Religion the Greatest Confidence Trick in History

Religion the Greatest Confidence Trick in History

Author: Dennis Morris

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2007-07-01

Total Pages: 301

ISBN-13: 184753600X

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Read the book, and see for yourself how we have been indoctrinated, how the Old Testament and its offshoots of Christianity and Islam have been constructed from Babylonian and Egyptian religions and mythologies.


Religion, Supernaturalism, the Paranormal and Pseudoscience

Religion, Supernaturalism, the Paranormal and Pseudoscience

Author: Homayun Sidky

Publisher: Anthem Press

Published: 2019-11-30

Total Pages: 520

ISBN-13: 1785271636

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"Religion, Supernaturalism, the Paranormal, and Pseudoscience" provides a comprehensive rejoinder to the challenges posed to science, scientific anthropology, evolutionary theory and rationality by the advocates of supernatural, paranormal, and pseudoscientific perspectives and modes of thought associated with the current rise of irrationalism, antiintellectualism, and emboldened religious fundamentalism and violence. Drawing upon H. Sidky’s scientific anthropological background and ethnographic field research of supernatural and paranormal beliefs and practices in several cultures over three decades, the book answers several important questions: Why do humans have a proclivity for the supernatural and paranormal thinking? Why has humanity remained shackled to sets of ideas inherited from a violent past that have no basis in reality and which bestow an illusionary solace, promote bloodshed, endless cruelties and fervent hatreds, and have come at a high cost? Why have ancient superstitions been held as sacred, inviolate truths while other aspects of the archaic belief systems of which they were a part have long been discarded? Why have not humans outgrown religion and paranormal beliefs?


The King of Confidence

The King of Confidence

Author: Miles Harvey

Publisher: Little, Brown

Published: 2020-07-14

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 0316463582

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The "unputdownable" (Dave Eggers, National Book award finalist) story of the most infamous American con man you've never heard of: James Strang, self-proclaimed divine king of earth, heaven, and an island in Lake Michigan, "perfect for fans of The Devil in the White City" (Kirkus) A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice Longlisted for the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist for the Midland Authors Annual Literary Award A Michigan Notable Book A CrimeReads Best True Crime Book of the Year "A masterpiece." —Nathaniel Philbrick In the summer of 1843, James Strang, a charismatic young lawyer and avowed atheist, vanished from a rural town in New York. Months later he reappeared on the Midwestern frontier and converted to a burgeoning religious movement known as Mormonism. In the wake of the murder of the sect's leader, Joseph Smith, Strang unveiled a letter purportedly from the prophet naming him successor, and persuaded hundreds of fellow converts to follow him to an island in Lake Michigan, where he declared himself a divine king. From this stronghold he controlled a fourth of the state of Michigan, establishing a pirate colony where he practiced plural marriage and perpetrated thefts, corruption, and frauds of all kinds. Eventually, having run afoul of powerful enemies, including the American president, Strang was assassinated, an event that was frontpage news across the country. The King of Confidence tells this fascinating but largely forgotten story. Centering his narrative on this charlatan's turbulent twelve years in power, Miles Harvey gets to the root of a timeless American original: the Confidence Man. Full of adventure, bad behavior, and insight into a crucial period of antebellum history, The King of Confidence brings us a compulsively readable account of one of the country's boldest con men and the boisterous era that allowed him to thrive.


