A good Philosophy/Religion book.

Hey, I've been interested in religion and philosophical topics for a really long time, and I was wondering if anyone can recommend a *good* book that deals with either of them. By good, I mean something that can keep me occupied. See, I'm not the type of person that is always reading something. When I find a good book, I'll read it, but it's really hard for me to read something that I'm not interested in. I'm going on a really long plane ride soon, and if anyone has any recommendations, I'd definitely appreciate it! Something both informative and entertaining, if possible...

And yes, I've read the Da Vinci code and Angels and Demons.

Morals & Dogma...

Online versions here:

www.sacred-texts.com...

www.freemasons-freemasonry.com...

The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra... It basically gives you an idea of how modern day physics correlates with ancient religions such as Hinduism,Buddhism and confucianism.. It's a great read.

You might try "The Power of Intention" by Wayne Dyer. It's a pretty brisk read. Not too heavy and yert definitely thought provoking. Ought to be available at your local library, or you could probably pick it up at a used book store.

For what it is, I give it

How about Social Darwinism in American Thought by Richard Hofstadter? Don't let the title throw you off; it's very clearly written, interesting, and gives alot of insight into the "American mind".

I enjoyed it...

I liked Holy Blood, Holy Grail. It was actually very interesting and plausable in its ideas.

[edit on 15-7-2007 by ChrisJr03]

Siddartha

Can't go wrong there...

If you're looking for a horror/comedy, you can always go with those illustrated Children's bibles. I can't resist it when at the doc's, and some of the crap in there is downright funny, if it wasn't so scary realizing that many people accept that we are tainted with original sin, or the only reason we die is because some gal ate an apple and wasn't supposed to...(rubbish)

One of my personal favorites

The Masks of Odin:Wisdom of the Ancient Norse

Others are availiable onle also

Theosophical University Press Online

should be enough to keep ya busy for a bit

ChristJr03 recommened "Holy Blood, Holy Grail." That was an interesting read. You can also find stuff in it that Dan Brown basically plagiarized, too. I don't mean borrowing their idea, which is fine, but he basically lifted passages from this book. (I read them back to back, deliberately to compare them) I don't necessarily agree with the conclusions that the authors drew from that book, but it does have some interesting historical and religious ideas.

The book I am reading right now is "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. This is a novel, but full of philosophy. The book is nothing short of amazing. I heartily recommend this, as long as you aren't scared of big books. It's over 1000 pages.

I would recomend Sun Tzu: The Art of War. If you were looking for a nice book that dances with philosophy =D

If you are looking for a good book that is either philosophical or religious in nature, you certainly can't go wrong by reading any one of the works of Alan Watts.

Alan Watts was sort of a cult figure / philosophical "guru" for my generation -- 60's / 70's. He wasn't a strung-out hippie. Alan Watts was "the real deal" as far as his philosophical and religious beliefs. He had the unique ability to explain difficult philosophical concepts in a manner that anyone could understand. As far as his religious books go, he was an Anglican priest who had a clear understanding of Asian religion and philosophy.

I had the pleasure of seeing Alan Watts in lecture in the late 60's or early 70's, just before he died. He had a mesmerizing quality to his speech and he easily held an audience spellbound and interested in spite of the fact that he was discussing some rather ethereal concepts that, had it been anyone else, would have surely had a tranquilizing effect.

Here is a list of some of his writings:

# 1936 The Spirit of Zen, Paperback. 1969
# 1937 The Legacy of Asia and Western Man
# 1940 The Meaning of Happiness, Paperback. 1970,
# 1944 Theologica Mystica of St. Dionysius, (translation from Greek of now available
# 1948 Behold the Spirit:A Study in the Necessity of Mystical Religion, Vintage ed. 1972,
# 1950 Easter - Its Story and Meaning
# 1950 The Supreme Identity, Vintage ed. 1972,
# 1951 The Wisdom of Insecurity, Vintage ed. 1968,
# 1953 Myth and Ritual in Christianity, Beacon Press 1971,
# 1957 The Way of Zen, Vintage Spiritual Classics 1999,
# 1958 Nature, Man, and Woman, Vintage reissue 1991,
# 1960 "This Is It" and Other Essays on Zen and Spiritual Experience, Vintage reprint 1
# 1961 Psychotherapy East and West, Vintage ed. 1975,
# 1962 The Joyous Cosmology - Adventures in the Chemistry of Consciousness
# 1963 The Two Hands of God - The Myths of Polarity
# 1964 Beyond Theology - The Art of Godmanship, Vintage 1973,
# 1966 The Book - On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, Vintage reissue 1989,
# 1967 Nonsense,
# 1970 Does It Matter?: Essays on Man's Relation to Materiality, Vintage ed. 1971,
# 1971 Erotic Spirituality - The Vision of Konarak
# 1972 The Art of Contemplation
# 1972 In My Own Way - An Autobiography 1915-1965, Vintage 1973,
# 1973 Cloud-hidden, Whereabouts Unknown: A Mountain Journal, Vintage 1974,
Source

I especially recommend Alan Watts' autobiography, In My Own Way - An Autobiography 1915-1965.

The autobiography is a fascinating read about a truly fascinating individual.


[edit on 9/10/2007 by benevolent tyrant]

A really good read, I found, was Iris Murdochs "Metaphysics as a guide to Morals"

It covers many subjects, relating to them in a really good, easy to understand (but not lowbrow) way, and gives her thoughts on the major philosophical writings and idea's

If you want philosophy, a good place to start would be Descartes Key Philisophical Writings, or some of Sartre's stuff.
I quite liked "existentialism and humanism"


[edit on 25/9/2007 by budski]

hands down, the Bhagavad Gita is absolutely the best, in my humble opinion.

Also, I would suggest "The Four Agreements" by don Miguel Ruiz. Those are more spiritual than philosophical, however I think that could be debated.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Black Swan

Best book I have read all year, and believe me, I've been reading many.

Might I recommend Richard Dawkins “The God Delusion”?
It’s a rather powerful attack up religion and the belief that there has to be a god.

Originally posted by scientist

Also, I would suggest "The Four Agreements" by don Miguel Ruiz.

Great book!! I read it several years ago and am glad I did.

The greatest blend of philosophy, math, and art ever created, in my opinion:

Gödel, Escher, Bach
by Douglas R. Hofstadter

Perfectly written and totally mind-boggling.
This is a very thick book, both in size and content...but WORTH IT.

Paradise Lost by John Milton.
It's a very good read.

The Life of Pi.

Great book. Makes you think about everything