Random House New Releases - Religion - Religion & Science

The Transcendental Temptation by Paul Kurtz

2013-09-10T00:30:00-05:00

The Transcendental Temptation A Critique of Religion and the Paranormal
Written by Paul Kurtz

eBook | Prometheus Books | Philosophy - Movements - Realism; Religion - Religion & Science; Science - Philosophy & Social | $12.99 | 978-1-61614-828-7 (1-61614-828-4)

A landmark work. Mandatory reading for anyone who wants to learn to be a good skeptic.

In this widely acclaimed and highly controversial book, Paul Kurtz examines the reasons why people accept supernatural and paranormal belief systems in spite of substantial evidence to the contrary. According to the author, it is because there is within the human species a deeply rooted tendency toward magical thinking - the "transcendental temptation" - which undermines critical judgement and paves the way for willful beliefs. He explores in detail the three major monotheistic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - finding striking psychological and sociological parallels between these religions, the spiritualism of the 19th century, and the paranormal belief systems of today. There are sections on mysticism, belief in the afterlife, the existence of God, reincarnation, astrology, and ufology. Kurtz also explains the nature of skepticism as an antidote to belief in the transcendental.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

The Transcendental Temptation by Paul Kurtz

2013-09-10T00:30:00-05:00

The Transcendental Temptation A Critique of Religion and the Paranormal
Written by Paul Kurtz

Trade Paperback, 516 pages | Prometheus Books | Philosophy - Movements - Realism; Religion - Religion & Science; Science - Philosophy & Social | $21.95 | 978-1-61614-827-0 (1-61614-827-6)

Science Set Free by Rupert Sheldrake

2013-09-03T00:30:00-05:00

Science Set Free 10 Paths to New Discovery
Written by Rupert Sheldrake

Trade Paperback, 400 pages | Deepak Chopra | Science - Cosmology; Science - Physics; Religion - Religion & Science | $15.00 | 978-0-7704-3672-8 (0-7704-3672-2)

The bestselling author of Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home offers an intriguing new assessment of modern day science that will radically change the way we view what is possible.

In Science Set Free (originally published to acclaim in the UK as The Science Delusion), Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, one of the world's most innovative scientists, shows the ways in which science is being constricted by assumptions that have, over the years, hardened into dogmas. Such dogmas are not only limiting, but dangerous for the future of humanity.

According to these principles, all of reality is material or physical; the world is a machine, made up of inanimate matter; nature is purposeless; consciousness is nothing but the physical activity of the brain; free will is an illusion; God exists only as an idea in human minds, imprisoned within our skulls.

But should science be a belief-system, or a method of enquiry? Sheldrake shows that the materialist ideology is moribund; under its sway, increasingly expensive research is reaping diminishing returns while societies around the world are paying the price.

In the skeptical spirit of true science, Sheldrake turns the ten fundamental dogmas of materialism into exciting questions, and shows how all of them open up startling new possibilities for discovery.

Science Set Free will radically change your view of what is real and what is possible.

From the Hardcover edition.

Supernormal by Dean Radin

2013-07-16T00:30:00-05:00

Supernormal Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities
Written by Dean Radin

Trade Paperback, 400 pages | Deepak Chopra | Body, Mind & Spirit - Parapsychology; Religion - Religion & Science; Religion - History | $14.00 | 978-0-307-98690-0 (0-307-98690-X)

Can yoga and meditation unleash our inherent supernormal mental powers, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition? Is it really possible to perceive another person's thoughts and intentions? Influence objects with our minds? Envision future events? And is it possible that some of the superpowers described in ancient legends, science fiction, and comic books are actually real, and patiently waiting for us behind the scenes? Are we now poised for an evolutionary trigger to pull the switch and release our full potentials?

Dean Radin, Director of Research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) and bestselling author of The Conscious Universe, presents persuasive new experimental evidence for the existence of such phenomena. He takes us on a thrilling scientific journey and challenges outdated assumptions that these abilities are mere superstition. Focusing on Patanjali's mysterious Yoga Sutras -- 2,000 year-old meditation practices believed to release our extraordinary powers -- Radin offers powerful evidence confirming that sometimes fact is much stranger, spookier, and more wonderful than the wildest fiction.

