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Authored by some of the most preeminent Renaissance scholars active today, the essays of this volume give fresh and illuminating analyses of important aspects of Renaissance humanism, such as the time and causes of its origin, its connection to the papal court and medieval traditions, its classical learning, its religious and literary dimensions, and its dramatis personae. Their interpretations are varied to the point of being contradictory. The essays bear the imprint of the work of the eminent scholars of the second half of the twentieth century, especially Kristeller’s, and demonstrate an awareness of the various modes of critical inquiry that have prevailed in recent years. As such they are an important exemplar of current scholarship on Renaissance humanism and are, therefore, indispensable to the scholar who wishes to explore this pivotal cultural movement. ... Read more

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This volume shows the stages of intellectual development through which humanism emerged as a European phenomenon. In an investigation of humanis culture in Italy between 1260 and 1340 shows how classical Roman rhetorical forms took root in Italy two generations before Petrarch and demonstrates that what earlier interpreters have called pre- or proto-humanism is indeed humanism. In subsequent discussion of Petrarch, Salutati and Bruni the author shows how Petrarch departs from earlier humanism and his reasons for doing so, places Salutati in a far broader frame of reference and the chapter on Bruni offers as complete a solution as we are likely to see of the problems of interpretation created by Baron's thesis regarding civic humanism. ... Read more

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Nicolas Poussin, perhaps the most famous French painter of the seventeenth century, lived and worked for many years in Rome. Yet he remained deeply engaged with cultural and political transformations occurring in France, argues Todd P. Olson in this original exploration of Poussin's paintings, their production, and their reception. Poussin's references to ancient literature and sculpture addressed a political elite-the Robe nobility-whose humanist education in classical antiquity equipped them to relate Greek and Roman history to contemporary events and to deploy ancient precedents in legalistic and political arguments. When the French civil war known as the Fronde erupted in the middle of the seventeenth century, the paintings that Poussin exported to France responded directly in both subject and style to the crisis in monarchical authority and the disenfranchisement of his Robe patrons.Olson demonstrates that Poussin's association with a disgraced political group, his loss of official support, and his exile in Italy imbued his history paintings with a symbolic weight. The painter's audience considered the hard-earned pleasures of his restrained, difficult pictorial style a benchmark of integrity as well as a criticism of the Regency's indiscriminate collecting practices and taste for foreign luxury. Poussin transformed the easel painting-its making and collection-into an expression of cultural and political commitments binding a community. Olson's fresh insights reveal the importance of this painter's work to a learned and powerful French constituency at a critical moment in French history and demonstrate that Poussin's famously timeless style was far more responsive to historical contingencies than has been previously recognized ... Read more

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This book deals with the impact of the Reformation debate in Germany on the most prominent intellectual movement of the time: humanism Although it is true that humanism influenced the course of the Reformation, says Erika Rummel, the dynamics of the relationship are better described by saying that humanism was co-opted, perhaps even exploited, in the religious debate. ... Read more

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Does life have meaning if one rejects belief in God? This book responds affirmatively to that question. Paul Kurtz, America's leading secular humanist, provides a powerful defense of the humanist alternative, rejecting both religious spirituality and nihilism. In this inspirational book, Kurtz outlines the basic virtues of the secular humanist outlook. These virtues include courage, not simply to be or to survive, but to overcome and become; that is, to fulfill our highest aspirations and ideals in the face of obstacles. The two other virtues Kurtz identifies are cognition (reason and science in establishing truth) and moral caring (compassion and benevolence in our relationships with others). Kurtz offers an optimistic appraisal of the "human prospect" and outlines a philosophy both for the individual and the global community. ... Read more

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A sober guide
Can secular humanism make do without mythology? Perhaps not: Kurtz appeals to the myth of Prometheus. Stories have their place, even amidst this rather dry philosophy. Sartre is alluded to ("Man is condemned to invent man") but anything like Sartre's storytelling is missing. The depth of existentialist humanism seems to be missing as well and the passion. There is no "Saint Genet" here but instead the rules of reason. Attention to critical thinking and pragmatic naturalism can avoid escape into "transcendental theism" (and, although Kurtz omits it) (immanent) mysticism. The challenge of skeptical nihilism is also considered. How to avoid the comfort of theism or the license or despair of nihilism? Courage, cognition, and a caring that is also mindful of a sense of obligation to posteriority: that we don't mess the world up for future generations. With a belief in human potential, with that Promethean will to not only survive but to thrive, mindful that we will die, our courage must go beyond that of being into that of becoming.

Seem sufficient? It may be already too familiar to me...although no less of a challenge and at least clearly and succinctly spelled out.Kurtz is, however, too dispassionate for my tastes, let's admit that if we could believe in some god or gods we would. Let's admit that if we really felt we shared in some mystical power, we'd proclaim it. We have our desperate longings too. But we're stuck, too postmodern, too messed up, too positively disintegrated. Somehow we need to find a sane way to go on, to be reasonable, to care for one another, to hope we can get by.

This book may be for me forgettable. Not that it isn't well-considered but it doesn't seem heartfelt enough. It may be a great help to those less familiar with humanism. These virtues may be too well-known to me for me to appreciate the importance of emphasizing them. The analysis doesn't seem to go deep enough. It seems boring. I'd expect humanism will have to do better. I want more context, more passion. Not that I expect magic but I expect more. Perhaps too much. Kurtz asks if atheists can be inspired to meet the challenges of our lives and the answer I get from this book is: "barely". Perhaps some deeper consideration of economics,sustainability and the particular historical challenges of our times were due: the sense of urgency seems missing.

Secular humanism itself in the U.S. seems to lack organizations of size. One new group that includes self-identified secular humanists but also others who have a naturalist world view is the Internet community the Brights' Network. I suggest looking at their web site. They may be small now (in terms of explicit registration) but seem to have some momentum (disclosure: I recently registered with them). The noun "a Bright" was coined primarily to suggest a new Enlightenment, i.e. a new era of freedom from religious abuses, but just the name itself has been controversial. Although not a membership organization itself, it is my own hope that the Brights' Network will have a success that the humanist organizations (in the U.S. at least) do not seem to have had.

No easy answers. I'll have to have the courage to become. So will you. It's not something Kurtz can give us. Will we recognize that and invent ourselves? Or fall back to reading some ancient texts, listening to some comforting story. Secular humanism may not be as intriguing as fictions can be but it may keep our minds clear as we work out our future.

