No Sense of Obligation: Science and Religion in an Impersonal Universe

Rating:
Summary: An excellent, very readable book on science and religion
Review: An engaging, well written book on science, religion, and pseudoscience. Young, a physicist, explains why he thinks the universe is an impersonal place, not presided over by any God or other spiritual force, and puts all of this in the context of skepticism and the paranormal. There are similar books out there, but No Sense Of Obligation distinguishes itself in two ways particularly. One is that it is amazingly easy to read, given the complexity of some of the topics he addresses. Young is totally lacking in academic pomposity, and knows how use personal anecdotes as well as scientific references to keep his narrative flowing. Second, Young is careful to explain how even without theological beliefs, he considers himself Jewish and strongly religious in a profound sense. Overall, this is a thought-provoking book which will appeal to every skeptic.

Rating:
Summary: Making sense of Science and Religion
Review: As president of IRAS (The Institute on Religion in an Age of Science) I am frequently frustrated with the treatment given by science/religion authors of the various physics concepts and experiments that are supposed to have relevance to the science/religion dialogue. This book makes more sense of them than any I have read, and it does so in language accessible to any non-specialist reader. Young is a physicist at the Colorado School of Mines, but he writes like an Communications Major - clearly. It is a great combination, and a great read.

Rating:
Summary: A Logical View of the World
Review: In this book, Matt Young has done an excellent job analyzing the merits of religious faith and presenting a skeptics (I use the word "skeptic" in a positive sense) view of the world. Using logic and evidence, he examines the credibility of the Bible and religion in general showing their numerous weaknesses. The reader will find that his conclusions are all based on solid analyses backed by established data which is, of course, the way science should work. I found his book to be one of the most enjoyable that I've read in quite a while, even better than Michael Shermer's "Why People Believe Weird Things" and other articles in the Skeptical Inquirer. Due to lack of specific knowledge and interest, I didn't follow all the details regarding the Bible's history in the book but I truly enjoyed Matt's philosophical approach to life (at least as expressed in the book). Matt's style of writing make this book extremely easy & interesting to read and I felt that he clearly answered any questions that would arise in the reader's mind as the book is read.

In summary: great book!