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 enlarge | Author: David Mills
Creator: Dorion Sagan
Publisher: Ulysses Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  209 reviews
Sales Rank: 2652
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9
ISBN: 1569755671
Dewey Decimal Number: 322
EAN: 9781569755679
ASIN: 1569755671
Publication Date: August 4, 2006
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| Customer Reviews:
 Good but dry in places August 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The author knows his subject. He also knows how to reply to the silly statements and beliefs of creationists and those who believe in fairy tales. But I found his writing in some places a bit dry and tiresome compared to other writers on this subject. Of course, he takes a different route and his book is not meant to compete with the other books. He takes a very educated and scientific view of all things and generally disproves creationism among other things. He takes no prisoners in his view of his opposition --- or those who believe in god and specifically fundamentalists. If you want to know how to answer the beliefs of those folks, you need this book. Although the burden of proof is with them, not the atheist.
Whether your are an atheist or not, this is a very intriguing book. The subject of evolution is gone into in some detail and the discussion quite interesting and eye-opening.
The author did have a time line problem. He said he surfed the Web in the 1980s. In early 1991 Berners-Lee wrote the first web browser. Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau's official proposal for the World Wide Web is dated November 12th, 1990. This is the first document that actually uses the term.
That makes you wonder how deeply documented the work really is. It's not that the Internet didn't exist in the 1980's. But it didn't exist in the form we know today and there were no Web sites such as he describes in the book.
Fortunately, these mistakes in documentation were not related directly to the topic.
- Susanna K. Hutcheson
 Exceeded all of my expectations... August 18, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I've been questioning relgion for quite some time, but never really labeled myself as an atheist. This book is intended as a specific rebuttal to the creative design 'science' promoted by religiously influenced schools. Not only does it wonderfully refute creative design with solid scientific arguements, it also points out many contradictions within the bible on various topics.
 Thought the book OK except for what I outlined below. August 14, 2008
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
I ordered David Mill's 'Atheist Universe' with expectations that it would be written with scientific knowledge that I haven't already been exposed to. Knowledge that furthers my already strong conviction that, indeed, religion has proved itself to be one of the strongest 'memes' pervading all societies. I had an interest in seeing how this former born-again individual who had been raised in a Christian home, but now a professing atheist for the past 30 years, would address these different scientific questions and he didn't dissappoint me. There were some well written relevant chapters.
My negatives concerning this book and I'll state them are.
His introduction began with a 'ranting and railing' diatribe against all conservatives as though people who are currently talk show hosts and Fox News are out there doing nothing but crusading to crush anyone desiring to be a free thinker. Although I don't agree with many 'ultra right' conservative issues neither do I adhere to many 'ultra left' ideologies either. I'm able to sort this all out for myself without being subjected to David Mills strong political beliefs which did nothing for the book IMO. I found this to be a turn off and almost put the book down. However, he redeemed himself in the chapters that followed and reafirmed many of my own findings as to why I've become an atheist.
Then I reached Chapter 9 where he seemed to crusade for the right of pornography purveyers on the Internet to remain uncensored (except for those who use children in pornography). I would think everyone would agree with the latter.
But he went on to pretty much assert that it's every man's right to view pornography and even moreso the right of every boy having reached puberty to do so as well. His contention in Chapter 9 was that pornography on the Internet is really nobody's business, expecially those rascally conservatives who have the gall to introduce ways and means to block it from being seen by children. His contention was and I quote him here that there is "no problem and we should not strive to 'child proof' the Internet". He asserted as though it's a scientifically proven idea "that it's fact that children have no libido" and further stated that, "unless spoon-fed these fantasies by an incompetent psychotherapist or social worker, sexual imagery and desire are totally absent within children until puberty begins.
I would like to differ greatly with David Mills expertise in this area. I am a female and I was sexually abused as a child from the age of 5. I can state as fact that my libido was awakened by these experiences and remained awakened through my childhood where I did act out many fantasies. So as far as I am concerned, David Mills,
in Chapter 9, demonstrates that doesn't know what he is talking about and should have left this out of his book completely as it has no relevency whatsoever to the rest of his book.
Furthermore, because he believes that viewing pornography is the inherit right of every boy reaching puberty as well as every man as if it is an innocent 'victimless' activity which doesn't hurt anyone. Atheists should be about the consideration of others because it's the right thing to do and not because some God said so. It is in many ways totally inconsiderate and in some cases harmful.
I contend that many wives are deeply hurt when their husbands sit in front of the Internet mastubating and fantasizing instead of working on their real life relationships and I also wonder how David Mills would feel about his own daughter growing up to be one of these 'porn actresses' being ogled by teen boys and men alike while they masturbate themselves?
Could the contents of Chapter 9 lend themselves to why people might perceive atheists as 'amoral'?
Atheist Universe July 21, 2008
1 out of 8 found this review helpful
When I read this email I was sure that you had somehow made a mistake, because I did not (knowingly) purchase the book, "Atheist Universe" and was fairly certain that I had never even seen it. Then, this morning, I was going through a pile of stuff on my desk and there was the book in question, apparently never opened by me. Am I going nuts? Did some supernatural force put the book there? Does God exist and He wants me to read this book?
I have been researching the absurd idea that the Christian God's book, the Bible, could somehow be in conflict with the very nature that He created. I do believe in God, but see very clear problems with today's Christianity, fundamentalism, and young earth malarkey, and have a completed book on the subject. I say, "completed" with resevations. There isn't a day goes by that I don't come acoss something that should or could be added. There seems to be no end to how far off course a religion can go when left up to the tinkering of man. At the moment, I am searching for a Literary Agent with an interest in promoting a book about a subject that needs to be heard by the very people who don't want to hear it. If you have any ideas that might help, I'd be quite open to them.
Anyway, here I am with another book that was evidently given to me without any solicitation on my part whatsoever. I now have eight books that were just given to me out of the blue about various aspect of the subject I am researching. The other seven do come from known sources. Since you are asking for a review, I suspect that you might know, at least in part, just how this book got on my desk. Could you please help solve this mystery for me? I would be happy to read the book, do a review, and could have it back to you in a few weeks. Would there be any time constraints? Should I do this?
Curious Ray
Ray Moody
firemanmoody@yahoo.com
Godless Heathen Tells All July 13, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
Be sure to order this book with a plain brown wrapper so your believer friends won't report you to the Inquisition! Believers won't buy this book, but those seeking a popularist justification for atheism will be pleased.
David Mills' greatest asset is a clear writing style. I read his book after finishing Susan Jacoby's "Age of American Unreason" and found his style refreshingly simple. Part of the fun of Mills' book is his willingness to excoriate persons on the other side of the church aisle. He is especially hostile when it comes to those espousing "intelligent design."
While Mills adds some logical support for atheism (is there a faith-based way to do it?), you probably already believe what he says -- you just want more reasons or added explanation. He'll give it to you. However, Mills seems to take for granted the "scientific" evidence he provides in a basic form. While much of what he says would probably count as generally accepted science, there isn't much rigor in backing it up -- you'll need to take it on faith. It is a telling omission that Mills' biography inside the back of the book mentions nothing about having a PhD in philosophy or logic, or a degree of any kind (not on his web site either). As a result, you get a "pop science" perspective on atheism -- more entertaining than erudite. Read some of the 1 star ratings to get more on this perspective.
The nutshell of the book is the logical problem of an irreducible first cause. Religion gives it a masculine anthropomorphic character in Christianity and Judaism, while atheism leaves it in its raw form as the infinitely distant unknown.
Unless you believe works like Mills are the work of the devil, you should enjoy this book, although he never answers the question as to whether good atheists go to heaven.
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