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Comment by Brian Magee on March 21, 2013 at 10:48am

NASA Scientist Shows How Anyone Can “Make the Break” With Gods and Religion

New book uses science, history to show gods to be a product of human invention

Dr. Reginald J. Exton, a NASA scientist for five decades, shares clearly and succinctly the evidence that points to the human origin of religions in Make the Break (If You Can), the latest title from Humanist Press. To this end, Exton has gathered a representative list of events, scientific observations, and religious developments that lead the reader to the eventual realization that there is voluminous evidence that humanity itself created gods and religions to shield itself from the unknown.

The printed book is in magazine format, making its 64 full-color pages—including pictures, charts and graphs—easy to read and comprehend. The ebook version contains links to additional online content, including a forum where readers can communicate with one another.

“My sincere hope is that the book will help to relieve people of their historical guilt and clarify the individual rights and responsibilities of all human beings,” Exton said. “These hopes are particularly meaningful at the beginning of the twenty-first century as two major religions again conduct crusades against one another, and the political arm of religion in the U.S. strengthens itself to secure by ‘democratic’ means what it cannot obtain by argument.”

Outlining the human origin of religions, Make the Break (If You Can) begins with a brief synopsis of the major developments in the formation of our universe; a description of more recent events in the development of civilization, including the period of religious fervor; and the evolutionary process leading to modern man. From these initial chapters, Exton discusses why religious beliefs are so strongly entrenched in peoples’ thinking and why many maintain these beliefs today. The subsequent chapters list some of the worldwide conflicts that have arisen out of religion; an outline of an astrophysical projection of the ultimate fate of our universe; and offers an alternative to god-based religions that captures the best parts of the various religious rules and philosophies practiced today.

Dr Exton’s scientific career began in 1954 at the University of Richmond, where he majored in physics, graduating with a B.S. in 1958. He completed is education in physics with an M.S. and a Ph.D. at West Virginia University. For the past 50 years, he has been a researcher with NASA at Langley Research Center. During his interesting career, he has worked on reentry physics, atmospheric and oceanographic pollution, laser spectroscopy, hypersonic combustion, aerodynamics, and plasma physics. A list of his publications in these areas can be found at http://asomb.larc.nasa.gov/directory/exton_reginald.htm.

The ebook is available through HumanistPress.com and major online retailers.

Comment by Brian Magee on November 20, 2012 at 3:59pm

Evolution Made Clear for Kids in "Pepper’s Special Wings"

First Children’s Ebook from Humanist Press explores Natural Selection

In order to give parents a fun and effective tool when teaching young children evolution and the science behind it, author Mary Anne Farah has written Pepper’s Special Wings, a children’s ebook that uses the Peppered Moth species, a recent example of natural selection, as its inspiration.

 

“Children have the right to know the truth about how life evolves and species change,” says Farah. “The well-documented story of how the Peppered Moth species eventually changed due to pollution darkening the plants where they congregated was perfect for a children’s book. The new survival advantage for moths with darker wings is an easy example to explain to children with no need to use words that may not have yet been learned, such as species, population, predation and camouflage.”

The story of Pepper the moth covers more than just evolution, however. While Pepper’s Special Wingsrelates to small children about how Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory of natural selection works, children will also identify with Pepper’s struggles with the recurring childhood themes of self-esteem, self-image, bullying and being teased.

“Children will see that sometimes being different is what makes them amazing!” Farah said.

To read the full announcement, click here.

Comment by Brian Magee on September 28, 2012 at 11:13am

Prominent Psychologist Jon Mills Pens First Novel

First Novel as an Ebook for Humanist Press

Tackling the issue of absence of meaning many people profess about their modern lives, psychologist, philosopher, and psychoanalyst Jon Mills uses the character of Dr. Owen Ross to explore the personal power of transcendence in When God Wept, the first novel by the award-winning author.

Living in a godless universe, Ross is a Chicago psychologist who realizes that his life has become empty and meaningless after enduring a lifetime of personal pain. The character is forced to come to terms with his mother’s suicide, his father’s religiosity, his daughter’s death, and the undisclosed love he has for a female co-worker. Afflicted by an insidious apathy, he no longer cares or feels compassion for others. Upon getting divorced, he reassesses the events that constitute his life, and throughout the course of one day, becomes horrified by his existence.

“Many people in contemporary society are secretly in search of spirituality without God, yet they are often a silent voice. That is one reason why I wrote this novel,” says Mills.

John Lacks, Centennial Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and author of In Love with Life, said of the book: “In a wonderfully perceptive account of human inadequacy, Mills reveals many of the most troubling ills of the modern world. This is a beautifully crafted, totally absorbing book.”

Depicting the toils of human existence within the decay of modern society, this novel is a journey into the human soul, examining the greater questions of authenticity, life and death, immortality, and the personal power of transcendence. Regardless of one’s background, the reader will identify with the universal themes that preoccupy us all.

M. Guy Thompson, author of The Death of Desire, said “Mills’ powerful and reflective novel is destined to have the same impact on twenty-first century readers that Sartre, Camus, and Kafka had on the twentieth. A splendid, contemporary achievement!”

The novel is the first title produced exclusively as a Ebook by Humanist Press and can be found online at HumanistPress.com, along with dozens of other titles. When God Wept is also available at major online Ebook retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Dr. Jon Mills is director of Mills Psychology Prof. Corp. in Pickering, Ontario, and Professor of Psychology & Psychoanalysis, Adler Graduate Professional School, Toronto. He is also the editor of two international book series, and author or editor of over 100 publications including 12 books. In 2006 & 2011, he was recognized with a Gradiva Award for his scholarship from the Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis in New York City, and in 2008 was given a Significant Contribution to Canadian Psychology Award by the Section on Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Psychology of the Canadian Psychological Association.