Supernormal by Dean Radin

2013-07-16T00:30:00-05:00

Supernormal Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities
Written by Dean Radin

eBook, 400 pages | Deepak Chopra | Body, Mind & Spirit - Parapsychology; Religion - Religion & Science; Religion - History | $10.99 | 978-0-307-98691-7 (0-307-98691-8)

God and the Atom by Victor J. Stenger

2013-04-09T00:30:00-05:00

God and the Atom
Written by Victor J. Stenger

Hardcover, 300 pages | Prometheus Books | Science - Physics; Religion - Religion & Science; Religion - Atheism | $25.00 | 978-1-61614-753-2 (1-61614-753-9)

This history of atomism, from Democritus to the recent discovery of the Higgs boson, chronicles one of the most successful scientific hypotheses ever devised, making the case that in the final analysis, atoms and the void are all that exists. Originating separately in both ancient Greece and India, the concept of the atom persisted for centuries, despite often running afoul of conventional thinking. Until the twentieth century, no direct evidence for atoms existed. Today it is possible to actually observe atoms using a scanning tunneling microscope. The book begins with the story of the earliest atomists - the ancient Greek philosophers Leucippus, Democritus, and Epicurus, and the Latin poet Lucretius. As the author notes, the idea of elementary particles as the foundation of reality had many opponents throughout history - from Aristotle to Christian theologians and even some nineteenth-century chemists and philosophers. While theists today accept that the evidence for the atomic theory of matter is overwhelming, they reject the atheistic implications of that theory.

God and the Atom by Victor J. Stenger

2013-04-09T00:30:00-05:00

God and the Atom
Written by Victor J. Stenger

eBook | Prometheus Books | Science - Physics; Religion - Religion & Science; Religion - Atheism | $12.99 | 978-1-61614-754-9 (1-61614-754-7)

War of the Worldviews by Leonard Mlodinow

2012-10-02T00:30:00-05:00

War of the Worldviews Where Science and Spirituality Meet -- and Do Not
Written by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

Trade Paperback, 352 pages | Three Rivers Press | Religion - Religion & Science; Religion - Spirituality; Science - Cosmology | $16.00 | 978-0-307-88689-7 (0-307-88689-1)

Two bestselling authors first met in a televised Caltech debate on “the future of God,” one an articulate advocate for spirituality, the other a prominent physicist. This remarkable book is the product of that serendipitous encounter and the contentious—but respectful—clash of worldviews that grew along with their friendship.

In War of the Worldviews these two great thinkers battle over the cosmos, evolution and life, the human brain, and God, probing the fundamental questions that define the human experience.

How did the universe emerge?
What is the nature of time?
What is life?
Did Darwin go wrong?
What makes us human?
What is the connection between mind and brain?
Is God an illusion?

This extraordinary book will fascinate millions of readers of science and spirituality alike, as well as anyone who has ever asked themselves, What does it mean that I am alive?

From the Hardcover edition.

Science Set Free by Rupert Sheldrake

2012-09-04T00:30:00-05:00

Science Set Free 10 Paths to New Discovery
Written by Rupert Sheldrake

Hardcover, 400 pages | Deepak Chopra | Science - Cosmology; Science - Physics; Religion - Religion & Science | $26.00 | 978-0-7704-3670-4 (0-7704-3670-6)

Science Set Free by Rupert Sheldrake

2012-09-04T00:30:00-05:00

Science Set Free 10 Paths to New Discovery
Written by Rupert Sheldrake

eBook, 400 pages | Deepak Chopra | Science - Cosmology; Science - Physics; Religion - Religion & Science | $13.99 | 978-0-7704-3671-1 (0-7704-3671-4)

Science Set Free by Rupert Sheldrake

2012-09-04T00:30:00-05:00

Science Set Free 10 Paths to New Discovery
Written by Rupert Sheldrake
Read by Rupert Sheldrake

Unabridged Audiobook Download | Random House Audio | Science - Cosmology; Science - Physics; Religion - Religion & Science | $22.50 | 978-0-449-80654-8 (0-449-80654-5)

War of the Worldviews by Leonard Mlodinow

2011-10-04T00:30:00-05:00

War of the Worldviews Science Vs. Spirituality
Written by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

Hardcover, 336 pages | Harmony | Religion - Religion & Science; Religion - Spirituality; Science - Cosmology | $26.00 | 978-0-307-88688-0 (0-307-88688-3)

War of the Worldviews by Leonard Mlodinow

2011-10-04T00:30:00-05:00

War of the Worldviews Where Science and Spirituality Meet -- and Do Not
Written by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

eBook, 352 pages | Three Rivers Press | Religion - Religion & Science; Religion - Spirituality; Science - Cosmology | $13.99 | 978-0-307-88690-3 (0-307-88690-5)

