Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism

Book Description

"Jacoby accomplishes her task with clarity, thoroughness, and an engaging passion." Los Angeles Times Book Review At a time when the separation of church and state is under attack as never before, Freethinkers offers a powerful defense of the secularist heritage that gave Americans the first government in the world founded not on the authority of religion but on the bedrock of human reason. In impassioned, elegant prose, celebrated author Susan Jacoby traces more than two hundred years of secularist activism, beginning with the fierce debate over the omission of God from the Constitution. Moving from nineteenth-century abolitionism and suffragism through the twentieth century's civil liberties, civil rights, and feminist movements, Freethinkers illuminates the neglected achievements of secularists who, allied with tolerant believers, have led the battle for reform in the past and today.Rich with such iconic figures as Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Paine, and the once-famous Robert Green Ingersoll, Freethinkers restores to history the passionate humanists who struggled against those who would undermine the combination of secular government and religious liberty that is the glory of the American system.

Customer Reviews:

Why not appreciate both secular and religious American traditions?.......2007-09-07

"Freethinkers" by Susan Jacoby should be treated as an entry point to one's own exploration of American history. Her theme is unique. She attempts to flesh out a tradition of freethought as an identity for those who feel excluded from mainstream American culture because of its religious bend. At other times she defines freethought as the only legitimate American political tradition. Her rendering should be approached as controversial.

Our secular and religious histories are not so easily separable as Jacoby would have it; and indeed this is a strength and a sign of tolerance. In fact, the prototypical freethinker Thomas Paine argues that in France he was often politically dismissed as a religiously-motivated Quaker. (He was not a pure enough secularist for them.)

Though I am critical in this review, I think a study of this sort is long overdue and really got me thinking--I hope freely. My reaction to her approach challenged me to survey three biographies of Thomas Paine and all Paine's major works. My understanding and interpretation of Paine and America's response to him on his return from France is very different from Jacoby's, though I love and honor him as much as she does.

Jacoby carries over the antagonisms of a cultural warrior to what claims to be a scholarly book. She has an axe to grind and isn't ashamed to grind it. But the stronger her bias, the more meticulous and thorough, and absolutely honest, her scholarship should be in order to gain credibility. Unfortunately those who share her biases will eagerly lower the bar. I felt she was limiting herself to an audience of "true (un)believers" rather than seeking to draw in also those with religious values to honor a shared tradition.

Ironically, though she claims the cloak of reason she is primarily driven by an animus against religion, what the Greeks and the Romantics called a "spirit" or "daemon." If you are driven by an animus can you rightfully call yourself a "free" thinker?

In fact those who wish to claim Reason as their touchstone really should take on the Romantic critique of the age of Reason also rather than simply attacking and defining themselves against religions that have their roots much further back in history. Crusaders bogged down in the sludge of the culture wars, they encourage their followers to wear Reason as a escutcheon of superiority, proof resting solely on a categorical rejection of all religions.

The answer may be simply to take to heart her chapter on the renowned speaker, humorist, and agnostic, Robert Ingersoll, who was loved by the religious, the irreligious, theist and atheist, alike.

If secular institutions and traditions are to be living traditions, owned and appreciated by all Americans, then they must be envisioned and historically understood more inclusively than does Jacoby. She is trying too hard to make the secular tradition a separate club, (at its worst an angry club of victimhood,) rather than realizing that most religious people are highly secular in belief and behavior also. And this is an American strength.

"So Help Me God: the Founding Fathers and the First Great Battle Over Church and State" by Forrest Church, my present read, is promising a more balanced view.

Real American History.......2007-09-04

Wow, what a surprise. It turns out that America is NOT a Christian country, our founding fathers were NOT fundamentalist dimwits, and they really believed in the separation of church and state, to protect believers and non-believers alike. Jacoby tells us that throughout America's history, the greatest proponents of freedom and equality were not religious fanatics, but agnostics, atheists, and freethinkers. This should be a required textbook for high school history classes.

A unique and absorbing history.......2007-06-28

A history of American social and political development which is deliberately one sided. Jacoby describes the role of unbelief, secularism and humanist free thought in shaping American society. Throughout the book freethought is shown as struggling against conservative religious attitudes. It is a unique and absorbing story.

Most of the early freethinkers, the fathers of the American Revolution, Tom Paine to William Lloyd Garrison were not unbelievers. Until Lyell's ages of geology and Darwin's trial and error evolution, thoughtful intellectuals could not image earth and the cosmos without a creator. Newton, though, had shown the universe moved without a need for god's constant interference.

