This book was mentioned in a speech by Christopher Hitchens as an example of what people believe it would happen to the world without religion. In my opinion, it's quite an interesting reading. The book was written in 1902 and it shows. As expected, religious people are the good guys while atheists are the bad guys. The main assumption of the book is that people, without religion, are mostly incapable of moral behavior. As a work of fiction, the author doesn't have to prove this assumption, he simply uses it as a base to develop the plot. Other assumptions showing the age of the novel are the roles and descriptions of female characters. There is no point in accusing the author of sexism or bigotry (as some reviewers do), he was a man of his time. It is much more interesting to read the book and observe how much our …
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EN: Marketer & marketing instructor with IT background. I love to read, learn, and discover new tools & technologies. After many years in Silicon Valley, I now live in the Italian Alps, my ideal MTB and trail-running place!
IT: Mi occupo di Digital Marketing come consulente e ho un background e una laurea da informatica. Mi piace leggere, scoprire e provare nuove tecnologie, e strumenti. Dopo anni passati in Silicon Valley, vivo in Valtellina, il luogo ideale per MTB e trail running.
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folini reviewed When It Was Dark by Guy Thorne
Review of 'When It Was Dark' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This book was mentioned in a speech by Christopher Hitchens as an example of what people believe it would happen to the world without religion. In my opinion, it's quite an interesting reading. The book was written in 1902 and it shows. As expected, religious people are the good guys while atheists are the bad guys. The main assumption of the book is that people, without religion, are mostly incapable of moral behavior. As a work of fiction, the author doesn't have to prove this assumption, he simply uses it as a base to develop the plot. Other assumptions showing the age of the novel are the roles and descriptions of female characters. There is no point in accusing the author of sexism or bigotry (as some reviewers do), he was a man of his time. It is much more interesting to read the book and observe how much our culture changed in 100 years.
folini rated Mere Morality: 3 stars
folini rated Un solo paradiso: 4 stars
folini rated Lone Survivors: 5 stars
Review of 'Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This is a good book, full of data, examples, and ideas, even if I don't like the "preacher" style of Dan. He always talks like he has the only goal of converting you, no matter what. I would prefer a more soft and less confrontational approach.
Maybe this is what religious people need in order to reconsider their faith and believes.
folini rated Three Stones Make a Wall: 4 stars
Three Stones Make a Wall by Eric H. Cline
"In 1922, Howard Carter peered into Tutankhamun's tomb for the first time, the only light coming from the candle in …
folini rated Everybody Lies: 4 stars
Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
A former Google data scientist presents an insider's look at what the vast, instantly available amounts of information from the …
folini rated The War on Normal People: 5 stars
The War on Normal People by Andrew Yang
From entrepreneur Andrew Yang, the founder of Venture for America, an eye-opening look at how new technologies are erasing millions …
Summary: Sapiens: A brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari by Yuval Noah Harari
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Hebrew: קיצור תולדות האנושות, [Ḳitsur toldot ha-enoshut]) is a book by Yuval Noah Harari, …
folini rated Capitalism's crisis deepens: 4 stars
Capitalism's crisis deepens by Richard D. Wolff
World-renowned economist, Richard Wolf, explores the roots of the Great Recession and its immense impact on working people.
folini rated Orphans of the Sky: 4 stars
Orphans of the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein
Orphans of the Sky is a science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, consisting of two parts: "Universe" …
Feathers by Thor Hanson
A biologist presents the natural history of feathers, applying the findings of paleontologists, ornithologists, biologists, engineers, and art historians to …
folini rated Have Black Lives Ever Mattered?: 4 stars
Mumia Abu-Jamal: Have Black Lives Ever Mattered? (2017, City Lights Books)
Have Black Lives Ever Mattered? by Mumia Abu-Jamal
"'This collection of short meditations, written from a prison cell, captures the past two decades of police violence that gave …
folini rated Thinking, Fast and Slow: 4 stars
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Thinking, Fast and Slow is a 2011 book by psychologist Daniel Kahneman. The book's main thesis is that of a …