War of the Worldviews by Leonard Mlodinow

2011-10-04T00:30:00-05:00

War of the Worldviews Science Vs. Spirituality
Written by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow
Read by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

Unabridged Compact Disc | Random House Audio | Religion - Religion & Science; Religion - Spirituality; Science - Cosmology | $35.00 | 978-0-307-93425-3 (0-307-93425-X)

War of the Worldviews by Leonard Mlodinow

2011-10-04T00:30:00-05:00

War of the Worldviews Science Vs. Spirituality
Written by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow
Read by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

Unabridged Audiobook Download | Random House Audio | Religion - Religion & Science; Religion - Spirituality; Science - Cosmology | $20.00 | 978-0-307-93426-0 (0-307-93426-8)

Genesis and the Big Bang Theory by Gerald Schroeder

2011-09-21T00:30:00-05:00

Genesis and the Big Bang Theory The Discovery Of Harmony Between Modern Science And The Bible
Written by Gerald Schroeder

eBook, 224 pages | Bantam | Science - Physics; Religion - Religion & Science; Science - History | $13.99 | 978-0-307-80699-4 (0-307-80699-5)

In this groundbreaking book, physicist Gerald Schroeder takes on skeptics from both sides of the cosmological debate, arguing that science and the Bible are not at odds concerning the origin of the universe.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

God's Brain by Lionel Tiger

2010-03-23T00:30:00-05:00

God's Brain
Written by Lionel Tiger

Hardcover, 256 pages | Prometheus Books | Social Science - Sociology Of Religion; Religion - Religion & Science; Science - Biochemistry | $25.00 | 978-1-61614-164-6 (1-61614-164-6)

In the fractious debate on the existence of God and the nature of religion, two distinguished authors radically alter the discussion. Taking a perspective rooted in evolutionary biology with a focus on brain science, the authors elucidate the perennial questions about religion: What is its purpose? How did it arise? What is its source? Why does every known culture have some form of it? Their answer is deceptively simple, yet at the same time highly complex: The brain creates religion and its varied concepts of God, and then in turn feeds on its creation to satisfy innate neurological and associated social needs. Brain science reveals that humans and other primates alike are afflicted by unavoidable sources of stress that the authors describe as "brainpain." To cope with this affliction people seek to "brainsoothe." We humans use religion and its social structures to induce brainsoothing as a relief for innate anxiety. How we do this is the subject of this groundbreaking book. In a concise, lively, accessible, and witty style, the authors combine zoom-lens vignettes of religious practices with discussions of the latest research on religion’s neurological effects on the brain. Among other topics, they consider religion’s role in providing positive socialization, its seeming obsession with regulating sex, creating an afterlife, how religion’s rules of behavior influence the law, the common biological scaffolding between nonhuman primates and humans and how this affects religion, a detailed look at brain chemistry and how it changes as a result of stress, and evidence that the palliative effects of religion on brain chemistry is not matched by nonreligious remedies. Concluding with a checklist offering readers a means to compute their own "brainsoothe score," this fascinating book provides key insights into the complexities of our brain and the role of religion, perhaps its most remarkable creation.

Beyond God by Kenneth V. Kardong

2010-02-28T00:30:00-05:00

Beyond God Evolution and the Future of Religion
Written by Kenneth V. Kardong

Trade Paperback, 294 pages | Humanity Books | Religion - Religion & Science; Science - Biology; Science - Evolution | $19.95 | 978-1-59102-682-2 (1-59102-682-2)

More than a hundred years of anthropological studies have demonstrated that religion is a fundamental and pervasive aspect of all human societies. Human beings appear to be inherently religious. But why? Religious practices determine the outcome of the struggle for existence and affect reproductive success. From an evolutionary perspective, such behaviors must bring biologically adaptive benefits, or the culling hand of Darwinian evolution would have eliminated religion long ago.

In his unique analysis of religion, biologist Kenneth V. Kardong argues that, in a pre-scientific world, religion was an evolutionary necessity for human survival. Going beyond the recognized psychological comforts of religion as a remedy for emotional insecurity and anxiety, Kardong instead explores what survival advantages religion first conferred on those humans faithfully practicing a locally adaptive set of cults and customs. By focusing on religion’s survival advantages, he is then able to address why religion evolved in the first place and why it possesses some of the distinctive and occasionally troubling characteristics we see today.

