We board of directors and members of the Reason Center know how important books and learning are to the freethought community. And that’s why the Reason Center includes a dedicated library available to Reason Center members for borrowing available books.
For those who are not familiar with many of the critically engaging books about atheism, skeptical inquiey, non-belief, humanism, and freethought philosophy, the following is our recommended list of books for getting started. The list includes very well written books, with a wide spectrum of opinions, insight, and analysis.
Note: Reason Center partners also run regular book club discussions. These groups include the SacFAN Book Club and Books and Brunch, hosted by the Black Humanists and Non-Believers of Sacramento.
Links in the book titles go to the Goodreads.com where you will find more information and reader reviews.
Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects, by Betrand Russel
Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism, by Susan Jacoby
Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe, by Greg M. Epstein
50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God, by Guy P. Harrison
Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless, by Greta Christina
The Ebony Exodus Project: Why Some Black Women Are Walking Out on Religion, and Others Should Too, by Candace R.M. Gorham
The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason, by Sam Harris
God: The Failed Hypothesis: How Sciece Shows That God Does Not Exist, by Victor J. Stenger
Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America’s Leading Atheists, by Dan Barker
Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars, by Sikivu Hutchinson
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, by Christopher Hitchens
There’s Probably No God: the Atheists’ Guide to Christmas, by Ariane Sherine
Your Recommendations?
The above recommendations are in no way definitive. We invite you to add your recommendations in the comment section below.
Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person’s Answer to Christian Fundamentalism – by David Mills. A much easier read than some on the list.
Cross Examined by John Campbell. An easy to read but comprehensive discussion of the arguments for and against atheism and Christianity.