50 Book Challenge: Book 47

Hey Buzznet!

For the first time since I started school I've been able to finish a book for fun....and I've been reading it since September!

The End of Faith
By Sam Harris

I'm not sure when I first heard of this book, but I heard of Sam Harris on some Atheist blog or another on Facebook. I knew he was one of the essential authors on the subject so I was excited to read it.

It was good, I don't like it as much as I like Dawkins' The God Delusion, but it brought up many good points. I know a lot of people aren't atheist anda lot of people probably aren't reading about the subject but I like to. I do wish that the chapter on Islam hadn't been so Islamaphobic though. It is one thing to say that a religion is a certain way. I'm an atheist/anti-theist so I get that 100% I understand making generalizations on the religion from their dogma out of neccessity when writing or showing how dangerous religion can be. HOWEVER, there is one section where he mentions that the only reason muslims in America are for the most part quiet and non-violent is because there are so few of them, that if there were more, they would be openly violent and hateful. That was really out of line. In every religion there will be good and bad, fundamentalist and barely practicing, and to suggest that all muslims in America only appear to be peaceful is nonsense and perpetuates negative stereotypes. He had a strong argument on the violence of Islam before he went and made an ass of himself.

Anyways...I'd still recommend this book to anyone interested in atheism, or about religion in general. For fans of Dawkins, it's obviously similar subject matter, but much less elouquent and inspiring.

Have you read this book or anything similar to it? What are you currently reading?