Jacoby makes it clear that freethought has been a minority view throughout American history. She describes the weaning of main line religions from their blind faith in the bible by the rise of science and modern insights. Alliance with these and the needs of commerce were indispensable to the success of rational laws and action.

Looking back on the struggle between religion and reason, secularism eventually wins. In the 1840's the big issue was not slavery, but Sunday closing. To the horror of all good church people, the US Postal Service continued working on the Lord's Day. Religious thinking insisted on making divorce a disgrace, gave us censorship, obscenity laws which precluded any information about birth control, and eventually prohibition. All these impediments to freedom have by and large gone from American society. Thus abortion, gay marriage, and stem cell research will eventually become legal because they are reasonable needs of society.

Free your mind.......2007-05-30

This book is a timely reminder that the United States has not always been in the thrall of the religious, that until quite recently it was possible to lead a full life in the political life of the nation without having to devoutly profess faith in Christ or god. Who knows, perhaps one day freedom of thought may have meaning once again?

Freethinkers is an interesting history of atheism and agnosticism in America, charting the links of secularism with other movements that have made the nation what it is today: such as the abolition of slavery, civil rights, feminism and universal suffrage. Sometimes reform was achieved with the co-operation of the religious, sometimes it was achieved in the teeth of their determined opposition. This book gives a fascinating perspective which readers may not have encountered before.

History or Editorial?.......2007-03-25

This book starts out as a history of American secularism, and becomes an editorial diatribe. Secular thought is primarily described in terms of how it contrasted with ecclesiastical teachings, but there is not much focus on secular thought itself. She clearly favors the secularists, and in the last chapter goes on a rant about the evils of religion in today's society.

Book Description

This eloquently written book chronicles the massive, protracted strikes waged against three large corporations in Decatur, Illinois, in the 1990s. Veteran journalist Stephen Franklin shows how labor disputes at Bridgestone/ Firestone, Caterpillar, and A. E. Staley left lasting scars on this town and its citizens--and marked a turning point in American labor history. When workers went on strike to retain such basic rights as job security and the 8-hour day, the corporations hit back with unprecedented hard-line tactics. Through the moving stories of individual workers and union activists, Franklin illuminates the hardships and disillusionment left in the wake of the strikes, and the powerful forces that caught an unprepared labor leadership off guard. He vividly portrays how the balance of labor-management power was shifted by corporate globalization, cutthroat labor practices, the outdated responses of national unions and government regulators, and an apathetic public. Reflecting on the hard-won lessons of Decatur, the book describes how the quality of work and life are now threatened--not just for blue-collar workers, but for all Americans--and what it will take to safeguard them.

Customer Reviews:

I survived this mess........2002-05-21

In 1991 I had 24 years in at Caterpillar. If I would have had any way to forsee the future when I was young, I never would have applied for a job with Caterpillar. Franklin did a lot of research for his book, and for the most part I believe it is accurate. But neither Franklin nor anyone else could possibly document the pain, the frustration, the hopelessness, the fear, and the uncertainty that thousands of us suffered at he hands of these greedy bastards. I hope I live to see labors' return to power.

Challenge for this generation.......2002-04-06

This book tells a depressingly familiar tale of everyday people dedicating their lives and souls to their work, only to find out themselves turned out with nothing to show for it. Where are the John L. Lewises and Walter Reuthers of this generation?

Solid Reporting & Research.......2002-01-04

This is a well researched and documented book. I know, or have met, a lot of the players in this book and it provided me with a lot of information I was not aware of. Shows the human side of many lives.

The Homestead of the 1990s.......2001-08-23

It is necessary to begin with a disclaimer. I am mentioned in a couple of places in Stephen Franklin's excellent work on the labor disputes that rocked Decatur, Illinois in the 1990s. His title, Three Strikes, is slightly in error as one of the disputes--at A.E. Staley Mfg. Co.--was actually a lockout. I also talked with Steve several times as he prepared the book. I found it to be a powerful work that clearly demonstrates the "dark side" of the globalization and "new economy" that is often presented as the inavoidable wave of the future. What happens when honest, hard-working people who have played by the rules all of their lives suddenly find themselves as so much cannon fodder for multi-national corporations? Franklin shows us. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in social justice. He paints strong, vivid portraits of leading characters like the two Dave Watts (one at A.E. Staley, the other at Firestone), Father Martin Mangan, a Catholic priest who became a leading advocate of workers, Annie Floyd, a Firestone wife who was the Mother Jones of the time, and many, many others. The effects launched by those days still impact Decatur and the United States and Franklin's book is essential in understanding those effects.