The core values of secular humanism
In this eloquent little book, Paul Kurtz expounds upon the three core values of secular humanism: courage, cognition, and caring. The section on cognition can be somewhat heavy going at points for non-philosophers (and frankly I disagree very much with the pragmatic emphasis) but most of the book reads like a sermon. This book offers inspiration without appeal to religion, and will challenge those who think atheists cannot have high standards of personal conduct and civic duty. ... Read more

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In 1962, Christian Century asked the well-known Christianwriter, C. S. Lewis, to name the books that had most influenced histhought. Among those that Lewis listed was Arthur J. Balfour's Theismand Humanism (1915). This was no passing whim. Almost twenty yearsearlier, in 1944, Lewis had lamented in "Is Theology Poetry" thatTheism was "a book too little read."

Many others shared Lewis' enthusiasm. When Balfour gave the originallectures on which the book was based, some 2,000 people crowded intoBute Hall at the University of Glasgow on a weekday winter afternoonsto cheer and laugh. Even more telling, they kept coming back, weekafter week for all ten speeches. Even the staid Times of Londoncommented on the "wildly enthusiastic" audiences and noted thediversity of those attending, from citizens and students toprofessors.

Unfortunately, until now the book hasn't been that easy tofind. Copies have only been available on the used market and were thusrare and relatively expensive. This newly typeset edition and enhancedmakes the book inexpensive and widely available.

Balfour was a talented writer and perhaps the most intelligent BritishPrime Minister of the twentieth century. During World War One hereplaced Winston Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty and went onto become Foreign Secretary. In the latter office he was responsiblefor the 1917 Balfour Declaration committing Great Britain to theestablishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. It is no exaggerationto say that Israel owes its existence to Balfour.

Theism and Humanism is based on a 1914 Gifford Lecture that Balfourgave at the University of Glasgow. All the original text is includedalong with over 50 pages of additional material. There are 11 sketchesof Balfour adapted from political cartoons in Punch magazine. Thereare four appendices taken from his other writings, including themarvelous "A Catechism for Naturalism" (which sent the arch-agnosticThomas Huxley, better known as "Darwin's Bulldog," into a fit ofrage). There's also a glossary of people and terms mentioned in thebook and a detailed index. Finally, this new edition includes briefquotes from Balfour's other writings to highlight what he issaying. The second edition improves on the first by adding to eachchapter in the original, the extensive coverage that The Times ofLondon gave to Balfour's original speech. It also includes threeletters by C. S. Lewis on themes closely related to Balfour's book.

Balfour's topic is naturalism, the belief that all that exists arenatural processes. He challenges those who believe in it to come upwith a rationale for what they hold dearest--human reason, humanrights, and the importance of art--based solely on naturalism. Hebelieves that cannot be done and summarizes his book in these words:

"My desire has been to show that all we think best in human culture,whether associated with beauty, goodness, or knowledge, requires Godfor its support, that Humanism without Theism loses more than half itsvalue."

If you like philosophy and provocative ideas, this book is perfect foryou. The Cambridge-educated Balfour was very knowledgeable aboutscience. (He was the President of the British Association for theAdvancement of Science in 1904 and his brother was a talentedscientist.) That makes this book a useful complement to theOxford-educated Lewis whose specialty was literature. ... Read more

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More Relevant Than Ever
It is another sign of deteriorating academic standards when recent bestselling books by celebrity atheists are praised for their cleverness by self-styled intellectuals of a generation which has very little grasp of intellectual rigour. Balfour was educated in a tradition which would never have tolerated the sloppiness or the ignorance of basic facts and principles which characterise the works of most of today's fashionable unbelievers. He was forced to be ruthlessly exact in his thinking by the fact that his opponents were men of the calibre of Bertrand Russell and George Bernard Shaw, who would have jumped on any weakness - and who probably would have been appalled by the lack of intellectual discipline in their successors today. With a clarity of mind that is all too rare these days, Balfour goes back to first principles, and, starting from a position of philosophic doubt, ends in firm belief. He does not set out to "prove" anything, but he exposes the logical inconsistencies of atheism without mercy. He was not writing for the general reader and some of what he says may be difficult to follow unless one happened to obtain an Oxbridge degree in philosophy, or the equivalent, in the late 19th or early 20th Centuries - but this particular edition makes him easily accessible to most educated modern readers. The book is the first half of a series of Gifford Lectures at the University of Glasgow, delivered in 1914. The Lectures were interrupted by the First World War - in which Balfour was occupied elsewhere, serving in the War Cabinet and writing the Balfour Declaration, which led to the establishment of the State of Israel thirty years later. Balfour returned to Glasgow after the War and completed the second half of the Lectures, which was published separately as "Theism and Thought" - and which is also recommended. ... Read more

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"Christian humanism is an aspect of the gospel showing new signs of life. Long neglected and often misunderstood, Christian humanism is nothing other than the traditional message of Christianity with the accent on how the coming of Christ into the world implies God's loving care for human creatures and all that affects our well being . . . . 'The Case for Christian Humanism' will have fulfilled its purpose if readers discover that the mainstream of traditional Christianity offers magnificent resources to anyone desiring a fully human life." - from the Introduction. "Franklin and Shaw provide a convincing case for the essential computability of humanism and the Christian faith. Careful definitions and learned historical inquiry clear the ground for substantial commentary on the 'humanism' (properly understood) of the Bible, worship, and theology. The arguments give pause, and then illuminate a set of fruitful conjunctions too often abandoned by partisans of a non-Christian humanism or an anti-humanistic Christianity." - Mark A. Noll, University of Notre Dame. ... Read more

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The influential scholar of religion Mircea Eliade envisioned a spiritually destitute modern culture coming into renewed meaning through the recovery of archetypal myths and symbols. Eliade defined this restoration of meaning as a "new humanism" of existential meaning and cultural-religious unity. Through a biographical exegesis of Eliade's life and writings from his earliest years in Romania to his final ones as professor of the history of religions at the University of Chicago, Cave sets forward a structural description of what this "new humanism" might have meant for Eliade, and what it signifies for modern culture. Cave concludes by endorsing Eliade's radically pluralistic vision which, he argues, offers a key to the revitalization of our demythologized and material culture. This study repositions previous Eliadean studies and places the "new humanism" as the paradigm in relation to which future readings of Eliade should be evaluated. ... Read more

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A volume in the Problems in European Civilization series, this book features a collection of secondary source essays focusing on aspects of the Renaissance and humanist beliefs. The proven PEC format features key scholarship, chapter and essay introductions, and extensive, up-to-date suggestions for further reading. All selections in the text are edited for both content and length, making this single volume a convenient alternative to course packets or multiple monographs.

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent buy!
The book was brand new looking and still had glossy covers.The shipping was fast and it was exactly what i wanted.

