Share your favourites
The following are some recommendations from the Hastings Humanists Group.
Lots of interesting books, films, songs and YouTube clips – and where possible I have included hyperlinks (blue text and underlined) so you can click on them and see further information on the Internet.
I hope you find it entertaining and useful.
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Nick
Book
“Atheism in Ancient times” – Atheism can trace its routes back to antiquity and is arguably as old as theism itself.
Mike
Book
“Cold Reading” A book on the techniques used by mentalists, psychics, fortune-tellers, mediums and illusionists to imply that the reader knows much more about the person than the reader actually does
Stephen Milton
Web links
- Hans Rosling Ted talk. He is my favourite statistician who explains the world View. His website is www.Gapminder.org gives you the tools to test your assumptions about the world against the statistical facts …Test your beliefs
- The best advice to offer to young people starting life wrapped in great humour. Tim Mitchim UWA address View
- Tom Lehrer Vatican Rag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvhYqeGp_Do
- A sense of Fairness seems inherent in our biology. See this experiment with monkeys View
- David Christian narrates a complete history of the universe, from the Big Bang to the Internet, in a riveting 18 minutes View
- Seventy thousand years ago, our human ancestors were insignificant animals, just minding their own business in a corner of Africa with all the other animals. But now, few would disagree that humans dominate planet Earth. Yuval Noah Harari puts our ability to tell stories at the heart of it. View
- Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity. View
- I love table tennis and watch what a professional can do….View
Books
- “A brief history of nearly everything” by Bill Bryson – a humorous and detailed narrative of the history of science.
- “Homo Deus” by Yuval Noah Harari – explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the 21st century.
- “Quantum” – Manjit Kumar – The amazing story of scientists who gave up their most cherished beliefs in the pursuit of something totally counter-intuitive that turned out to be real.
George
- Awesome Japanese Xylophone in Forest. View
- Samuel Barber - "Dover Beach", Op. 3 Fischer-Dieskau, Juilliard . This brooding song for baritone and string quartet, written in 1931 sets with almost miraculous appropriateness the haunting 1851 poem by Matthew Arnold - View
- Who’s Who in Hell – CNN review View
- Big Bandstand sound Eastbourne View
Linda Dootson
Book
“A Brief History of Time” by Stephen Hawking. A couple of nice quotes See more:
“What did God do before he created the universe?”
“In the eighteenth century, philosophers considered the whole of human knowledge, including science, to be their field and discussed questions such as: Did the universe have a beginning? However, in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, science became too technical and mathematical for the philosophers, or anyone else except a few specialists. Philosophers reduced the scope of their inquiries so much that Wittgenstein, the most famous philosopher of this century, said, "The sole remaining task for philosophy is the analysis of language." What a come down from the great tradition of philosophy from Aristotle to Kant!”
― Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time
― Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time
Karen
Book
“Marcus Aurelius, Meditations” translation by Maxwell Staniforth. A series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. Still a source of insight and comfort today.
Elizabeth
...as life has gone by I have often said
'there's a song there?!'
...as life has gone by I have often thought
'life could be more fun if it was more like a musical’
When I glanced throo Facebook for things I have reposted
for a hint of what I could recommend tonight
I noticed something that tunes into this
singing stimulates the production of oxytocin,
a chemical involved in happiness and bonding.
Surveys of individuals who sing regularly report
sustained high levels of emotional stability and
well-being. Even professional singers,
whose singing literally determines whether they'll be eating or
not in the future, still experience a sense of relaxation and energy after singing
Article /Integrative Physiological and Behavioural Science react-text: 53 38(1):65-74 January 2002eact-text: 53 38(1):65-74 January
singing stimulates the production of oxytocin,
a chemical involved in happiness and bonding.
Surveys of individuals who sing regularly report
sustained high levels of emotional stability and
well-being. Even professional singers,
(like here The joy of song )
whose singing literally determines whether they'll be eating or
not in the future, still experience a sense of relaxation and energy after singing
Article /Integrative Physiological and Behavioural Science react-text: 53 38(1):65-74 January 2002eact-text: 53 38(1):65-74 January
Katy
Film
The Intouchables (2012) Official Trailer [HD]
A clash of worlds with humour and empathy. (French with sub-titles)
Alistair
Book
“The God Argument” by AC Grayling
Professor of Philosophy and Master of New College of the Humanities, London
Plenty of YouTube films from 10 mins to over an hour – well worth looking at.
Laurence
Book
“The Bible for Grown ups” by Simon Loveday
Loveday’s case is that the mantle of historical truth and divine authority has placed upon the Bible an intolerable weight, crushing it as a creative work of immense imaginative and inspirational power. His argument is both fascinating and persuasive
Film
Dinner for One – Freddie Frinton - View
Terry Ballard
Unfortunately, I cannot make tonight's meeting. I would love to be there to discuss my own pet project, humanist music. Here's a list of songs that Barbara and I came up with. Discussing whether a song qualifies as humanist can be both fun and enlightening.
HUMANIST SONGS
He Ain’t Heavy (He’s My Brother)
Imagine
Days
The Living Years
You Are the Voice
In My Life
Superstition
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Mamunia
Why Worry
When a Child is Born
Theme to The Big Bang Theory
Where’s Your Heaven Now...? *
You’ll Never Walk Alone
Thank You for the Music
Wonderful World
Melting Pot
Sweet Thames Flow Softly
Abraham, John and Martin
Two Little Boys
Danny Boy
Mountains of Mourne
Amazing Grace
The Way We Were
Lean on Me
Do Anything You Want to Do
Vincent
The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face)
Wish I Knew How to be Free
Precious Time (Is Slipping Away)
SM - I have added my personal favourite ‘The Universe Song’ View
Julienne
Book
"Statistics for the Terrified!" It has a picture of The Scream by Edvard Munch on the front cover and DON'T PANIC written throughout the book!
Our next meeting will be an opportunity to share your favourites with the group
On Thursday the 12th Jan 2017 from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at the White Rock Hotel
A Happy New Year to one and all.
Despite the many hostages to fortune carried over from 2016 and slowly coming home to roost in an uncertain future. In a triumph of hope over experience, I remain optimistic that 2017 will be a Prime Year for us all (2017 being a prime number)!!!!
For our first meeting of the year, I would ask you to bring along a recommendation to the group.
- A book
- A film
- A website
- A YouTube clip
- A Ted talk
- A song
You can provide a brief introduction explaining why it is of interest to you, and perhaps read or show a short clip by way of introduction.
If you would like to email some information in advance, I can probably find something on the Internet and save it on my PC for the demonstration.
I have no doubt that there will moments of controversy that we will debate in the normal way. I look forward to seeing you.
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