Secular Wholeness: A Skeptic's Paths to a Richer Life

Rating:
Summary: the author's opinion
Review: As the author of this book, I wrote the following brief review as a "model review" to be sent out with review copies.

This "sourcebook for skeptical seekers" aims to speak to the minority of Americans who don't find meaning in conventional religion, but who still want to develop greater moral depth. A demanding program of self-improvement emerges: connect to others, learn to meditate, find heroes, define your ethics, prepare a legacy, simplify life. The results of such a "secular life practice" might or might not be, as the author claims, the same as religion produces, but they could only be healthy. Were it lighter and folksier, this book might have been "Chicken Soup for the Scientist's Soul," but with its educated prose, end-notes, bibliography and two indexes, Secular Wholeness would have to be "Soup to nuts for the soul with port and cigars after."...

Rating:
Summary: the book I was looking for
Review: David Cortesi writes in plain language for everyone, without condescending to anyone. He discusses how a non-religious person can get all the spiritual, emotional, social and psychological benefits of religion, without sacrificing a single neuron of intelligence, education or critical thinking.

He is completly critical of every religious tradition, but also open-mindedly sympathetic to all kinds of spirituality. He has searched for what "they" have, and how they get it. But he has not accepted an ounce of new-age hokeyness. He has kept his analytical mind active throughout.

He considers how a person can believe that the universe is purposeless and basically accidental, while still believing that one's own life has meaning. He discusses ways to create community, meditative or contemplative practices, meaningful rituals, ethics, happiness and contentment. He discusses death and self-transcendence and the bliss experience.

If you have no religion, or if you are losing your faith, read this book soon. It's full of good advice. It's consistently understated and about as brief as possible (Cortesi is a computer programmer), so you might have to consider his points carefully. It's honest and deeply thoughtful, intelligent and respectful of its audience. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: An inspirational guide to finding depth and enjoyment
Review: David Cortesi's Secular Wholeness: A Skeptic's Path To A Richer Life is an inspirational guide to finding depth, enjoyment, and serenity in life when one cannot bring oneself to believe in the supernatural tenets of religion. From understanding the truth of existential validity, to holding to a personal ethical code, to following a practical plan to becoming happier, Secular Wholeness is a superbly written and presented treatise to improving the quality of one's secular, yet personally, philosophically, ethical, and emotionally fulfilling life.

Rating:
Summary: Simple, Relevant and Approachable
Review: Mr. Cortesi has written an amazing and fulfilling book. First, he analyzes why those who belong to a religion seem to have longer, healthier, happier lives. Second, he addresses each point and dissects it for its very essence. For instance, he argues that one of the benefits of belonging to a church is that it provides a network of friends who know you and each other. Therefore, a person could build a network of friends to gain the same webbing of love and support in their own life, without a religion. In another chapter, he obligingly goes over the Golden Rule of several faiths using logical arguments to see if they could work in the modern world. His "Mortal Imperative" is perfect, by the way, and was almost worth the price of the book all on its own.
Every page is informative without any hint of stuffiness. He is humorous but never glib. I felt as if I had had a wonderful conversation with someone akin to Joseph Campbell after reading this book! David Cortesi, I thank you.

Rating:
Summary: Sounds interesting!
Review: This book sounds like it contains the sort of advice the Fellowship of Reason® (URL) offers. I'm ordering a copy of this book today to further enrich my understanding of how to live a meaningful non-theistic life.