1.) *The Bible *(eBook) – “to learn that it’s easier to be told by others what to think and believe than it is to think for yourself.”
2.) The System of the World by Isaac Newton (eBook) – “to learn that the universe is a knowable place.”
3.) On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin (eBook – Audio Book) – “to learn of our kinship with all other life on Earth.”
4.) Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (eBook – Audio Book) – “to learn, among other satirical lessons, that most of the time humans are Yahoos.”
5.) *The Age of Reason *by Thomas Paine (eBook – Audio Book) – “to learn how the power of rational thought is the primary source of freedom in the world.”
6.) The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith (eBook – Audio Book) – “to learn that capitalism is an economy of greed, a force of nature unto itself.”
7.) The Art of War by Sun Tsu (eBook – Audio Book) – “to learn that the act of killing fellow humans can be raised to an art.”
8.) *The Prince *by Machiavelli (eBook – Audio Book) – “to learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it.”
WARNING: number 6, 7 and 8 are quite difficult to read.
Re: Neil deGrasse Tyson Lists 8 (Free) Books Every Intelligent Person Should Read
He exaggerates Gazali’s influence. Actually, the point he is trying to make is that religious fundamentalism in USA is hindering propagation of scientific thought. So, he goes a bit extreme to bring home that point.
I suppose the thesis is that Ghazali’s followers misinterpreted his work. He was not inherently anti-science. He said that we should be careful using science to prove/disprove religious assertions. He also cautions against using Aristotle’s or Plato’s philosophical ideas in philosophical discourse. His followers assumed that he means science/mathematics is inherently evil.
