In the 1950s, a group of social psychologists infiltrated a doomsday cult—a religious group that believed the world was coming to an end—and studied how its members sustained their beliefs when the prophecy failed.How are major religions different from cults? My argument is that they persist through political fiat rather than the evidence provided for their central dogma. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all quote private conversations that were never recorded until decades, someti...

SHRUNK: Crime and Disorders of the Mind is a collection of powerful stories by Canadian and international forensic psychologists and psychiatrists who write about the many complex mental health issues they face and the care involved in dealing with them.Unlike any other book within the genre of True Crime, Shrunk forms a unique bridge between mental health and law. Chapters focus on cases where judges and juries call upon the opinions of forensic experts when dealing with the menta...

Take an updated approach to treating partner violence!Intimate Violence: Contemporary Treatment Innovations examines new and innovative approaches to treating domestic violence, de-emphasizing the unilateral, psychoeducational approach in favor of treatment modalities that focus on the offenders' individual characteristics. The book presents up-to-date information on techniques for working with men and women who commit intimate partner violence, moving past a one size fits all ment...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERINTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERIn this seminal text on atheism and the contentious debate over science and religion, renowned scientist Richard Dawkins examines the irrationality of believing in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society.From the sex-obsessed tyrant in the Old Testament to the more benign Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers, Dawkins rigorously analyzes God in all his forms, eviscerating the m...

Natalie Angier wrote in The New York Times: "The End of Faith articulates the dangers and absurdities of organized religion so fiercely and so fearlessly that I felt relieved as I read it, vindicated....Harris writes what a sizable number of us think, but few are willing to say."This important and timely book delivers a startling analysis of the clash of faith and reason in today's world. Harris offers a vivid historical tour of mankind's willingness to suspend re...

As the pastor of an inner-city church in New York City, Timothy Keller has compiled a list of the most frequently voiced ‘doubts’ sceptics bring to his church, as well as the most important reasons for faith. In THE REASON FOR GOD, he addresses each doubt and explains each reason.Keller uses literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and reasoning to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with a deep comp...

From the bestselling author of A History of God and The Great Transformation comes a balanced, nuanced understanding of the role religion plays in human life and the trajectory of faith in modern times.Why has God become incredible? Why is it that atheists and theists alike now think and speak about God in a way that veers so profoundly from the thinking of our ancestors?Moving from the Paleolithic Age to the present, Karen Armstrong detail...

The New York Times bestselling author explains why any attempt to make religion compatible with science is doomed to fail.What we read in the news today is full of subjectivity, half-truths, and blatant falsehoods; and thus it is more necessary now than ever to safeguard the truth with facts. In his provocative new book, evolutionary biologist Jerry A. Coyne aims to do exactly that in the arena of religion. In clear, dispassionate detail he explai...

A rigorous, provocative exploration of faith, reason, and morality - unpacking the claims of New Atheism with sharp logic, historical insight, and the kind of evidence that makes for lively debate and lasting impact.Is faith nothing more than blind allegiance, or is it grounded in evidence and reason? Does morality depend on God, or can it stand alone in a secular age? In this robust challenge to the modern "Bright Brigade," John Lennox takes the arguments of Dawki...

Religion is increasingly seen as a dangerous source of violence in the world, breeding a fear of faith in a very vocal group of critics. Most Christians are blissfully unaware of the litany of allegations being brought against religion, including that it is the cause of intolerance, imperialism, irrationality, bigotry, and war, to name a few. But ignorance is not the answer.In Why People Don't Believe, Paul Chamberlain strives to represent the concerns and challenges raise...

Writing with his usual grace and fluency, Jonathan Sacks moves beyond the tired arguments of militant atheists such as Dawkins and Hitchens, to explore how religion has always played a valuable part in human culture and far from being dismissed as redundant, must be allowed to temper and develop scientific understanding in order for us to be fully human. Ranging around the world to draw comparisons from different cultures, and delving deep into the history of language and of western civili...

In the twenty-first century, religion is making a comeback, bringing in its wake extremism of all kinds. From Christian anti-abortion campaigns to suicide bombers claiming the righteousness of Islam, we are witnessing a resurgence of fundamentalism. Michel Onfray's response to the threat of a post-modern theocracy is to lay down the principles of an authentic atheism: exposing the fiction that is God, he proposes instead a new philosophy of reason that celebrates life and humanity....