Book Description

While qualitative approaches are beginning to be more commonly used and accepted in tourism, discussions of research methods have rarely moved beyond practical considerations. To date there has been limited attention given to the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings that influence the research process. This book links theory with research practice to offer a more holistic account of how qualitative research can be used in tourism.
The book provides a range of case studies written by leading scholars from the UK, Greece, Scandinavia, America, Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia. The book makes it clear, in an accessible style, the ways in which these pieces of research have been informed by the authors' epistemological, ontological, and methodological standpoint.

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Do Cats Need Shrinks?
Peter Neville
Manufacturer: Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cats | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0283999802

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Do Cats Need Shrinks? Cat Behavior Explained
Peter Neville
Manufacturer: Contemporary Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0809239353

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DO CATS NEED SHRINKS?
Peter Neville
Manufacturer: Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORCUP2

Average customer rating:
Do Cats Need Shrinks?
Peter NEVILLE
Manufacturer: Sidgwick and Jackson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NX0DY2

Book Description

This festival of song, biography and memorabilia celebrates one of America's modern folk legends! Tom Paxton tells his story as only he can, from his early days in Oklahoma through the exciting '60s in Greenwich Village and London, up to the present, including his long interest in creating and performing children's music. Lavishly illustrated with photos and anecdotes throughout, this wonderful collection features music and lyrics to 89 beloved standards and songs of protest, love, humor and childhood. Includes: My Dog's Bigger Than Your Dog * My Ramblin' Boy * The Marvelous Toy * The Last Thing on My Mind * and many more.

Customer Reviews:

Honor of your company -review.......2003-12-23

For all Tom paxton fans most of his song lyrics are found here.
I also found out some unknown info ( Trivia) on the man himself.
Did you know that Paul Simon warmed up for him on one occasion.
Harry Chapin also. The book is not really an autobiography and is mainly taken up with Song Lyrics and where the songs came from what inspired them etc. Tom tells very little about his travels and rarely mentions the various artists that were around the coffee houses of the 60's. This is not for someone who is looking for any indepth reading. It is short of detail. Worth having for the ardent fan but disappointing that it wasn't a biography.

Book Description

The Trash Phenomenon looks at how writers of the late twentieth century not only have integrated the events, artifacts, and theories of popular culture into their works but also have used those works as windows into popular culture's role in the process of nation building. Taking her cue from Donald Barthelme's 1967 portrayal of popular culture as "trash" and Don DeLillo's 1997 description of it as a subversive "people's history," Stacey Olster explores how literature recycles American popular culture so as to change the nationalistic imperative behind its inception.

The Trash Phenomenon begins with a look at the mass media's role in the United States' emergence as the twentieth century's dominant power. Olster discusses the works of three authors who collectively span the century bounded by the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Persian Gulf War (1991): Gore Vidal's American Chronicle series, John Updike's Rabbit tetralogy, and Larry Beinhart's American Hero. Olster then turns her attention to three non-American writers whose works explore the imperial sway of American popular culture on their nation's value systems: hierarchical class structure in Dennis Potter's England, Peronism in Manuel Puig's Argentina, and Nihonjinron consensus in Haruki Murakami's Japan.

Finally, Olster returns to American literature to look at the contemporary media spectacle and the representative figure as potential sources of national consolidation after November 1963. Olster first focuses on autobiographical, historical, and fictional accounts of three spectacles in which the formulae of popular culture are shown to bypass differences of class, gender, and race: the John F. Kennedy assassination, the Scarsdale Diet Doctor murder, and the O. J. Simpson trial. She concludes with some thoughts about the nature of American consolidation after 9/11.

Average customer rating:
THE TRASH PHENOMENON: Contemporary Literature, Popular Culture, and the Making of the American Century

Manufacturer: University of Georgia Press Athens, GA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IA6BT6

Book Description

With remote controls in more than 90% of U.S. homes, this device has single-handedly changed the way we watch television. This book provides the first comprehensive look at the remote control device and its significant impact on both television viewers and the television industry. The authors place the diffusion of remote controls within the context of the history and economics of media industries, and present the latest academic and industry research. Topics covered include the motivations for and gender differences in remote control use, and the remote control's implications for mass communication theory and the future of television.

