlinear dynamics explains the narcissism of small differences cascading into very different siblings; logarithms and exponentials yield insight on why we tend to become bored and jaded as we age; and there are tricks and jokes, probability and coincidences, and much more.For fans of Paulos or newcomers to his work, this witty commentary on his life--and yours--is fascinating reading.

A comprehensive reference work on the history, beliefs, and thinking of America's growing minority: those who live without religion. It describes and explains various aspects of atheism, agnosticism, secular humanism, secularism, and religious scepticism. It includes topics such as morality without religion, unbelief and sexual values, and more.

A collection of essays, covering a range of fields, from Darwinism and the global population explosion to bird watching, which point out frontiers for scientific research and reaffirm the author's s belief in the intimate connection of the sciences, particularly biology, with the pressing social problems of the present and future.

A primer on neuroscience and philosophy of mind that takes the reader to the depths of the mystery of consciousness, exploring it through the eyes of key philosophers, neuroscientists, and technologists. This work also illuminates baffling questions of the brain, mind, and what it means to be human.

By imagining future worlds that defy our most basic assumptions about sex and gender, freedom and equality, and ethical values, this anthology not only challenges traditional standards of morality and justice, but create bold experiments for testing feminist hypotheses.

Explores the impact that unprecedented changes in the meatpacking industry - particularly industry consolidation, increased line speeds, and deregulation - have had on workers, animals, and consumers. This work describes the efforts by the Humane Farming Association to improve conditions in the meatpacking industry.

Examines critical-thinking skills that are useful in a complex society where success - in all facets of life - often requires the ability to evaluate the validity of many conflicting claims. This work illustrates these tendencies with numerous examples that demonstrate how easily we can be fooled into believing something that isn't true.

Whether you are the CEO of a conglomerate or an entry-level candidate preparing for an interview, how you speak has an effect on how you're perceived. Full of on-target tips and easy-to-navigate lists of frequently misused words, this work is a reference for the businessperson interested in becoming a more interesting and powerful speaker.

Few Muslims realise that there are several Korans in circulation in the Islamic world, with textual variations whose significance, extent, and meaning have never been properly examined. This work contains articles that address the history, linguistics, and religious implications of these not-trifling variants in Islam's sacred book.

The ability to think clearly and the power to reason well set leaders apart from the crowd. This guide talks about the world of logical thinking and reasoning. It walks the reader through the modes of thinking, understanding, and reasoning. It also offers tips on how anyone can be empowered through continual self-monitoring and self-improvement.

Dr Henry C Lee is considered by many to be the greatest forensic scientist in the world. This work gives avid fans of true crime a glimpse into the real world of crime investigation; and recounts his investigation of the case, by focusing on the crucial issue of physical evidence.

Is there life after death or do we simply cease to exist? This work presents philosophical selections featuring the work of classical and contemporary authors who address the topics of immortality, soul and body, transmigration, materialism, epiphenomenalism, physical research and parapsychology, reincarnation, disembodied existence, and more.

We're barraged with statistics every day about health risks, life expectancy, and the chances of success, but to most of us all these numbers and percentages mean very little. This book presents a tour of statistics and explains how statistics work.

Reveals how you can attain genuine insight into the common confusions of everyday life by harnessing your own native powers of reason. This work takes you through some of the most injurious and offending fallacies of life, and provides you with many common-sense prescriptions for attaining greater freedom and control over your life.

Offers an account of gender blending. This book looks at biological, sociological, psychological, historical, anthropological, religious, and other aspects of gender blending to find common ground among researchers in various areas. It represents a collaboration of experts and those involved in gender blending.

Voltaire (1694-1778), novelist, dramatist, poet, philosopher, historian, and satirist, was one of the most renowned figures of the Age of Enlightenment. This is a collection of anti-clerical works from the last twenty-five years of his life, where he attacks the philosophical optimism of the deists, and the so-called inspiration of the Bible.

An attempt to summarise arguments from journals, this book offers a set of rejoinders for use by atheists in their formal (and informal) debates with theists.

Answers the need for an alternative to recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction. This book aims to help non-religious alcoholics to maintain philosophical integrity while achieving the goal of lifelong sobriety. It also offers insights and suggestions for developing coping skills and regaining self-esteem through self-reliance.