Monday, April 27, 2009

May 24 2009 - Ideas Club

May's topic will be "Practical Ethics" by Peter Singer. The presenter will be Rusty Lyon.

The Ideas Club, which is more than just a book club, meets to discuss important ideas in the philosophy of humanism and freethought including its history, ethics, and relationship to economics, politics and comparative religion. The group was started in 1998 by the former Houstonians for Secular Humanism (HSH) The meeting time is 10:30am winding up at about noon on the fourth Sunday of each month. We are fortunate that our meetings can be held in the family home of Dr Louis and Laverl Daily at 1506 North Boulevard. We follow a Book-a-Month format whereby each month a member reviews a book of his or her own choice, which it has been ascertained is of some interest to the other participants. The presentation is always followed by animated discussion. Plan on going to lunch with the group after the meeting, usually at La Madeleine in the Village.

We look forward to seeing you then!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Program for 2007/2008

Program for 2007/2008

Date Title Author Reviewer
9/23/07 Moral Minds Marc Hauser Marian Hillar
10/28/07 The Reason Driven Life Robert Price Jim Knierien
11/25/07 Religion Explained Pascal Boyer C.J. Renzi
12/15/07
(Sat)
<Alliance Solstice Party>

1/27/08 Infidel Ayaan Hirsi Ali Tammy Renzi
2/24/08 Habermas James Gordon Finlayson Bob Finch
3/23/08 A Short History of Just About Everything Bill Bryson Bill Fricks
4/27/08 The Future of Life E.O. Wilson John Simpson
5/25/08 The Science of Good & Evil Michael Shermer Roxie Deaton, Bob Finch, Jim Knierien, C.J. Renzi
6/22/08 The World is Flat Tom Friedman Sheila Finch
7/27/08 Members' Readings

8/24/08 The Middle Way: Finding Happiness in a World of Extremes Lou Marinoff Daniel Strain
9/26/08 Recess

10/26/08 Consilience E.O. Wilson Louis Daily

Monday, July 14, 2008

Past Topics

Past Topics
Title Author Reviewer
The God Delusion Richard Dawkins Marian Hillar
Atheism: A Reader S.T. Joshi, Editor Ron Titus
Breaking the Spell Daniel Dennett Jim Knierien
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding David Hume Bob Finch
Christianity Without God Lloyd Geering Daniel Strain
The Origins of Totalitarianism Hannah Arendt Tom Brucia
Toward a New Political Humanism Seidman & Murphy Jim Knierien
The Americans: The Colonial Experience Daniel Boorstin Ariel Thomann
Jesus After 2000 Years Gerd Ludemann Marian Hillar
The Singularity is Near Ray Kurzweil Bob Finch
Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Amer. Psych. Assoc. Ron Titus
The Meaning of Things: Applying Philosophy to Life A.C. Grayling Sheila Finch
Bookseller of Kabul Asne Seierstad Jimmy Dunne
How Capitalism Saved America Thomas J. DiLorenzor Ron Jones
The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements Eric Hoffer Ron Titus
Human Nature James Trefil Sheila Finch
The Agile Gene/Nature via Nurture Matt Ridley Cindy Clark
The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are Robert Wright Marian Hillar
Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism Susan Jacoby Jim Knierien
God’s Funeral A.N. Wilson Tom Brucia
The Poverty of Historicism Karl Popper Che Alvandi

The Grass Roots Manual --- The Purpose-Driven Church

AHA ------ Rick Warren

Bob Finch
Why Darwin Matters Michael Shermer Jerry Harris
Khomenei: Life of the Ayatollah Bequer Moin Tom Brucia
Quest for Divinity: Critical Examination of the Thought of Mahmoud Muhammad Taha Mohamed A. Mahmoud Daniel Strain
A Party of One: The Loners Manifesto Anneli Rufus Ariel Thomann
Genealogy of Morality Frederich Nietzsche Fernando Casas