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But will anyone buy it?

#29: July - Sept. 2006 (Non-Fiction)
MadArchitect

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But will anyone buy it?

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A question that occured to me in the course of reading the first three chapters is this: Do you think "Breaking the Spell" is well-calculated to reach its intended audience -- that is, an audience not limited to but including religious believers? Do you think that's the right audience for a project of this sort, or should the project have preceeded the attempt to popularize its findings?Personally, I'd say that Dennett has put a lot of effort into inviting, cajoling, and daring religious believers to join in his discussion, and has likely failed. At times, it almost seems as though he'd feel more vindicated to know that religious believers couldn't bring themselves to take part. At times he plays the good host, but he can just as quickly turn around and insist that the party move according to his terms only. And if you're not willing to play with his assumptions, to hell with you. But even when he's most conciliatory, his tone strikes me as pandering, as though he has to reduce the dialogue to a sixth grade level in order to make it accessible to byour average religious believer. And I think that's as likely to put off intelligent discussion as his more curmudgeony "my way or the highway" digressions.
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Mad, that's a good summation of the mild annoyance I've been feeling reading the first few chapters...I'm finding it far too chatty and full of too many 'Look at me!' moments. I hope he gets to the meat of his discussion soon. "All beings are the owners of their deeds, the heirs to their deeds." Loricat's Book NookCelebrating the Absurd
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Mad says: Quote:At times he plays the good host, but he can just as quickly turn around and insist that the party move according to his terms only. And if you're not willing to play with his assumptions, to hell with you.Uh..he is trying to appeal to religious people...this seems like a tactic they would appreciate. Seriously...this is what I as an atheist see from the other side.Not good for the gander?I must apologize for dropping off the face of the community..but I am getting a reunion thing going with my old band nad we have a few shows to prepare for. Exciting! I will try to get back into things soon...Mr. P. Mr. P's place. I warned you!!!The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper
MadArchitect

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misterpessimistic: Uh..he is trying to appeal to religious people...this seems like a tactic they would appreciate. Seriously...this is what I as an atheist see from the other side.Not good for the gander?Look at it this way: do religious attempts to persuade you generally work?I think Dennett tries too hard -- especially in the early chapters -- to appeal to what he apparantly thinks is the lowest common denominator. In later chapters he eases off that stance, but I still think he's striking a very uneasy balance.
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"But will anyone buy it?"Is that the right question to ask? I'm sure it'll have a similar effect that most other books have. Some will buy it nearly wholesale, some will probably reject at the first comparison of religion to a parasite. While others may just want to borrow or lease certain parts of it.The big trick in spreading the ideas he puts forward in his book is making the media circuit and being interviewed and giving lectures at universities. Mad: "A question that occurred to me in the course of reading the first three chapters is this: Do you think "Breaking the Spell" is well-calculated to reach its intended audience -- that is, an audience not limited to but including religious believers? Do you think that's the right audience for a project of this sort, or should the project have preceeded the attempt to popularize its findings?"Here's what I think about his "intended audience." I know on a few occasions he seems to be genuinely inviting religious folk to "join this discussion" about religion -- and I think he is. But on the very first page in the preface he states: "I decided I had to express the emphases found here if I was to have any hope of reaching my intended audience: the curious and conscientious citizens of my native land -- as many as possible, not just the academics. (I saw no point in preaching to the choir.)" Now that last part -- "no point in preaching to the choir" -- I think I can say with some certainty that he definitely doesn't want to omit the choir. He needs that choir. He needs that choir to sing. Thats how these memes spread. But he wants as many curious (2 a : marked by desire to investigate and learn b : marked by inquisitive interest in others' concerns) and conscientious (scrupulous, meticulous, careful, upright) citizens as possible. That could be religious people or not. Mad: "At times, it almost seems as though he'd feel more vindicated to know that religious believers couldn't bring themselves to take part. "He doesn't strike me that way. I think he wants as many people to be part of this discussion as possible. Whether they disagree with him or not. "At times he plays the good host, but he can just as quickly turn around and insist that the party move according to his terms only. And if you're not willing to play with his assumptions, to hell with you."That sounds a bit harsh. He doesn't strike me that way at all. Give me some examples.Mr P. "Not good for the gander?"I gotcher gander hangin'."I must apologize for dropping off the face of the community..but I am getting a reunion thing going with my old band nad we have a few shows to prepare for. Exciting! I will try to get back into things soon..."Who's writing the songs? Get 'em to read some of the book. See if any interesting ideas come to mind.Boy, would I love to be a member of a freethought band.
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Quote:Who's writing the songs? Get 'em to read some of the book. See if any interesting ideas come to mind.Boy, would I love to be a member of a freethought band. I have thought of writing some freethought lyrics, but the band is just doing our old, youth angst, tunes. Mostly politics and societal decay...I may do my own thing in the future, now that I picked up the axe again!Mr. P. Mr. P's place. I warned you!!!The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper
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Chris OConnor

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And get them all to where BookTalk t-shirts on stage.
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Mr. P

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Send me one! Mr. P. Mr. P's place. I warned you!!!The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper
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Chris OConnor

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Will you wear it at a live show? Give me your size and I'll send one. But you have to wear it and email me a picture so I can post it on BookTalk!
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Mr. P

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Man...I served as a mod for a while and have been such a staunch supporter since 2004...yet I have to bribe Chris to send me a shirt?SHHHEEEESH! :PI will wear it at a show! Do you still have my address? I wear a "large/medium"...meaning the larger side of medium. Or just a large would do it I guess. Oh...I could use some bookmarks as well. I am selling on Amazon and Ebay and can include them in my shipments as a bonus gift.Mr. P. Mr. P's place. I warned you!!!The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy PiperEdited by: misterpessimistic  at: 9/5/06 3:02 pm
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