Tran's review
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
by Sam Harris
Tran's review
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason by Sam Harris
Tran's review
rating:
bookshelves:
other,
philosophy
Part of me wants to give this book 5 stars, and in terms of its critique, or, let's face it, savage criticism of faith-based religions (you know which Big 3 I'm talking about), it generally deserves that. Also 5-star props to Harris's ambitious attempt to integrate a neuro-psychological account of belief formations into the sometimes baffling scenario of why people believe the things they do (although his success there is unclear).
The fact that he champions Eastern Mysticism (esp. Buddhism, of which I am partial, if I had to align to any religion) when all's said and done also made me smirk/smile. But man, that adoration came dangerously close to New Ageiness at the tail end. I'm not sure if he managed to pull Buddhism cleanly out of the religious/theological fray. So, in essence, a book not entirely cogent, but boy oh boy did it come out swinging.
The fact that he champions Eastern Mysticism (esp. Buddhism, of which I am partial, if I had to align to any religion) when all's said and done also made me smirk/smile. But man, that adoration came dangerously close to New Ageiness at the tail end. I'm not sure if he managed to pull Buddhism cleanly out of the religious/theological fray. So, in essence, a book not entirely cogent, but boy oh boy did it come out swinging.