Kardong concludes that because religion was adaptive it is still planted deep within us and in our future. These ancient religious impulses are often unyielding when confronted by our comparatively recent capacity for rational and scientific understanding. This intractable quality in certain contexts can lead to violence and the other evils that throughout history and today serve as the worst examples of religious behavior.

Beyond God makes an important contribution to the understanding of religion from an evolutionary perspective.

Decoding the Language of God by George C. Cunningham, M.D.

2009-12-22T00:30:00-05:00

Decoding the Language of God Can a Scientist Really Be a Believer?: A Geneticist Responds to Francis Collins
Written by George C. Cunningham, M.D.

Trade Paperback, 269 pages | Prometheus Books | Religion - Religion & Science; Science - Philosophy & Social; Religion - Philosophy | $18.00 | 978-1-59102-766-9 (1-59102-766-7)

In his bestselling book, The Language of God, Francis Collins—the new director of the National Institutes of Health and the scientist who led the Human Genome Project—attempted to harmonize the findings of scientific research with Christian belief. In this response to Collins’s work, fellow geneticist George C. Cunningham presents a point-by-point rebuttal of The Language of God, arguing that there is no scientifically acceptable evidence to support belief in a personal God and much that discredits it.
Written with admirable clarity for the nonscientist, Decoding the Language of God covers much of the same ground addressed by Collins in his book:
• Do moral behavior, altruism, and similar moral standards across cultures indicate that humans are somehow in touch with a divine lawgiver, as Collins argues? Cunningham cites data from behavioral genetics that suggest a purely naturalistic explanation for morality.
• The existence of evil, both natural and human-caused, has always been a major stumbling block for religious apologists. Cunningham points out how Collins fails to adequately address this issue and the difficulty of reconciling belief in a good God with the existence of evil.
• Collins refers to the origin of the universe and anthropic coincidences as evidence of God as creator of all of reality. By contrast, Cunningham notes that there are naturalistic interpretations for the big bang and the fine-tuning of the universe, which adequately explain this evidence. Cunningham also devotes chapters to the unreliability of the Bible as a basis for belief; the conflict between naturalistic explanations of reality, which are anchored in scientific research, and supernatural interpretations, which are not; and the many difficulties in conceptualizing the origins of the universe in terms of a personal God. Unlike recent hostile attacks on religious belief, Cunningham’s respectful, well-reasoned discussion will appeal to open-minded people across the whole spectrum of belief and unbelief. As Collins’ appointment once again casts a spotlight on the ability of a individual who publicly promotes his faith to serve the best interests of science, this response to his work is more timely than ever.

The New Atheism by Victor J. Stenger

2009-09-22T00:30:00-05:00

The New Atheism Taking a Stand for Science and Reason
Written by Victor J. Stenger

Trade Paperback, 282 pages | Prometheus Books | Religion - Atheism; Religion - Religion & Science | $19.00 | 978-1-59102-751-5 (1-59102-751-9)

In recent years a number of bestselling books have forcefully argued that belief in God can no longer be defended on rational or empirical grounds, and that the scientific worldview has rendered obsolete the traditional beliefs held by Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The authors of these books—Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Victor J. Stenger—have come to be known as the "New Atheists." Predictably, their works have been controversial and attracted a good deal of critical reaction.
In this new book, Victor J. Stenger, whose God: The Failed Hypothesis was on the New York Times bestseller list in 2007, reviews and expands upon the principles of New Atheism and answers many of its critics. He demonstrates in detail that naturalism—the view that all of reality is reducible to matter and nothing else—is sufficient to explain everything we observe in the universe, from the most distant galaxies to the inner workings of the brain that result in the phenomenon of mind.
Stenger disputes the claim of many critics that the question of whether God exists is beyond the ken of science. On the contrary, he argues that absence of evidence for God is, indeed, evidence of absence when the evidence should be there and is not.
Turning from scientific to historical evidence, Stenger then points out the many examples of evil perpetrated in the name of religion. He also notes that the Bible, which is still taken to be divine revelation by millions, fails as a basis for morality and is unable to account for the problem of unnecessary suffering throughout the world.
Finally, he discusses the teachings of ancient nontheist sages such as Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Confucius, whose guidelines for coping with the problems of life and death did not depend upon a supernatural metaphysics. Stenger argues that this "way of nature" is far superior to the traditional supernatural monotheisms, which history shows can lead to a host of evils.
The New Atheism is a well-argued defense of the atheist position and a strong rebuttal of its critics.

