Oooh, another one that's well worth a read is Richard Dawkin's The Selfish Gene.
I think Dawkins is a bit of a dick, and his brand of combative atheism is unpleasant at best, and probably counterproductive. But he is (or was) an amazing writer on evolutionary biology, and that book's the best explanation of how evolution works that I've read. (Also, it's NOT about selfishness at the human scale, the world is used metaphorically, and there is even a chapter or two explaining how altruism could have developed).
His book The Blind Watchmaker is also good for it's exploration of abiogenesis, though it's a bit later and it has a bit of the anti-religious arrogance of some of his newer approach.
These aren't really about atheism, but more providing an alternative world view that undermines the obviousness of creationism.
Small Gods by Terry Pratchett is a fun and thought-provoking fantasy, focused on religion and it's social effects. It also has a pretty funny take on atheism.
Some of his other books makes some really great points about belief in general, particularly The Hogfather, the witches books, and Feet Of Clay.
Wow, that sounds like some bullshit. I'm in Aus, and though I said I can't remember it, I feel like it wasn't that completely useless here. Or maybe it was for some.
Maybe that's because "the Australian Dream" (if it exists), is going to the beach and drinking beer 😆
I bought heaps of bitcoin in the early 2010s. And spent it all on drugs. Ironically, I think that turned out to be an excellent investment (just not financially).
I have no memory of what mine said... But yeah, in my experience people who start out one one path and switch on to a totally different one often seem like more interesting and well rounded and happy people. I imagine guidance counselling would often be nearly impossible. At least in the sense of suggesting a career path - I guess just answering questions could still be really useful.
That's sad that you all had to deal with it, but awesome that you managed to break out of that cycle of abuse. Sounds almost a bit collaborative over the long run.. Thanks for sharing!
Haha, I bought a lot of second-hand wood working tools last week. Looking forward to getting into it again. It's certainly a grounding practice in a world gone mad.
Oooh, another one that's well worth a read is Richard Dawkin's The Selfish Gene.
I think Dawkins is a bit of a dick, and his brand of combative atheism is unpleasant at best, and probably counterproductive. But he is (or was) an amazing writer on evolutionary biology, and that book's the best explanation of how evolution works that I've read. (Also, it's NOT about selfishness at the human scale, the world is used metaphorically, and there is even a chapter or two explaining how altruism could have developed).
His book The Blind Watchmaker is also good for it's exploration of abiogenesis, though it's a bit later and it has a bit of the anti-religious arrogance of some of his newer approach.
These aren't really about atheism, but more providing an alternative world view that undermines the obviousness of creationism.