A History of Guerilla Warfare

A History of Guerilla Warfare

Author: David Rooney

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military

Published: 2024-06-30

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 1399078542

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A must-read book for those intrigued by the ever-shifting landscape of unconventional warfare and its profound impact on contemporary global dynamics. Throughout history, conflicts have given rise to unconventional forms of warfare, often propelled by personal, religious, tribal, or national ambitions. Historian David Rooney highlights pivotal figures such as the Maccabees, Napoleon, the Boer Wars, Michael Collins, Mao Tse Tung, T. E. Lawrence, Castro, Guevara, the Guerrillas of World War II, and Al Qaeda's Osama Bin Laden, illustrating the evolution of guerrilla theories. In today's era of swiftly forsaking convention and tradition for immediate results, the adoption of unconventional strategies by twenty-first-century warriors appears more prevalent than ever. Public discourse surrounding this topic is vibrant, and understanding its evolution is vital for increased awareness. Dive into the riveting exploration of unconventional warfare throughout the ages with historian David Rooney's insightful narrative. This compelling account not only unveils the trailblazing leaders who reshaped military strategies but also delves into the timely relevance of non-conventional approaches in today's fast-paced world. A must-read for those intrigued by the ever-shifting landscape of unconventional warfare and its profound impact on contemporary global dynamics


Fables Of Abundance

Fables Of Abundance

Author: Jackson Lears

Publisher: Hachette UK

Published: 1995-11-03

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 078672322X

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Fables of Abundance ranges from the traveling peddlers of early modern Europe to the twentieth-century American corporation, exploring the ways that advertising collaborated with other cultural institutions to produce the dominant aspirations and anxieties in the modern United States.


Confidence Games

Confidence Games

Author: Mark C. Taylor

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2008-05-15

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 0226791688

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'Confidence Games' argues that money and markets do not exist in a vacuum, but grow in a profoundly cultual medium, reflecting and in turn shaping their world. To understand the ongoing changes in the economy, one must consider the influence of art, philosophy and religion.


The Confidence Game

The Confidence Game

Author: Maria Konnikova

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2017-01-10

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 0143109871

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"It’s a startling and disconcerting read that should make you think twice every time a friend of a friend offers you the opportunity of a lifetime.” —Erik Larson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dead Wake and bestselling author of Devil in the White City Think you can’t get conned? Think again. The New York Times bestselling author of Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes explains how to spot the con before they spot you. “[An] excellent study of Con Artists, stories & the human need to believe” –Neil Gaiman, via Twitter A compelling investigation into the minds, motives, and methods of con artists—and the people who fall for their cons over and over again. While cheats and swindlers may be a dime a dozen, true conmen—the Bernie Madoffs, the Jim Bakkers, the Lance Armstrongs—are elegant, outsized personalities, artists of persuasion and exploiters of trust. How do they do it? Why are they successful? And what keeps us falling for it, over and over again? These are the questions that journalist and psychologist Maria Konnikova tackles in her mesmerizing new book. From multimillion-dollar Ponzi schemes to small-time frauds, Konnikova pulls together a selection of fascinating stories to demonstrate what all cons share in common, drawing on scientific, dramatic, and psychological perspectives. Insightful and gripping, the book brings readers into the world of the con, examining the relationship between artist and victim. The Confidence Game asks not only why we believe con artists, but also examines the very act of believing and how our sense of truth can be manipulated by those around us.


An Atheist's History of Belief

An Atheist's History of Belief

Author: Matthew Kneale

Publisher: Catapult

Published: 2014-01-14

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1619023717

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What first prompted prehistoric man, sheltering in the shadows of deep caves, to call upon the realm of the spirits? And why has belief thrived since, shaping thousands of generations of shamans, pharaohs, Aztec priests and Mayan rulers, Jews, Buddhists, Christians, Nazis, and Scientologists? As our dreams and nightmares have changed over the millennia, so have our beliefs. The gods we created have evolved and mutated with us through a narrative fraught with human sacrifice, political upheaval and bloody wars. Belief was man's most epic labor of invention. It has been our closest companion, and has followed mankind across the continents and through history.


Before Religion

Before Religion

Author: Brent Nongbri

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2013-01-22

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 0300154178

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Examining a wide array of ancient writings, Brent Nongbri dispels the commonly held idea that there is such a thing as ancient religion. Nongbri shows how misleading it is to speak as though religion was a concept native to pre-modern cultures.


The North American Review

The North American Review

Author: Jared Sparks

Publisher:

Published: 1909

Total Pages: 958

ISBN-13:

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Vols. 277-230, no. 2 include Stuff and nonsense, v. 5-6, no. 8, Jan. 1929-Aug. 1930.