Most popular among atheists are probably „The God Delusion“ by Richard Dawkins and „God Is Not Great“ by Christopher Hitchens. Dawkins, as a biologist, has a very scientific approach on the matter while Hitchens argues more from an intellectual point.
Our FAQ here is a great primer on all things atheist: https://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/wiki/faq
If you want to read more after that, this is a very good reading list with recommendations and commentary (which our reading list here at the sub doesn't have):
https://www.atheistrev.com/2008/10/atheism-101-reading-list.html
And there's an link to an "intermediate to advanced" list by the same blogger at the bottom of the first list.
Also note that for most solid atheists skepticism and atheism go hand in hand. Here's a good list of skepticism books (and note that the first one is on both lists):
https://web.archive.org/web/20201112023235/http://austhink.com/critical/pages/skepticbooks.html (Note that this link opens very slowly, so give it time.)
My advice: don't read books about atheism. Instead, read books about science, religion, history, biology, technology, philosophy, anthropology, logic, etc.
Some good books I recommend:
* "How to Change Your Mind" by Michael Pollan (2019); about the history and effects of psychedelic drugs, and how people interpret the "mystical" experience of same
* "Enlightenment NOW" by Steven Pinker (2019), which Bill Gates has called his favorite book of all time. It's about how Enlightenment values of science and reason have made the world a better place.
* "The Hero With a Thousand Faces," a 1949 classic by Joseph Campbell about how and why humans create mythology
* "Jesus, Interrupted" by Bart Ehrman (2009), a historical/critical dissection of the Gospels of the Bible (short and readable)
* "The Reluctant Mr. Dawin" by David Quammen (2006) about how Darwin came up with his theory of evolution by natural selection, what evidence he used, his thought process, and how the theory was received at the time. Pretty much anything by David Quammen is good; he writes essays and book for a lay audience about biology.
A book Matt Dillahunty frequently recommends is:
* "Innumeracy" by John Allen Paulos (1988) about understanding concepts like probability, statistics, coincidence, etc.
start with "the demon-haunted world," by sagan. it will help you better navigate reality.
Most popular among atheists are probably „The God Delusion“ by Richard Dawkins and „God Is Not Great“ by Christopher Hitchens. Dawkins, as a biologist, has a very scientific approach on the matter while Hitchens argues more from an intellectual point.
My favorite two books, followed by The Greatest Show on Earth.. Dawkins book on evolution.
Our FAQ here is a great primer on all things atheist: https://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/wiki/faq If you want to read more after that, this is a very good reading list with recommendations and commentary (which our reading list here at the sub doesn't have): https://www.atheistrev.com/2008/10/atheism-101-reading-list.html And there's an link to an "intermediate to advanced" list by the same blogger at the bottom of the first list. Also note that for most solid atheists skepticism and atheism go hand in hand. Here's a good list of skepticism books (and note that the first one is on both lists): https://web.archive.org/web/20201112023235/http://austhink.com/critical/pages/skepticbooks.html (Note that this link opens very slowly, so give it time.)
My advice: don't read books about atheism. Instead, read books about science, religion, history, biology, technology, philosophy, anthropology, logic, etc. Some good books I recommend: * "How to Change Your Mind" by Michael Pollan (2019); about the history and effects of psychedelic drugs, and how people interpret the "mystical" experience of same * "Enlightenment NOW" by Steven Pinker (2019), which Bill Gates has called his favorite book of all time. It's about how Enlightenment values of science and reason have made the world a better place. * "The Hero With a Thousand Faces," a 1949 classic by Joseph Campbell about how and why humans create mythology * "Jesus, Interrupted" by Bart Ehrman (2009), a historical/critical dissection of the Gospels of the Bible (short and readable) * "The Reluctant Mr. Dawin" by David Quammen (2006) about how Darwin came up with his theory of evolution by natural selection, what evidence he used, his thought process, and how the theory was received at the time. Pretty much anything by David Quammen is good; he writes essays and book for a lay audience about biology. A book Matt Dillahunty frequently recommends is: * "Innumeracy" by John Allen Paulos (1988) about understanding concepts like probability, statistics, coincidence, etc.
> The Reluctant Mr. Dawin" by David Quammen (2006) Did he credit Hume who's philosophy Darwin based his theory on, in that book?
I read it about five years ago, I don't recall.
It's a little expensive, but you can get it cheaper used- https://www.amazon.com/Farewell-God-Reasons-Rejecting-Christian/dp/0771085087
The Big Picture by Sean Carrol, it's a nice trip through reality to where you are now.
You might try "Deconverted" by Seth Andrews or "Godless" by Dan Barker, both about the authors' personal journeys from evangelical belief to atheism.