Good collection of essays, but not an introductory text.
"Humanism and the Renaissance," (Problems in European Civilization.) by Zachary Sayre Schiffman (Editor) and Michael A. Bond is a wonderful up-to-date collection of essays from top-notch historians on the current historical debates surrounding the Humanism and the Renaissance era.

Books from the PROBLEMS IN EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION SERIES are designed for upper-level undergraduate and graduate level European history courses. That being said, this book is not an introductory text. The authors of the articles go directly into their subjects, without providing any significant background information. Therefore, you need to have an historical base level of knowledge to work from. Nonetheless, it is an excellent tool for students, scholars and general readers of modern European history.

The text is best used in class discussions and debate.

An excellent representation of European historical scholarship. ... Read more

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Available in English for the first time, Imperfect Garden is both an approachable intellectual history and a bracing treatise on how we should understand and experience our lives. In it, one of France's most prominent intellectuals explores the foundations, limits, and possibilities of humanist thinking. Through his critical but sympathetic excavation of humanism, Tzvetan Todorov seeks an answer to modernity's fundamental challenge: how to maintain our hard-won liberty without paying too dearly in social ties, common values, and a coherent and responsible sense of self.

Todorov reads afresh the works of major humanists--primarily Montaigne, Rousseau, and Constant, but also Descartes, Montesquieu, and Toqueville. Each chapter considers humanism's approach to one major theme of human existence: liberty, social life, love, self, morality, and expression. Discussing humanism in dialogue with other systems, Todorov finds a response to the predicament of modernity that is far more instructive than any offered by conservatism, scientific determinism, existential individualism, or humanism's other contemporary competitors. Humanism suggests that we are members of an intelligent and sociable species who can act according to our will while connecting the well-being of other members with our own. It is through this understanding of free will, Todorov argues, that we can use humanism to rescue universality and reconcile human liberty with solidarity and personal integrity.

Placing the history of ideas at the service of a quest for moral and political wisdom, Todorov's compelling and no doubt controversial rethinking of humanist ideas testifies to the enduring capacity of those ideas to meditate on--and, if we are fortunate, cultivate--the imperfect garden in which we live.Amazon.com Review
Modern humanity made a deal with the devil, according to Tzvetan Todorov. We got freedom, but we also lost God and common society, and we have only a helpless and dizzying individualism to guide us. The central problem facing us now is how to survive the poison pill we swallowed when we tasted freedom. There are four basic responses, Todorov claims: conservatism, scientism, individualism, and humanism. As the reader soon learns from his characterizations, Todorov's allegiance is firmly with the humanists. Imperfect Garden takes up the standard of humanism, and Todorov situates himself alongside Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Montaigne.

For Todorov, as with the best of the humanists, life in the world is a garden that needs our tending. And though by its nature it is imperfect, at times bearing rotten and sour fruit, it can always be improved with our care, diligence, and love. Ultimately, Todorov proposes that humanism is a wager, à la Pascal: we will be no worse off for striving to mend the human condition, but we risk everything if we don't. --Eric de Place ... Read more

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What it means to be human
One of the best books on humanism available today. A fresh and original look at what it means to be human, to be all-at-once self-aware, intentional, and social. "For Todorov, humanism represents an intellectual response to the implications of human freedom." (from "Freedom, unbounded" by Carol E. Quillen) ... Read more

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Definitions of humanism have evolved throughout the centuries as the term has been adopted for a variety of purposes – literary, cultural and political – and reactions against humanism have contributed to movements such as postmodernism and anti-humanism. Tony Davies offers a clear introduction to the many uses of this influential yet complex concept and this second edition extends his discussion to include:

• a comprehensive history of the development of the term and its influences
• theories of post-humanism, cybernetics and artificial intelligence
• implications of concepts of humanism and post-humanism on political and religious activism
• discussion of the key figures in humanist debate from Erasmus and Milton to Chomsky, Heidegger and Foucault
• a new glossary and further reading section.

With clear explanations and poignant discussions, this volume is essential reading for anyone approaching the study of humanism, post-humanism or critical theory.

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This entirely new HUMANIST MANIFESTO is designed toaddress the problems of the twenty-first century and the millenniumbeyond.Providing a strong defense of scientific naturalism andtechnology, it is offered as a contribution to the dialogue among thedifferent cultural, political, and economic viewpoints in theworld. HUMANIST MANIFESTO 2000 begins by endorsing a humanistethics based on reason and a planetary bill of rights andresponsibilities.It then proposes a new global agenda, stresses theneed for international institutions (including a new world parliamentand regulation of global conglomerates), and concludes on a note ofoptimism about the Human Prospect.It is endorsed by a distinguishedlist of humanist intellectuals, including Arthur C. Clarke, AlanCranston, Richard Dawkins, Richard Leakey, Jill Tarter, E.O. Wilson,and ten Nobel Laureates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

It's not a book...it's a pamphlet!
Expecting a book that could justify the cost, was I surprised when I opened the box.This thing is tiny!It is 8 x 5 and a half inches, is only 3/8th of an inch thick and has all of 76 pages.And the type is, oh, about 12 point with lots of white space.I read this while going to the bathroom.

And that's about the best place I can think to store this pamphlet.That or next to the bed so it can help you get to sleep.What a bunch of Utopian crap!Clearly written at the end of the Clinton era, before 911, the gist of the argument is in favor of a World Government.Yeah, right, tell that to the Chinese...

I was very disappointed, as you can tell.This should sell for no more than a few dollars a copy and have a disclaimer that it is very outdated; the world has moved on.Even at the time it was written the idea of having the world run by a global entity was already out of vogue.If we humanists want to make the world a better place then let's first improve our own spheres of influence; we still have to deal with the creationist museum here in the U.S. before we start thinking of going global.

Save your money.The only reason I can think of to buy this book would be if you needed to write an essay about the history of the Humanist movement; in fact, I think that's what this is.I just bought someone's homework...

We Can Hope
Human ethics based on reason...what an idea! Well written, well-argued.(Also read "The End of Faith" by Sam Harris.) Let's hope we're evolving toward this.

Guidelines for the Future
The "Right" in America likes to use the word "Humanism" to describe the enemy. Humanists are described as atheists and as amoral more than any other way. This is despite the obvious moral relativity deviations including the invasion of Iraq under profoundly dubious premises. It is Humanists that are accused of having an "end justifies the means" mentality.

This Manifesto, signed by nearly 150 scholars worldwide, is a plan for an international culture of cooperation. It is futuristic including plans for the ecology, education, agriculture and manufacturing that includes all of mankind's participation.