Book Description

• Scores of problems and examples—which will be available on the Internet after publication—simplify and demonstrate central concepts and help users develop their expertise in handling data structures in Java
• Java is today’s fastest growing programming language, with broad popular appeal for its ease of use in creating websites and its functioning capability on any platform
• Topics cover all the material in the first- or second-year course required of all Computer Science majors

Customer Reviews:

Good Quick Start for the Java Collections Framework.......2005-11-12

As an experienced programmer new to Java, I was looking for a quick introduction to the Java Collections Framework, the set of classes and interfaces for working with collections of objects. In essence, the Collections Framework gives the Java programmer a predefined set of data structures including lists, hash tables, stacks, and sets. This book fell into a nice middle ground for me. I already knew about data structures so I was not looking for a textbook. But I wanted something more than a quick reference guide, something with some examples and explanatory text. I found that "Data Structures with Java" fit my needs. As other reviewers have noted, it does contain more typos than it should. Also, I recommend obtaining a copy from your local library, I don't feel that it is a "keeper".

good intention, bad implementation.......2005-01-15

It is true, as other reader attests, that the book has many an error. However, what I don't like about the book is that the author uses the Java API to illustrate all his examples. Yes, this might be easier than to come up with a new implementation, but, is definitely not a good learning tool. I want to know what's behind each implementation so that I can abstract it in my head and apply it to other examples and problems. But for example, how is,

int[] blah = new int(50);
Array.asList(blah)l

going to teach me about turning an array into a linear list or even a string? Yeah Java has the facilities, but it's all behind the fog (API).

One other issue I have is that the author spends way too much time testing the Java API (about two chapters). And further, even as the book progresses, he keeps calling Java's internal, built-in methods and interface.

It's not a bad book for the price, but don't buy it as a substitute for a text book or even a main aid book.

Get 4th Edition.......2001-10-19

This is the first edition, and there seem to be lot of errors. The author's web site states that there is a 4th edition available. I'd wait for that one.

Schaum's Outline of Programming with Java

Average customer rating:

Not a good source for learning Java
Advanced
lacks exercises
Great content but poor organisation
A piece of fiction!

Schaum's Outline of Programming with Java
John R. Hubbard
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0071420401

Book Description

Introduced by Sun Microsystems in 1995, Java transformed the way people use the Internet. This up-to-the-minute study guide on programming with Java simplifies and demonstrates the central concepts of the program through examples and solved problems. Updated to reflect the newest version of Java, Schaum's Outline of Programming with Java, Second Edition addresses the program's new data structures and language additions. The book supports the major computer textbooks being used in college classrooms across the country.

Customer Reviews:

Not a good source for learning Java.......2006-06-04

This Schaum's outline really disappoints me. First of all, it doesn't even come close to the typical Schaum's formula - some theory, some worked examples, some exercises with solutions, some additional unsolved exercises. I would expect some deviation from the formula on a Schaum's outline that is about a programming language, but the biggest problem in this outline is the complete absence of programming exercises. It is impossible to know if you understand a programming language if you cannot come up with a program that works yourself. Also, the instruction part of the Schaum's is not detailed enough to really "get" the material. Especially flimsy is any material on event handling in Java. This is tricky material to explain to a Java newbie, but it is essential, since otherwise a user really has no way to interact with a Java program. I suggest if you want to learn Java that you pick up either "Head First Java" or "Core Java", and skip this outline completely. I give it two stars only because, even though I found a few errors in the code here and there, there is nothing really wrong with the facts given or the examples presented, even though they are not helpful to the end task of learning Java.

Advanced.......2006-03-10

I would say add the word advanced to the title. I am a beginner and the way Schaum's Outlined Java is for people who already have a knowledge of the basics but I have to say Schaum's books are never bad books. This one is just not titled correctly. Thanks

lacks exercises.......2005-10-02

The book offers a quick ramp up into Java coding. It chooses to omit many descriptions of graphics classes. The focus is on the pure computational classes. You can get a fast understanding of the core of these classes. Enough to write simple programs. While 1 chapter is about graphics, it is very skimpy and you should not be encouraged to learn from it.

A shortcoming is the lack of exercise sets. Schaum's books are often replete with these. Here, no less than in other topics, exercises are needed. The cover is somewhat misleading. It says fully solved exercises are present. Indeed. But what is also needed are exercises that are NOT fully solved.

Great content but poor organisation.......2005-04-30

Earlier I had purchased Hubbard's C++ and had no complaints.But this book by the same author leaves much to be desired. The explanations are well written, ...typically Hubbard style, but I was very dissapointed by the way the examples and the chapters were organised in the book. A newcomer who is learning example by example and from chapter to chapter is bound to get confused. In an earlier chapter, an example uses try and catch block to take an input from the user, but the mechanism of try and catch blocks are explained much later in the book. So this book is basically for those who are already conversant with Java and just needs a good brushing-up. If you are new to Java, use this book as a supplement rather than your main text. The examples in the book are excellent and fun to try out.

