Listmania!
Great Books quoted prominently in 'the God Delusion'
The God DelusionThe God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
Buy new: £4.49 / Used from: £2.95
The book itself, which must be read first off. As C.S. Lewis might say: it is how I see all other things...
Pale Blue Dot: a Vision of the Human Future in SpacePale Blue Dot: a Vision of the Human Future in Space by Carl Sagan
Buy used from: £8.83
Chapter 1: "hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, 'This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant.'"
Vintage MenckenVintage Mencken by H.L. Mencken
Buy new: £8.02 / Used from: £3.42
End Chapter 1: 'Undeserved Respect' "We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart."
Thomas Jefferson: Author of America (Eminent Lives)Thomas Jefferson: Author of America (Eminent Lives) by Christopher Hitchens
Buy used from: £9.66
Chapter 2: 'Secularism, the Founding Fathers...' Cited when talking about the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers & quoted liberally throughout the book (e.g beginning chapters 3 & 4)...
The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti MonsterThe Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster by Bobby Henderson
Buy new: £6.68 / Used from: £4.42
Chapter 2: 'The Poverty of Agnosticism'. Very enjoyable book too, especially when talking about flightless birds just being lazy!
Rocks of AgesRocks of Ages by Stephen Jay Gould
Buy new: £5.70 / Used from: £3.00
Chapter 2: 'NOMA'. Not one of Gould's greatest books, but good for seeing how some scientists try to mix Oil & Water...
Selected Writings (Penguin Classics)Selected Writings (Penguin Classics) by Thomas Aquinas
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Chapter 3 'Thomas Aquinas' proofs'. Aquinas' infamous 3 'proofs' of God, which are quickly dispensed with by Dawkins
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of ReasonThe End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason by Sam Harris
Buy new: £4.85 / Used from: £2.77
Chapter 3: 'Argument from Personal experience'. About religion merely being a collective delusion. Good book too...
Did Jesus Exist?Did Jesus Exist? by G.A. Wells
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Chapter 3: 'Argument from Scripture'. There is actually quite a lot of evidence for a historical Jesus, though this book is an interesting interpretation.
Religion and ScienceReligion and Science by Bertrand Russell
Buy new: £7.19 / Used from: £11.43
Chapter 3: 'Argument from Admired Religious Scientists'. Also many quotes from other Russell books (e.g. 'Why I'm Not a Christian'), but this is one of his main books on the subject.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective AgencyDirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
Buy new: £4.79 / Used from: £0.01
Chapter 3: 'Pascal's Wager'. The Robotic Electric Monk "Capable of believing things they wouldn't believe in Salt Lake City!" Also said to be Dawkins favourite work of fiction.
The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Tim: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last TimeThe Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Tim: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time by Douglas Adams
Buy new: £4.24 / Used from: £0.01
Chapter 4: 'Natural Selection as a conciousness raiser'. "I'd take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day". GD is dedicated 2 Adams as well & Dawkins' obituary is worth reading..
Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution (P.S. (Paperback))Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution (P.S. (Paperback)) by Kenneth R. Miller
Buy new: £6.24 / Used from: £6.59
Chapter 4: 'Irreducible Complexity'. To refute the 'Flagellum Motor' argument, as Mr Miller is Christian. A very good read as well, though is similar to the Oil & Water mixing of 'Rock of Ages'.
Mendel's Demon: Gene Justice and the Complexity of LifeMendel's Demon: Gene Justice and the Complexity of Life by Mark Ridley
Buy used from: £5.70
Chapter 4: 'Anthropic Principle: Planetary Version'. Stating that it isn't just the Origin of Life that is unlikely, but also the Eukaryotic cell.
Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces that Shape The Universe (Science Masters)Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces that Shape The Universe (Science Masters) by Martin Rees
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £0.03
Chapter 4: 'Anthropic Principle: Cosmological Version'. Just 6 numbers for the universe to be as it is. Any variation would be disastrous, though are there other combinations...?
Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life (Penguin Science)Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life (Penguin Science) by Daniel C. Dennett
Buy new: £7.76 / Used from: £4.10
Chapter 4. All of Chapter 4 relies heavily on Dennett, especially for his ideas concerning Sky Hooks & David Hume's 'complexity of God' argument.
The Meme MachineThe Meme Machine by Susan Blackmore
Buy new: £5.16 / Used from: £3.08
Chapter 5: 'Tread Softly, for you tread on my Memes'. One of the better Dawkins' derived works, though memes don't entirely explain the origins of religion...
The Brothers Karamazov (Penguin Classics)The Brothers Karamazov (Penguin Classics) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Buy new: £6.46 / Used from: £4.22
Chapter 6: 'If there's no God why be good?'. Also in 'Books Cited & Recommend' at the back. Amazing book on Atheism vs Christianity esp 'The Grand Inquisitor' Chapter.
Ken's Guide to the BibleKen's Guide to the Bible by Ken Smith
Buy used from: £5.80
Chapter 7: 'Love thy Neighbour'. "If his epistles can be seen as John on Pot, then 'Revelation' is John on acid!" XD Good review of the Bible too, including that vital theological element: humour!
Hitler's Table Talk: His Private Conversations, 1941-44Hitler's Table Talk: His Private Conversations, 1941-44 by Martin Bormann
Buy used from: £182.14
Chapter 7: 'What about Hitler & Stalin?...' As good as 'Mein Kampf' in illustrating Hitler's thoughts. And still shows no evidence that Hitler derived Nazism from either Darwin or Evolution...
Why I Am Not a MuslimWhy I Am Not a Muslim by Ibn Warraq
Buy new: £11.70 / Used from: £8.44
Chapter 8: 'How moderation in Faith fosters Fanaticism'. Great book - if only there were more. One day, an 'Allah Delusion' will be written & then Mankind will be truly free!
Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading AtheistsGodless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists by Dan Barker
Buy new: £7.57 / Used from: £9.68
Chapter 9: 'Physical & Mental abuse'. Not as prominently used as 'Letting Go of God' by Julia Sweeney (only available from Amazon.com), but still a good book about escaping faith.
The Men Who Stare at GoatsThe Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson
Buy new: £4.75 / Used from: £1.23
Chapter 10: 'The Mother of All Burkhas'. Comedic Interlude: "General Stubblebine is confounded by his continual failure to walk through his wall!"
Possible WorldsPossible Worlds by J.B.S. Haldane
Buy new: £24.23 / Used from: £17.45
Chapter 10: 'The Mother of All Burkhas'. "There are more things in Heaven & Earth than are dreamt of *or could be dreamt of* in *any* philosophy..."
The Blind WatchmakerThe Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins
Buy new: £5.97 / Used from: £3.66
Cited throughout and in 'Books cited & Recommended'. Not as clear-cut as GD, but it persuaded Douglas Adams so... P.S. If u want any more books, see the tag 'God Delusion', which is more comprehensive