This book reflects the thinking that a better world can exist once the greed of global business is tamed. In this regard it is utopian. That hope is unlikely to bear fruit in any of our life times. Yet, it needs to be stated. The world is guaranteed of no relief for starving and warring Africans, and underclass throughout the world or of the continued despoiling of our eco system without a statement like this Manifesto being made.

That being said, here are some things this book is not:
-An amoral screed designed to give people a reason to do what they wish. The Manifesto is replete with personal and national responsibilities for the betterment of all of us
-A call for Communism or Anarchy. There is no statement that is anti-capitalism only the run away corporate greed that provides us with the likes of Enron or bid less government contracts like Halliburton.
-Anti-Religious, the Manifesto calls for the end of all religious persecution and intolerance world wide.
-"Take from the rich and give to the poor", it requires all people to be given equal advantages and to return to society, the benefits of those advantages.

Some reviewers are criticizing
I am confused by some of the reviews.Many seem to think that their not agreeing with a philosophy is grounds to say that you should not read this book.I find that rather upsetting.I would not say that the Bible is a bad book just because I don't believe in god.Unfortunatly, now that I have said this, the same type of people who wrote the reviews I speak of will give me bad ratings because they do not agree with what I say, not based on the content of my review.
The bottom line is, if you are interested in learning more about Humanism, whether to defend or attack it, this is the book for you, it gives a good summary of the Humanist view of things, in a short and to the point pamphlet.But when you are reading, please remember, just because you do not agree with me is no reason to insult my character, and it is same with this book.

Nations represent the uniqueness of their people
Nations represent the uniqueness of thier people.Should all people of this world conform to one way of life?
also, consider the economic consequences ... Read more

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The popular Thomistic philosopher and writer Josef Pieper focuses on the thesis of Plato, which at first sight appears strange and unrealistic, that those experiences that advance human life to its true fullness are bestowed on us only during a "god-given" state of "being-beside-oneself". This thesis is then resolutely confronted with our contemporary and above all psychoanalytical knowledge of man's nature, as well as with the Christian conception of man's existence, thus revealing its amazing unexpected relevance.

"Man's real spiritual patrimony is achieved and preserved only through a willingly accepted openness: openness for divine revelation, for the salutary pain of catharsis, for the recollecting power of the fine arts, for the emotional shock brought about by eros and caritas-in short, through the attitude rooted in the mysterious experience that Plato called theia mania."

Josef Pieper ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Pieper on being authentic
Pieper's interpretation of Plato's late Dialogue Phaedrus, and how Plato's views of where and how divine inspiration comes about, or what he calls "being-beside-oneself". Of all of Pieper's books I have read, thus far, none conjured up similarities of thought to Von Eschenbach's "Parzival", or Joseph campbell, or Allan Watts as this book does. His discription of the complications of staying in the state of "being-besides-oneself" may be the sort of advice Parzival might have used on his first experience of being in the Grail Castle; or, for that matter, for a surfer riding a wave. Pieper says the trouble is, "He can on condition (of being-besides-oneself) that when recieving the impetus born of emotion, he accepts and sustains it in lasting purity. In this context the possibilities of corruption, adulteration, dissimulation, pretension, and psuedo-actualization lie dangeriously close." It reminds me of Joseph Campbell saying "the privilidge of a life-time is being who you are"; or Allan Watts discussing the benifits of living in spontaneity, trusting in one's first thoughts, without the duelistic inner voice of self-doubt that makes one a splintered person; or, for that matter, "The Force"; or, further, the Kaballa's admiration of chaos; or Albert Camus' facination with the absurd.Pieper, in a nutshell, states that this divinely inspired "being-besides-oneself" may come from an unforseen act of chaos or "ecstatic frenzy"; or submission to god, creation; or Poetic mania; or beauty (of a very specific nature). Peiper, seemed to be saying, that like the Holy Grail, this "being-besides-oneslef" is a difficult thing to find if one is, on the whole, consciously looking for it. Pieper seemed to struggle to find a voice for this book, and it didn't seem entirely complete, thus the 4 stars.

Inspiring book
This is a short essay on the real location of happiness. Pieper writes this book in a sofisticated way (perhaps is the translation) but his ideas are clear and deep. ... Read more

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The legacy and power of Christian humanism-"True Christian humanism is the full flowering of the theology of the Incarnation. It is rooted in a totally new concept of what it means to be human that grew out of the mystery of the union of God and humanity in Christ."-Thomas MertonFrom biblical times to the present day, the massively influential and engaging tradition of Christian reflection on the value of being human is presented here. With its primary documents, carefully selected and edited by a team of experts, Readings in Christian Humanism fully represents the variety and vitality of the humanistic tradition found in historic Christianity. Bringing together highlights from the almost unlimited gallery of Christian humanist thinkers as stimulants to our own imaginations, this anthology also boldly sets claim to a ground for Christian humanism today."An invaluable resource for students concerned with human dignity and sovereignty under God."-George H. Williams, Harvard University"A splendid, wide-ranging, ecumenical collection."-Theodore M. Hesburgh, University of Notre Dame"Christians and non-Christians alike will profit from the stimulus of people who enjoy being part of the race that God honored by choosing to dwell in it."-Martin E. Marty, University of ChicagoThe research and editorial development of this volume was directed by: Joseph M. Shaw, Saint Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota; R. W. Franklin, Saint John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota; Harris Kaasa, Luther College, Decorah, Iowa; and Charles W. Buzicky, College of Saint Catherine, Saint Paul, Minnesota. ... Read more

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Intrapsychic Humanism is a new, comprehensive generalpsychology and philosophy of mind that provides scientifically groundedand humanistic understandings of our human natures and our problems, aswell as realistic ideas about how to bring about positive, lastingchanges in ourselves and those for whom we care. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Dangerous book
Intrapsychic humanism is a theory that promotes many basic social work ideals. Children are born with the belief that their parents are providing them with optimal care. Children are born without psychopathology. Therapy can help to change the way that one functions in the world. However, Intrapsychic humanism has at its core a way of viewing the world and oneself that is dangerous. According to IH, everyone who is not raised by a practicing intrapsychic humanist has psychopathology. The only way to ameliorate psychopathology is to receive therapy from an IH therapist. In other words, a therapist who receives IH treatment and consultation. This ridiculous view seems to do little but feed the egos of the authors. They have created the perfect solution, and everyone who has not experienced it (i.e., the rest of the world) has psychopathology. If the Piepers have the perfect solution for depression, self-sabotage, rage, schizophrenia, etc., where did it come from? Let's pretend, for a moment, that a perfect way of addressing the problems of society exists. How was it created in this imperfect world? If the Piepers created and practice a theory that is wholly experiential, (treatment or parenting creates mental health) where did their experience of IH come from? Was it divine inspiration? Piepers, let us in on your secret.