A piece of fiction!.......2003-10-04

This is the worst waste of eight dollars I have ever spent. It should be placed with the fiction titles instead of the computer ones.
The text constantly references fields and objects that don't exist in the example code, the code is totally messed up. For instance "j;+" and "j+;" do not increment the field. it should be "j++". I can understand having mistakes but this book is filled with them. This book is a mistake. There are two separate pieces of code that are supposed to be different but are identical. items referenced in example code don't exist.
I could go on and on about this piece of ****. Reading this book made me angry. If a student were to use this book before taking a test they would certainly fail.
The editor and authors must have been near comatose from cocaine when working on this pulp.

Schaum's Outline of Data Structures with Java, Second Edition (Schaum's Outlines)

Average customer rating:

Schaum's Outline of Data Structures with Java, Second Edition (Schaum's Outlines)
John R. Hubbard
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0071476989

Book Description

You can catch up on the latest developments in the number one, fastest-growing programming language in the world with this fully updated Schaum's guide. Schaum's Outline of Data Structures with Java has been revised to reflect all recent advances and changes in the language.

Schaum's Outlines of Programming with Java

Average customer rating:

Excellent Learning andTeaching Tool for Java Practical Basics
The price is right!
Great content but poor organisation
Good, but writing style leaves much to be desired.
Solid but not sexy

Schaum's Outlines of Programming with Java
John R. Hubbard
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Companies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Schaum's Outline of Data Structures with Java

ASIN: 0071342109

Book Description

This powerful study tool is the best tutor you can have if you want top grades and thorough understanding of programming with Java, the computing language being taught as a basic at more and more colleges. This student-friendly study guide leads you step-by-step through the entire beginning computer science course, giving you hundreds of problems with fully worked solutions and easy-to-follow examples for every new topic.

You get complete explanations of strings, arrays, loops, graphics, GUIs, classes and objects, exception handling, and more. With this guide, which works alone or with any text, you can learn to create the most-wanted Net applications, such as animations and audio streams. Schaums are the most popular study guide in the world, and this guide will show you why!

Download Description

Master programming with Java with Schaums--the high-performance study guide.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Learning andTeaching Tool for Java Practical Basics.......2007-10-03

I used Schaum's Outlines Series during college and was always impressed. This one was also impressing!

I have also repeatedly noticed that Java can be difficult to learn. This is because it is really Object-Oriented and I always found it difficult to have the JDK and everything else together for a student that was getting the first exposure to Java to obtain practical experience to build confidence.

Bruce Razban,
President/Founder, Razban Internet International,
Silicon Valley, CA, USA

In the fourteen chapters, this book does an good job of helping students get a grasp of Java, compare their answers to correct answers and learn from their mistakes instantly. The typical problem for others that do not have this book is that they get stuck and then, they have to find the correct answer by trial and error.

I would however, recommend a more robust coverage of the Object-Oriented example.

I found this book as a very good way to teach and learn, and it is reasonably priced.

Bruce Razban,
President/Founder, Razban Internet International
Silicon Valley, CA, USA

The price is right!.......2001-11-14

While this book is far from complete, and the examples are less than practical, it has the virtue of being affordable by students. It's a good choice as textbook for a course, where the main content comes from instructor-provided handouts.

Great content but poor organisation.......2000-09-24

Good, but writing style leaves much to be desired........2000-01-29

As another reviewer has pointed out, there's a lot of help in setting up the jdk, but be aware that the information is given only for Windows. The basics of the language are covered well, but you should have your textbook handy. There are a few mistakes (not mistakes really, but the author didnot want to bring in all the complexities). As a college text, I was looking for some more math based examples, but there aren't too many. The ones he does give don't use adequate formatting of the results. For example, the results for a particular problem (getting the values of sin(x)) are given to 16 decimal places or so. But the exercises themselves are great for practising, which will surely come in useful.

Solid but not sexy.......1999-06-09

The thing you have to keep in mind is that it is designed for students. It concentrates on the basics of the language -- flow control, variables, etc. It has great exercises. But it doesn't really focus on GUI design. I found it invaluable for prepping for the Cert exam however.

And, it is very cheap.

Average customer rating:
Schaum's Outline of Programming with Java
John R. Hubbard Anthony Q. Baxter
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFR86U

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