He lives with his wife and daughters in Ajax, ON.

A chapter excerpt can be found here: http://wdn.ipublishcentral.net/american_humanist_association/viewin...

Comment by Brian Magee on June 20, 2012 at 3:16pm

Is Molly hopeful or is she simply happy?

Visit www.HopeInSmallDoses.com

 

More videos here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyfgFw8O2MI&feature=list_related...

Comment by Brian Magee on June 19, 2012 at 3:04pm

Author Nikki Stern brings us Hope in Small Doses

Her new book shares a version of hope that accepts uncertainty and embraces possibility

Contact:
Humanist Press: Brian Magee, 202-238-9088 bmagee@americanhumanist.org
Author: nikki@nikkistern.com

In Nikki Stern’s first book, Because I Say So: the Dangerous Appeal of Moral Authority, she used her experiences as a 9/11 widow to examine a culture that supports unequivocal moral certainty. Hope in Small Doses, released May 31 by Humanist Press, takes a natural next step in exploring how hope might be sustained, even in the wake of tragedy and uncertainty.

Hope in Small Dosesembarks on a journey to find meaning, purpose and a measure of happiness. Rejecting hope that relies on divine providence or the infallibility of the human mind, Stern ultimately embraces a version driven not by expectation but by possibility, grounded in reason and fueled by faith in our capacity to learn and change. Feisty, erudite and deeply moving, this is an uplifting book offering a workable blueprint for a reasonably happy life.

“We could all use hope right now,” Stern suggests. “The notion of hope in small doses may seem unnecessarily cautious, but we can always ask for seconds.”

Following the death of her husband on 9/11, Stern served as executive director of Families of September 11 (FOS11) and shared an award from the conflict transformation group Search for Common Ground. She has written for the New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, Humanist Magazine, Princeton Magazine, and a number of online publications. She’s also appeared on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and CBS’s Sunday Morning, among other outlets.

Hope in Small Doses is available in print and ebook versions. The latter takes full advantage of many available features, including interactive reader commentary, author videos, and useful web links. Information on the book and where to buy either the print or ebook version is included on the website HopeInSmallDoses.com.

Fun and insightful videos related to the book can be found on our Vimeo channel.

Excerpts from Hope In Small Doses can be found here: http://www.americanhumanist.org/system/storage/63/74/9/3124/Hope_In...

Upcoming Humanist Press titles will include Damned Good Company by lawyer Luis Granados; and Make the Break (If You Can)by retired NASA scientist Reginald J. Exton.

###

Humanist Press is the publishing house of the American Humanist Association, providing material for the humanist/freethought/atheist market since 1995. The American Humanist Association (www.americanhumanist.org) advocates for the rights and viewpoints of humanists and atheists in the United States. Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., its work is extended through more than 140 local chapters and affiliates across America.

Comment by Brian Magee on March 28, 2012 at 4:48pm

Humanist Press Becomes First Freethought Publisher of Ebooks

For immediate release

Contact: Brian Magee, 202-238-9088 ex. 105, Mobile: (202) 681-2425

bmagee@americanhumanist.org

(Washington, DC – March 28, 2012) – On March 23, 2012 Humanist Press became the only publisher in the humanist/freethought/atheist market to offer new titles as ebooks, making the electronic format the main focus of the publisher. The move is part of an overall effort by Humanist Press to enter the rapidly growing ebook market.  

Candidate Without a Prayer by atheist activist Herb Silverman will be the first title to be launched by Humanist Press as an ebook. This funny and witty autobiography covers Silverman’s journey from an atheist Jew living in South Carolina to his run for governor in the early ‘90s, despite the state’s constitution forbidding it because he lacked a belief in a “supreme being.” 

“The humor and wit in Herb Silverman’s new book will captivate readers and have them laughing out loud,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “His sharp, candid look at running for political office as an atheist in a religiously conservative state will enlighten and entertain believers and nonbelievers alike. We couldn’t be more pleased to have Candidate Without a Prayer set the tone for our new ebook effort.”

Candidate Without a Prayer is a joint publishing project between Humanist Press and Pitchstone Publishing. Pitchstone Publishing will release the hardback version on June 15, 2012.

As the publishing house of the American Humanist Association, Humanist Press has been publishing a wide range of humanist books since 1995, including Eyes Wide Open by best-selling author George Erickson; Humanism As the Next Step by Lloyd and Mary Morain, originally published in 1954 and updated in 1998; and Corliss Lamont's long-lasting The Philosophy of Humanism, having been in print since 1949 and translated into several languages.

Working with e-publishing software from Impelsys, Humanist Press ebooks will take full advantage of the available features, including interactive reader commentary, author videos, and useful web links. Ebooks from Humanist Press will be available at all the major online sites, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Ebooks, and the Apple iBookstore. They will also be available from our own website: www.humanistpress.com.

Upcoming Humanist Press titles will include Hope in Small Doses by Nikki Stern, author of Because I Say So: The Dangerous Appeal of Moral Authority (Bascom Hill, May 2010); Damned Good Company, by lawyer Luis Granados; and Make the Break (If You Can) by retired NASA scientist Reginald J. Exton.

For more information, use the links below:

Press Conference video from National Press Club on March 23, 2012
http://vimeo.com/39282356

Statement on Historical Significance
http://www.americanhumanist.org/system/storage/63/75/4/2969/Histori...

Small Humanist Press Logo
http://www.americanhumanist.org/system/storage/63/6f/0/2974/Packet_...

Upcoming Titles from Humanist Press
http://www.americanhumanist.org/system/storage/63/19/2/2966/Upcomin...