Intrapsychic humanism creates in the believer a lofty but ultimately lonely view of humankind. There are those who believe and practice IH, and then there is the rest of the world. This creates division between people, such as parents and partners of person in IH treatment. In many psychodynamic treatments, there is a period of time in which the client mourns the sub-optimal caregiving that they received. In intrapsychic humanism, this process is continually encouraged by the therapist. The client revisits their dissatisfaction with their parents because this relationship is the root of all psychopathology. Again, this process is often addressed in most psychodynamic theories, but then there is usually movement forward. In IH, the IH therapist will continually and subtly bring the client back to this mourning process by the identification of aversive reactions. Aversive reactions are self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors created by non-IH caregiving in childhood. So, if you miss a deadline at work after you have received a promotion, you have had an aversive reaction. You are told that a part of your mind did not feel that you deserved something positive due to your maladaptive upbringing that you idealized in youth. Thus, you are a victim. A victim of yourself, your parents and the psychopathology of others. How do you move beyond aversive reactions? You keep a watchful eye out for your own motivations and the motivations of others. This way of dealing with the world does not inspire trust in relationships with others or confidence in oneself.

The main healing agent in intrapsychic humanism is the relationship with the IH therapist or parent, the optimal caregiver. Mental health is judged by the degree of closeness that one has in the relationship with the caregiver. Again, the relationship with the therapist is a source of healing in most psychodynamic theories. If the client can build a relationship with the therapist, she can learn trust others as well. However, due to the negative worldview that is inherent in IH, the motives of others are called into question in comparison with the optimal caregiving motives of the therapist. Since psychopathology is defined so broadly in IH, the words and actions of others are under scrutiny. If a partner is not receiving IH therapy, or is unwilling to receive it, can their motives be trusted?

IH therapists also do not encourage communication with others to ultimately resolve misunderstandings. Intrapsychic humanists believe that conflicts in relationships are due to personal psychopathology. Natural and normal occurrences such as harsh words, raised voices etc. towards others is a manifestation of psychopathological motives. (Although the Piepers do make allowances for anger born of hunger or tiredness.) IH therapists do not believe that conflicts can be satisfactorily resolved when the other person is not in IH treatment, as their motives are influenced by psychopathology. Of course it is not at all productive or healthy to perpetrate or receive abuse, and no one should be encouraged to build a relationship with an abusive person. But, IH therapists do not see this distinction. So, instead of addressing an issue with your partner first, talk to your therapist. Communication, which I believe is the impetus for all personal growth is not encouraged. As a result, conflicts are not addressed and relationships can wither. Conflicts are borne of and create more psychopathology, according to IH. Growth, which I believe often comes as a result of the experience of conflicts and contrasts as an adult in chosen relationships, is not encouraged. It is regarded that if you choose sub-optimal relationships in adulthood, this is an outgrowth of your psychopathology. Since everyone has psychopathology, according to IH, who is one expected to befriend? Who is one expected to fall in love with? Partner with? And is that person in IH-therapy? Growth which comes as a result of releasing psychopathology through IH therapy IN SPITE OF sub-optimal caregiving recieved when young is recognized in this book as a unique and satisfying experience, in it's own particular way. However, it is not an optimal way to go through life, and for IH adherents, the goal is to provide a life for the next generation that is free of psychopathology. Of course, we all want our children to be happy, confident and to make positive choices in their lives. But often this confidence is due to observable, human mistakes made by one's non-abusive, loving parent.

I know of Intrapsychic humanist therapists whose relationships have deteriorated due to their beliefs. IH therapists must receive IH therapy and consultation. These requirements are costly, and create a financial burden upon the therapist and their partner. If the partner balks at the finances required to support an IH practice, they are viewed as not being supportive of their partner's career.

I speak from experience. I have studied this book in intrapsychic humanism study groups. I have received IH therapy. I have known IH therapists and people who have received this therapy. I do not think that intrapsychic humanism is harmful if practiced along with other theories. This belief, like anything, becomes detrimental if it is all that one believes, or if it is the only basis for clinical and personal decision-making. Through studying this book and others by the Piepers, they posit that their theory is THE WAY to free onself from unhappiness. I am careful now of any theory, point-of-view, religion that states that it is the only way.

Absolutely life changing.....
IH provides the most solid answer to the question of the regulation of desire...Have you ever done something you had not intended....or Have you ever not done something you really did intend?Yeah, most people have.The optomistic ideals set forth in this text provide the blueprint for the next level of the evolution of humankind.One that will allow every human being to be able, some day, to answer "NO" to those two questions above.

Personally, my quest has taken me to the extents of modern religion, philosophy and psychology.To date, IH still provides a deeper insight and aswers questions that none have been able to ask heretofore.It is truly an elevation of Mind.

Extremely sophisticated explanation of consciousness and min
This book is challenging to read because it provides a full explanation for the development of conscious experience and sets that explanation within the context of the history of philosophy and psychology. It alsoexplains how psychopathology develops and how psychotherapeutic treatmentworks under this model. It is deeply rewarding to read and its model of themind is logical and compelling. I found it best to read it once straightthrough and then read it slowly again. It continues to provide insight anda thought provoking perspective. ... Read more

Product Description
This distinctive reappraisal of humanism argues that humanist thought is a diverse tradition which cannot be reduced to current conceptions of it. By considering humanism via the categories of Romantic, Existential, Dialogic, Civic, Spiritual, Pagan, Pragmatic and Technological Humanisms, Halliwell and Mousley propose that the critical edge of humanist thought can be rescued from its popular view as intellectually redundant. They also argue that because these humanisms contain within them anti-humanist perspectives, it is possible to counter the charge that humanism is based upon an unquestioned image of human nature.
The book focuses on the thought of twenty-four mainly European and North American thinkers, ranging historically from the Renaissance to postmodernism. It discusses foundational writers (some of whom have been claimed as anti-humanists) such as Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Dewey and Sartre as well as the contemporary thinkers Habermas, Cixous, Rorty, Hall and Haraway, to construct a series of provocative dialogues which suggest the ongoing relevance of humanism to issues of ethics, art, science, selfhood, gender, citizenship and religion. Given the range and originality of the book's approach, Critical Humanisms will be an invaluable resource for students and researchers in the Humanities, particularly English, American studies, cultural studies, modern languages, philosophy and sociology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An eye-opening experience
This is one of the best and most concise historical sketches of secular humanism available in my opinion. The book only takes you up to 1980 or so but there's a lot to learn from an author that grew up in the 60's and 70's. There's a lot about that era that people today don't know or refuse to acknowledge. Contrary to one of the reviewers, there's nothing outdated about this book, at least in the history it tells. Nor is it unfair in its general assessment. In fact, it's refreshing to read an account of secularism that doesn't try to gloss over things like its ties to oppressive regimes and silly philosophical movements. It's all laid bare in this book. Whether you consider yourself a "secular humanist" or not you should definitely read this book. At the very least you'll come away knowing what many religious people think of the ideology.

