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What Non-Fiction book(s) would you like to read in May, June and July 2015?

Collaborate in choosing our next NON-FICTION book for group discussion within this forum. A minimum of 5 posts is necessary to participate here!

What Non-Fiction book(s) would you like to read in May, June and July 2015?

Book 1: Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief
3

25%
Book 2: The Eerie Silence: Renewing Our Search for Alien Intelligence
3

25%
Book 3: The War That Forged a Nation: Why the Civil War Still Matters
3

25%
Book 4: Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
3

25%
 
Total votes: 12
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Chris OConnor

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What Non-Fiction book(s) would you like to read in May, June and July 2015?

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Official Poll to select a Non-Fiction Book for May, June and July 2015

Poll Rules...

Please only vote if you actually plan to participate in the book discussion if your chosen book wins this poll!

You can vote for more than one book. In fact please do! Vote for as many of the books found on this poll that you would like to read and discuss. Vote for all of them if you are OK with reading and discussing any of them. The more votes cast the easier it is to select a winning book.

You can change your vote at any time up until the poll closes.

After casting your vote please feel free to make posts in this thread stating your opinion on the various poll choices. There is nothing wrong with trying to influence other people in their vote as long as everyone that votes actually plans to participate in the book discussion.

There isn't an official end date for this poll. We'll end it when we have a clear winner.

Here are our 4 poll choices...

Book 1: Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief
by Lawrence Wright

Book 2: The Eerie Silence: Renewing Our Search for Alien Intelligence
by Paul Davies

Book 3: The War That Forged a Nation: Why the Civil War Still Matters
by James M. McPherson

Book 4: Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
by Joseph J. Ellis
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Re: What Non-Fiction book(s) would you like to read in May, June and July 2015?

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What the hay, I'll read any of them.

I watched Going Clear, I'm sure the book will have some interesting and messed up stories that didn't make it into the film.
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Chris OConnor

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Re: What Non-Fiction book(s) would you like to read in May, June and July 2015?

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Going Clear is my top choice for sure. I live next to Clearwater, which is their "Spiritual Headquarters."

But there is nothing spiritual about Scientology.
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Re: What Non-Fiction book(s) would you like to read in May, June and July 2015?

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Scientology is the poster child for motivated reasoning.
-Geo
Question everything
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Re: What Non-Fiction book(s) would you like to read in May, June and July 2015?

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Very true!

Scientology doesn't share all the wacky space alien stuff till you read OTIII and have invested massive amounts of time, money and emotional energy into the "religion." By then people have too much invested to just turn away.
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Re: What Non-Fiction book(s) would you like to read in May, June and July 2015?

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How important was the American Civil War?
Had the Southern States managed to bust up the union life on earth as we see it today would only be a fiction.
Philip K Dick, In his book "The Man In The High Castle" describes a world controlled by a peace accord between the WWII axis powers, this is the type of fiction I'm referring to. Had the northern states failed to maintain the Union its likely the 48 contiguous states would be replaced by a model closer in look to that of Europe, A cluster of smaller independent countries with little capacity to influence global outcomes. Life for all people from 1865 on word would necessarily have to be erased and replaced by a new history void of American influence. The American Civil War was the gateway to the American century that most of us are children of.
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Re: What Non-Fiction book(s) would you like to read in May, June and July 2015?

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With the "Founding Brothers" A similar logic from my earlier post is applied, Though revisionism is often applied to the people of the Enlightenment, the fundamental truths are everywhere apparent, The Declaration of Independence, The American Constitution, Two of the most important documents in the history of the human race, one can argue through revisionism that the writers of the documents were very flawed people and indeed in some regards they were, never the less, as history clearly demonstrates, America leads, the world follows and this has been a good thing.
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Re: What Non-Fiction book(s) would you like to read in May, June and July 2015?

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I've watched a lecture by Paul Davies that "The Eerie Silence" is based upon, it was excellent, Davies does not come across as someone pre-loaded with the baggage of bias, His presentation is rather matter of fact, hyperbole is not what is needed when there is a discussion of abstract science, cooler heads prevail, And Davies is cool as they come.
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Re: What Non-Fiction book(s) would you like to read in May, June and July 2015?

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Years ago when I lived out west (Colorado) there was an attempt to recruit me into the ranks of scientology, its a story that is so weird that I don't think I'll relate it here, the ultimate outcome was that I was not as it turned out a receptive candidate. A discussion of the topic for me really only seems an opportunity to mockery of the followers of that particular sect.
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Re: What Non-Fiction book(s) would you like to read in May, June and July 2015?

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I don't look at reading and discussing the cult of Scientology as simply an opportunity to bash the believers. To me it is an opportunity to spread the word that Scientology is a pretty corrupt and dangerous money-making scheme. The more the word is spread the better the chance the next person that Scientology attempts to capture will have heard of the dangers involved and will say "Thanks, but no thanks." Reading and discussing Going Clear is a service and good deed to our fellow man.
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