What books will you buy with $30?

[Dida]

I just got a $30 gift certificate from Amazon.com. I am thinking about buying the following books:
The Holy Qu'ran English Translation - $6
- About 1 in every 6 person on this planet is a believer in this religion. I feel ashamed to not have read their holy text.
The Holy Bible KJV Leather Cover - $9
- Although I have read the bible before, the KJV is still nice with cool old-english lines like "Thou shall not.....". For this price, it is a good book to own. But I bet if I hang out at the local church, pretended to be an innocent soul ready to be polluted with ridiculous dogma, some christians would be eager to give me a free copy of their holy text.
Da Vinci Code Hardcover - $15
- Granted that I said this book is probably garbage, it has been so hot and so many people is talking about it, I bet it is worth a read.

What would be your picks?

 

[CruddyLeper]

I'd save money on the Koran, as you can get many translations of it online.

Seem to recall promising to get some Noam Chomsky books - "The Fateful Triangle" being one of them.

 

[CivCube]

You can't go wrong with Terry Pratchett.

 

[CruddyLeper]

True. But I've read 'em all, so I didn't recommend any.

 

[chunkymonkey]

I've been putting off getting the fifth book in Stephen King's Dark Tower series until i got given a book token, so probably that...

 

[Quasar1011]

Why is an atheist ashamed not to have read a holy text?

 

[FriendlyFire]

Da Vinci Code Hardcover - $15
- Granted that I said this book is probably garbage, it has been so hot and so many people is talking about it, I bet it is worth a read.

Substandard and pure science fiction
I recommend any number of book which were published strangely BEFORE da vinci code refuting it.

If you havent read any "grail quest" books before I would consider it ok.

 

[ybbor]

The Holy Bible KJV Leather Cover - $9
- Although I have read the bible before, the KJV is still nice with cool old-english lines like "Thou shall not.....". For this price, it is a good book to own. But I bet if I hang out at the local church, pretended to be an innocent soul ready to be polluted with ridiculous dogma, some christians would be eager to give me a free copy of their holy text.

or you could just ask, anyone at your local or any church would be gald to offer it to you, no pretending to be a lost soul needed. heck, PM me your adress and i'll mail you one once i get it (assuming it's in the US). I'd hold off on both the Q'ran and Bible, as both groups would galdly offer you a free one if you ask, maybe buy some stuff to go along with the davinchi code, like a book refuting it and a book supporting it.

Quick search revealed some Free Bible sites (although i can't be entirely sure that these aren't from some christiantiy spin/break-off):
Free Bible Ministry
Bibles For America
I'm sure there's others if you poke around

 

[Dida]

Why is an atheist ashamed not to have read a holy text?

My Answer: Although we do not consider the so called 'holy texts' to be 'holy' in nature, they being so influential, must contained nonetheless large amount of wisdom and knowledge, and very important to the understand of the cultural and faith group that follows it. From knowledge acquisition point of view, it is important to read many holy texts.
One would not be fully equipped to refute some ideology unless he has at least some general understanding of that ideology. Most Atheists know a lot about many religions, while most religious knows next to nothing about their faith and the faith of others, let alone Atheism. It is true that religion and blind faith arise from ignorance and self-centerness, while reason and Atheism come from knowledge and wisdom. From a religious point of view,it is important for an Atheist to be widely read in terms of religious literatures, to be sure that his conclusion (Atheism) is not one-sided and un-substantiated.

 

[Dida]

or you could just ask, anyone at your local or any church would be gald to offer it to you, no pretending to be a lost soul needed. heck, PM me your adress and i'll mail you one once i get it (assuming it's in the US). I'd hold off on both the Q'ran and Bible, as both groups would galdly offer you a free one if you ask, maybe buy some stuff to go along with the davinchi code, like a book refuting it and a book supporting it.

Quick search revealed some Free Bible sites (although i can't be entirely sure that these aren't from some christiantiy spin/break-off):
Free Bible Ministry
Bibles For America
I'm sure there's others if you poke around

Good advice, thanks.
I have gotten some of those, but there are tiny bibles, the size of my checkbook right? They are really hard to read.

 

[newfangle]

I'd buy a variety of erotic instructional texts so I could make it with the blowup dolls really well.

 

[Ramius75]

Im thinking of buying Marx's Capital and dont plan on reading the whole book, owning 1 in the cabinet does look good thou

Other on my list.
Art of war by Niccolò Machiavelli
Taiko by Eiji yoshikawa
Book of 5 rings by Miyamoto Musashi

/run

 

[Babbler]

Never buy classics new, in most cases anyway. Libiaries will have them for free and garage sales have them cheap.

 

[Yom]

I suppose the first two are fine if you want to inform yourself on that. I would add to that a history book about a time period or country that is particularly interesting. Make sure that it's both informative and interesting, though. A textbook-esque book simply won't do.

America: The Book is always good, if you just want something for entertainment (it's especially funny if you know American history well!).

I'd buy a variety of erotic instructional texts so I could make it with the blowup dolls really well.

So that's why you're a libertarian.

 

[Nobody]

if your going to get the da vinici code, get the two story book that also has Angels and Demons much better and teaches you lots of things about the way they elect a new pope. For instance did you know the conclave is not nessacary if all of the cardinals simutaniuoly started yelling out the name of any memeber of the clergy (cadinal, presist or bishop) they are the new pope.

 

[Quasar1011]

My Answer: Although we do not consider the so called 'holy texts' to be 'holy' in nature, they being so influential, must contained nonetheless large amount of wisdom and knowledge, and very important to the understand of the cultural and faith group that follows it. From knowledge acquisition point of view, it is important to read many holy texts.

Good answer, I appreciate it. And it is a good idea to educate oneself of other viewpoints.

You still didn't explain the shame part of it, though. Do atheists actually believe in shame? Wouldn't shame or guilt arise from sin?

 

[Babbler]

You still didn't explain the shame part of it, though. Do atheists actually believe in shame? Wouldn't shame or guilt arise from sin?

Mark my words, this will end badly.

And here are some books you should read.

 

[downtown]

I wouldnt recomend buying a bible. Certainly your local church will give you one for free. If you wanted a nice King James, your local Mormons or something would be only too happy to induldge you or something. I dont know anybody who really paid for one.

If thats a no-go, just go to a hotel and take the bible there. Thats what its there for.


also, i agree with Yom. America the Book is a great read, and well worth twenty bucks

 

[ybbor]

And here are some books you should read.

And here are some books you should read.

 

[Dida]

Good answer, I appreciate it. And it is a good idea to educate oneself of other viewpoints.

You still didn't explain the shame part of it, though. Do atheists actually believe in shame? Wouldn't shame or guilt arise from sin?

Shame does not need to be related to sin. For a Christian it is probably hard to imagine how shame can be unrelated to sin, or how morality can be unrelated to god. But people has been talking about shame and morality independently of god all the time, Confucius is a good example.
Now, it is hard for me to imagine why people would need god to explain shame or morality, or to prevent themselve from doing bad things. Afterall, we are human, not wild animals, and civilized human can use his reasoning ability to figure out what is right and wrong.
Then again, it doesn't make any sense for you ask 'whether Atheists actually believe in shame'. What do you mean by believe in shame. Shame is a feeling, an kind of emotion, how is one supposed to believe in a feeling? Like someone said 'do you believe in being sad?' Does that make sense? how can one believe in sadness?
You just need to open up yourself to other ideas.