Typical christian attack piece
This book does nothing to reveal what Secular Humanism is about, what it stands for or what it's goals are.It's arguments are old, out of date, and quite tied to a "Cold War" mentality.The funniest thing I found in this book is the authors repeated attempts to link Secular Humanism with Marxism and Communism.This will come as a great surprise to many of the Libertarian Secular Humanists I know.All in all, it's a waste of your money.

One of the most important books I've read
For months after being transformed from an angry, impatient, money-drive feminist into a follower of Jesus Christ, I was still wondering how I could have been so blind for so many years -- the evidence for the truth of Christianity is so overwhelming that I couldn't figure out how I'd overlooked it. And then I stumbled across this book and found out exactly what the problem was. I don't know if reading it years ago would have brought me to Christ any sooner, but at least I would've been aware of the many ways in which we're being brainwashed with the secular humanism worldview. An awesomely important book.

What's Wrong With Secular Humanism
I naively thought, based on the title, that this book would tell me what a Secular Humanist thinks Secular Humanism is. Wrong. The author offers a condemnation of Secular Humanism,based on his definitions which do not conform to those of Secular Humanists. He also blames Secular Humanism for many of what are, to him, ills of society at the present time, such as: environmentalists,atheists,feminists,propagandists,communists,psychologists,evolutionists,and liberals. ... Read more

Product Description
Every sentence we hear is instantly analyzed by an inner grammar; just as a prism refracts a beam of light, grammar divides a stream of sound, linking diverse strings of information to different domains of mind—memory, vision, emotions, intentions. In The Prism of Grammar, Tom Roeper brings the abstract principles behind modern grammar to life by exploring the astonishing intricacies of child language. Adult expressions provide endless puzzles for the child to solve. The individual child's solutions ("Don't uncomfortable the cat" is one example) may amuse adults but they also reveal the complexity of language and the challenges of mastering it. The tiniest utterances, says Roeper, reflect the whole mind and engage the child's free will and sense of dignity.

He offers numerous and novel "explorations"—many at the cutting edge of current work—that anyone can try, even in conversation around the dinner table. They elicit how the child confronts "recursion"—the heartbeat of grammar—through endless possessives ("John's mother's friend's car"), mysterious plurals, contradictory adjectives, the marvels of ellipsis, and the deep obscurity of reference ("there it is, right here"). They are not tests of skill; they are tools for discovery and delight, not diagnosis. Each chapter on acquisition begins with a commonsense look at how structures work—moving from the simple to the complex—and then turns to the literary and human dimensions of grammar. One important human dimension is the role of dialect in society and in the lives of children. Roeper devotes three chapters to the structure of African-American English and the challenge of responding to linguistic prejudice.

Written in a lively style, accessible and gently provocative, The Prism of Grammar is for parents and teachers as well as students—for everyone who wants to understand how children gain and use language—and anyone interested in the social, philosophical, and ethical implications of how we see the growing mind emerge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Simple to read and incredibly sophisticated
In the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that I helped in the early stages of editing this book, but I don't think my small involvement should bar me from recommending a truly wonderful book. Prism is one of a kind.It's simple to read and also incredibly sophisticated. We have all heard toddlers and young children talk with their quaint ways of expressing things, but no one hears them like Tom Roeper does.

For example, have you noticed the difference between "oops" and "uh-oh"?The explanation on page 40 points it out. That is, if a big dog comes at you and you drop a tray of glasses you are carrying, you can say "uh-oh" to express your fears about the dog OR your dismay at dropping the glasses, but you can't say "oops" about the dog, just about dropping the glasses.The book gives you just the right stories to help find out if your child has figured out that you can't use "oops" for things unless you had a hand in them.My 33-month-old granddaughter got the difference, without a second's hesitation.

Another one of my favorites is an experiment from a colleague that Roeper has turned into an "exploration" for us.It's a very clear difference between "a" and "the" that you might think is too small for a child to pay attention to.You show the child a row of ducks (or pennies, or anything you have handy), and say "Here's a row of ducks.Take a duck."Then request either, "Now give me a duck," or "Now give me the duck."For "a duck," the children are invited to select a new duck for you.If they are sensitive to the difference, for "the duck," they will surrender the duck they just took (p. 71).

There are at least 50 Explorations like these and hundreds of child examples spread throughout the chapters, interspersed in a conversational, but very careful explanation of key grammatical concepts like Universal Grammar, merging, and why "and" is not one of the first relationships in children's early two-word speech.

Until this book, I was never able to explain to friends and relatives what is so fascinating and important about child language.Thanks to this Prism of Grammar, they can see for themselves (and you can, too).