Random House New Releases - Religion - Religion & Science

The Transcendental Temptation by Paul Kurtz

The Transcendental Temptation A Critique of Religion and the ParanormalWritten by Paul Kurtz

The Transcendental Temptation by Paul Kurtz

The Transcendental Temptation A Critique of Religion and the ParanormalWritten by Paul Kurtz

Science Set Free by Rupert Sheldrake

Science Set Free 10 Paths to New DiscoveryWritten by Rupert Sheldrake

Supernormal by Dean Radin

Supernormal Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic AbilitiesWritten by Dean Radin

Supernormal by Dean Radin

Supernormal Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic AbilitiesWritten by Dean Radin

God and the Atom by Victor J. Stenger

God and the Atom Written by Victor J. Stenger

God and the Atom by Victor J. Stenger

God and the Atom Written by Victor J. Stenger

War of the Worldviews by Leonard Mlodinow

War of the Worldviews Where Science and Spirituality Meet -- and Do NotWritten by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

Science Set Free by Rupert Sheldrake

Science Set Free 10 Paths to New DiscoveryWritten by Rupert Sheldrake

Science Set Free by Rupert Sheldrake

Science Set Free 10 Paths to New DiscoveryWritten by Rupert Sheldrake

Science Set Free by Rupert Sheldrake

Science Set Free 10 Paths to New DiscoveryWritten by Rupert Sheldrake Read by Rupert Sheldrake

War of the Worldviews by Leonard Mlodinow

War of the Worldviews Science Vs. SpiritualityWritten by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

War of the Worldviews by Leonard Mlodinow

War of the Worldviews Where Science and Spirituality Meet -- and Do NotWritten by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

War of the Worldviews by Leonard Mlodinow

War of the Worldviews Science Vs. SpiritualityWritten by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow Read by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

War of the Worldviews by Leonard Mlodinow

War of the Worldviews Science Vs. SpiritualityWritten by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow Read by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

Genesis and the Big Bang Theory by Gerald Schroeder

Genesis and the Big Bang Theory The Discovery Of Harmony Between Modern Science And The BibleWritten by Gerald Schroeder

God's Brain by Lionel Tiger

God's Brain Written by Lionel Tiger

Beyond God by Kenneth V. Kardong

Beyond God Evolution and the Future of ReligionWritten by Kenneth V. Kardong

Decoding the Language of God by George C. Cunningham, M.D.

Decoding the Language of God Can a Scientist Really Be a Believer?: A Geneticist Responds to Francis CollinsWritten by George C. Cunningham, M.D.

The New Atheism by Victor J. Stenger

The New Atheism Taking a Stand for Science and ReasonWritten by Victor J. Stenger

The Transcendental Temptation A Critique of Religion and the Paranormal
Written by Paul Kurtz

The Transcendental Temptation A Critique of Religion and the Paranormal
Written by Paul Kurtz

Science Set Free 10 Paths to New Discovery
Written by Rupert Sheldrake

Supernormal Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities
Written by Dean Radin

Supernormal Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities
Written by Dean Radin

God and the Atom
Written by Victor J. Stenger

God and the Atom
Written by Victor J. Stenger

War of the Worldviews Where Science and Spirituality Meet -- and Do Not
Written by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

Science Set Free 10 Paths to New Discovery
Written by Rupert Sheldrake

Science Set Free 10 Paths to New Discovery
Written by Rupert Sheldrake

Science Set Free 10 Paths to New Discovery
Written by Rupert Sheldrake
Read by Rupert Sheldrake

War of the Worldviews Science Vs. Spirituality
Written by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

War of the Worldviews Where Science and Spirituality Meet -- and Do Not
Written by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

War of the Worldviews Science Vs. Spirituality
Written by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow
Read by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

War of the Worldviews Science Vs. Spirituality
Written by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow
Read by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow

Genesis and the Big Bang Theory The Discovery Of Harmony Between Modern Science And The Bible
Written by Gerald Schroeder

God's Brain
Written by Lionel Tiger

Beyond God Evolution and the Future of Religion
Written by Kenneth V. Kardong

Decoding the Language of God Can a Scientist Really Be a Believer?: A Geneticist Responds to Francis Collins
Written by George C. Cunningham, M.D.

The New Atheism Taking a Stand for Science and Reason
Written by Victor J. Stenger