The recursive prism
At a number of points in this unique book, Tom Roeper observes that an essential feature of language is the capacity for recursion, the capacity to reproduce something inside itself. The Prism of Grammar is itself an exercise in recursion--a book about language acquisition, inside a book about language, inside a book about humanism.
Roeper introduces the humanist orientation of his work in the first chapter, outlining his commitment "to confront the great issues of the age, the `good' and the `evil' of linguistics and of life" (p. 4)--a theme to which he returns at greater length in the book's final four chapters, which are grouped together in a section entitled "Finding Philosophy and Morality in Every Sentence." His central thesis is that respect for human dignity must be paramount (296) and that science incompatible with this ideal should be suspect. The science of language that Roeper envisions and practices implements humanist ideals to the fullest possible extent: systematic creativity, a defining feature of language, is also the hallmark of human nature. Indeed, Roeper goes so far as to claim that "grammarlike rules" underlie every thought and every action, permitting the exercise of free will and creativity in all areas of life (20).
Embedded inside this humanist matrix is a concern for how language is viewed by non-specialists, citizens and policy makers alike. "Knowledge of how language works," Roeper observes, "is part of what we need to eliminate or reduce our quick, prejudicial social judgments about accents and tiny grammatical differences" (4). An understanding of the systematicity and legitimacy of every language and every dialect is, he argues, a prerequisite for an egalitarian society. This point is developed at some length in section III, "Microdialects and Language Diversity." Acknowledging the deep emotional connection between language variety and identity, Roeper makes the case against linguistic prejudice with the help of two striking illustrations.
The first is that the seeds of many grammars can be found inside English--elements of German verb-second word order show up in the high-register use of negative patterns such as It matters not, aspects of Spanish subject ellipsis in the casual Looks good, and a hint of Chinese object ellipsis in OK, everybody push! We are in this sense all "bilingual"--the grammar of cherished "standard English" is composed of a variety of subgrammars manifesting the very patterns that we might find strange or unsophisticated in another language.
Roeper offers an equally provocative and insightful treatment of African-American English, using it to illustrate how a dialect with roughly the same words as "standard" English can have a different grammar for the expression of event-related contrasts. He be playing baseball encodes an element of habituality not found in standard English He is playing baseball, and I done played baseball has a stative meaning that differentiates it from I did play baseball.
The heart of The Prism of Grammar, and what ultimately makes it a must-read, is Roeper's treatment of language acquisition--a suite of six chapters that presents one striking grammatical phenomenon after another, complete with do-at-home experiments that allow readers to see for themselves just how intricate language is and just how skillful children are at (eventually) figuring it all out.
Some of Roeper's examples focus on children's early successes. Two year olds have no problem distinguishing between boathouse and houseboat (60). Three year olds have figured out that Everyone went home permits a "distributed" interpretation in which everyone goes to his own home (162). Five year olds know that Mom likes not singing is the right sentence to use when Mom has a sore throat and that Mom likes no singing is right when she wants some peace and quiet (90).
Other examples highlight children's early missteps and shortcomings. Pre-school children often have trouble understanding and producing recursive possessivessuch as daddy's daddy's name or Cookie Monster's sister's picture (114ff). Five year olds know the difference between the there in There is a dog and the one in A dog is there, but two year olds don't (84-85). Children as old as six or seven who are asked whether a dog has tails will answer "yes," whereas adults say "no" (164). Many preschool children who are shown a picture of several girls each wearing a sweater will point to just one of the girls when asked Who is wearing a sweater? (p. 174), they'll provide just one answer when asked Who ate what? in situations that call for multiple answers ("John ate the cookie, Mary ate the cake, ...") (180), and they'll deny that every boy is riding a bike if shown a picture in which each of three boys is riding a bike and one bike has no rider (185).
Still other examples raise questions that remain to be answered--perhaps with the help of experiments that Roeper invites his readers to do for themselves. Do children grasp the difference between all and every? Show them a group of boxes and a group of circles, then ask them to do two simple things: point to all the boxes and point to every circle. Children who have figured out the all-every contrast will point to the entire group of boxes, but to individual circles. (94-95)
Have children figured out the effect that not has on the interpretation of all? Show them three plates--one containing just nickels, one containing just pennies, and the other containing a mixture of two types of coins. Then ask, "Show me the plate where the coins are not all pennies" (92).
Children know from a young age that a sentence such as John saw his mother and so did Bill can mean either that Bill saw John's mother or that he saw his own mother, but do they know that John saw his mother and Bill saw his can mean only that Bill saw his own mother? There's a way to test that too. There's even a way to figure out whether children know the difference between Ooops and Uh-oh! (40-41)
Roeper's discussion is full of contrasts like these, all designed to awaken the reader to the subtle complexities of human language and its importance for our understanding of human nature. As he has done throughout his career, he calls upon Universal Grammar, which he calls "a biological gift" (83), to help explain why language is the way it is and how children are able to acquire it with such success and apparent ease. Grammar, Roeper suggests, "is just like our arms and legs--an apparatus that we have from birth, whose uses we refine by experience" (247).
Readers need to know that this hypothesis is more contentious and controversial than Roeper would have us believe when he estimates that Universal Grammar is "accepted by the vast majority of linguists" (13). But beyond this caveat, I have no criticism to make of The Prism of Grammar. It is a superb book worthy of the attention of anyone committed to an understanding of language and its place in the larger study of development, cognition, and humanity.

[This review first appeared in the Columbia Teachers College Record; it is reproduced here with permission.]

prejudice and scholarship
I really enjoyed this book, primarily because of the clarity of the exposition around why language acquisition is such an astonishing feat.It is one of the great frustrations of many linguists interested in acquisition that we seem to spend so much time insisting that language acquisition is more complicated than it seems.We struggle always against each person's prejudice (personal and/or professional) about something that is so much a part of us humans that we cannot see the complexity that is there. The issue, as Roeper suggests (p. 10) is that"to grasp the child's task, we must undo our own common sense". The problem, however, is that demonstrating the case depends on understanding the complexities of language itself and that is hard to do in a half-hour conversation at a cocktail party. What Roeper has done, however, is provide ammunition for those conversations through clear explanations and, equally importantly, mini-experiments that provide the empirical sustenance for ongoing conversations about language acquisition. Anyone who thinks linguists make language and language acquisition unnecessarily complicated must take the challenge of Tom's experiments. Not to do so is to admit to gross prejudice unworthy of a true scholar.

If you only read one book this year, read this one.
Anyone who wants to understand what Universal Grammar (Chomsky) is all about could do no better than to read Tom Roeper's excellent book. And it is a must-read for anyone interested in child language acquisition, language teachers (first and second), and speakers of (or listeners to!) non-standard English.

However, this book is about far more than that.Or should I say, Universal Grammar itself is about far more than you might think. The book, and UG, are about the nature of mind, and what it means to be a human person. In fact, the title of Chapter 2 is "Grammar's Gift to Our Image of Human Nature." In that chapter, Roeper makes the bold statement: "The body is just an extension of the mind. The body is designed to express the mind--the opposite of the common view that the body is real and the mind an illusion."

Modern science since the Enlightenment has struggled with these ideas.Today, the world's mind seems to have arrived at a position of extreme reductionism in its thinking about nature and the human person. We think of this mental attitude as having been arrived at by dint of dispassionate, rational thought. However, Roeper will convince you that observation and logic in fact lead us away from reductionism.

Linguistics occupies an interesting position - it claims for itself, with some justification, the status of a hard science; yet its subject matter is the stuff of poetry. Linguistics does not shy away from this nexus, and in its philosophical underpinnings aims to do justice to both sets of values.Roeper's book leads the reader to an understanding of how this might be so, and to the hope that this may be the future for the other sciences also.

Roeper writes as a scholar and a humanist. In his introduction to the book, he expresses the hope that he has written "like a human being."In this, above all, he has succeeded. ... Read more

Product Description
By some estimates, over 1 billion people in the world are non-religious (humanist/secular/atheist) yet we base many of our parenting techniques and traditions on religion. There are many books available on parenting around each of the major religions, but few describe parenting in a Humanist household. This book is an attempt to outline how non-religious parents can have rites, rituals, and practices needed for a healthy, spiritually fulfilled family. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Humanism is Possible for Parents
Mr. Curley's book, it must be granted, is written in an easily understandable and clear style, and the book can be read in a single sitting. However, the scope of the book is very basic, so much so that it really is less about teaching you how to raise a child in a humanist environment than it is about demonstrating that such a parenting choice is possible. Most of the questions discussed are very broad, and basically tried to make the single argument that what people consider the trademarks of a religious upbringing are possible in some form for humanists, such as group singing, "coming of age" rituals, and family gatherings. It is far too basic of a book to be of assistance to people who are already humanists and are consequently concerned with how to deal with parenting. After some consideration, it seems that the audience I would suggest this book to are those who are so complacent with their religion that they have never even considered that there are people out there who have grown up without religion. This is not meant cynically. There are more people than tend to admit who do not give thought to this issue, since they grew up in largely religious communities where it is automatically assumed that everyone else follows some religion. For this specific audience, the book is well suited, but unfortunately that is about all. However, in all fairness, the language of the book must be taken into consideration. The author's wording seems carefully chosen so as not to offend the religious reader, and he is very clear that the book is not about convincing people that they should be non-religious, but rather that it is to raise awareness that such a community and way of life is possible. The only demographic that could really take any offense to this book are Christian fundamentalist and literalists, since the book does discuss in brief why creationism is ridiculous. The one thing I did enjoy about this book, nevertheless, was the section that demonstrated how humanists tend to approach certain political issues, covering creationism, abortion, stem cell research, global warming, etc.His brief overview was inciteful, and is perhaps the most valuable part of the book. In conclusion, the book is not at all bad, but rather just not useful for what the title seemed to suggest. If you are looking for a brief introduction to humanism, supposing you have never heard of it before, this is the perfect book, but if you want a more detailed explanation on how to raise a child in a humanist household, this will only scratch the very surface.

Fair, balanced overview. Religionists will hate it.
Sean P. Curley, Humanism for Parents: Parenting Without Religion (Lulu, 2007)

I've been intrigued by this ever since I found out about it, so when I got a press release offering a free review copy, I jumped at the chance. I should start off by mentioning that I am not, either by my own definition or that used in the book, a Humanist; Curley writes early on that he hopes the book has a broader appeal among the non-religious. And despite some shortcomings (all of which have to do, thankfully, with "not enough" rather than "too much"), I, for one, am of the opinion that it does.

Curley's slim (88p.) book, first and foremost, avoids many of the traps one finds in vanity-published books; if he didn't have it professionally edited, he's got some friends who should be applying to Knopf and Doubleday. It's not just proofread better than at least half the major-label work I've seen this year, but whoever went over this did so with a fine enough comb (and a good enough memory) to have eradicated some of the other pitfalls of vanity nonfiction, the most common being repetition. (I make an exception, of course, for the two chapters in which he suggests answers for children/young adults of various age ranges.) Curley gets his points across in clear language, touches on most of the bases (including some I hadn't thought about), and examines a variety of religiously-based controversial topics from a nonreligious perspective. I saw a few differences in philosophy between the Humanist ideas and mine, but as Curley stresses, the opinions he's offering on controversial topics are not canon in any way; the reader is supposed to come to his own conclusions about stuff. And that can never be a bad thing.

The book's main sticking point with me, as I intimated above, is that it's so short. Curley could have easily doubled, or tripled, the length of this volume and still just scratched the surface. If he ever does decide to come out with a revised and expanded edition that gets into more of the history of some of the things he talks about, I'll be first in line to buy it. Until then, Humanism for Parents is a quick primer that will probably send you off in other directions to get more information; without it, though, you might not even know to look. Recommended. ***

Not really a parenting book
I decided to read this book because the title caught my eye - Humanism for Parents Parenting without religion. Seeing as how dh and I are of completely different religions we have chosen (for the most part) not to inflict religion into our kids lives. Is this good? Is this bad? Can't really say one way or the other as our children are still very young. I think it's more of the fact that we are in denial to make a concrete decision one way or the other. I have had no problems with him taking our son to his religious gatherings and he is cool so far with our kids attending a Christian preschool. But I wanted to know what this book was about and if I could use it to help us go through this parenting without inflicting religion into it.

So far I'm not sure that I got out of this book what I thought I would going into it. There were some ideas that I took away that weren't necessarily having anything to do with religion or the lack thereof in parenting. They are just common sense type things. For instance, he talked about when kids tattle and how you should teach them tattling to hurt someone is not good but tattling to help someone is ok.

I didn't really think this booked talked much about parenting let alone parenting without religion. It spoke mostly about what Humanism is and their thoughts and ideas. It didn't really mention much about how to use those ideals to raise your children. This book did have great questions and answers for parents to use when their kids start asking questions, but I don't define that as parenting. That is merely answering questions that raising your children as Humanists bring up. Don't get me wrong, the answers the author provides are great for those that want to raise their kids this way and give you as a parent a basis to start helping your child understand humanism but it in no way, explains how the parent is raising their child as a humanist.

Overall, I thought this book was a good read if you want to learn the basics about Humanism and what they think and their beliefs/structure. As far as a parenting book, I don't think this qualifies.

A Practical Guide
Curley, Sean. "Humanism for parents: Parenting without Religion", SRP, 2009.

A Practical Guide

Amos Lassen

Religion plays an important part in the lives of many yet there are still those that want to parent without depending on traditions, rituals and practices of organized religion. For that purpose Sean Curley gives us this book. Parenting has never been an easy job and we know that many parents use the principles of religion as a basis for parenting. However, now we live in age that many are secular and need something to help them become parents. About one billion people in the world are non-religious and Curley offers some options for those who are parents.
This is a short book of only 87 pages and it is a general introduction to humanism and how morality should be defined from the humanist perspective. Curley shows also how traditions can bring about spirituality without the need for religion and then he shows us why religious conflicts prove problematic for the world. Finally he discusses contemporary issues such ad gay rights and abortion and atheism. The book is easy to read and its ideas are sound. Overall the book is helpful and shows us how to gain morality from the larger society. Curley presents what he has to say logically and rationally with great compassion and we get a good look at what humanism is all about.

A very needed book
Humanism for Parents is a topic which isn't covered in many places, so this book is filling the gap.

Don't expect it to be an encyclopedia, but it contains a good deal of information and further reference on a range of essential topics like holidays and rites, social interaction, and also covers contemporary issues like gay rights, global warming and stem cell research.

The book is succinct and I very much enjoyed the reading. Recommended!
... Read more