Review: What about gods?
By AtheistDad
of AtheistParents.org
What about gods?
By Chris Brockman, Illustrations by Anna Cammisotto
Initially published in 1978, What about gods? must be among the first secular humanist or atheist books published with children in mind. When writing a book that helps to define a genre in its early stages, an author has to make some choices that may or may not stand up down the road. In this case, one such choice was whether to attempt a non-fiction work or whether to tuck the book's ideology in among the folds of a fictitious plot.
Brockman decided to go the non-fiction route, unfortunately to the detriment of the book. He writes a series of loosely-stated arguments against gods and then encourages free thought. This is a fine approach for adults, but it does not seem an approach that would engage children. If there were more of the factual and less of the didactic, the approach might be more useful. Brockman's references to the facts of the crusades and citations of specific mythological stories as comparison points with modern religions would perhaps pique a child's interest, but his subsequent degeneration into the semantics of faith ruins those high points.
Had the ideas been stretched across a fictive framework, the didactic weakness might have been less pronounced. At any rate, when instruction wears the mask of fiction, any condescension (always an issue when you're trying to instruct) is directed at the characters within the book rather than at the reader. Plato knew this trick well.
So Brockman made an unfortunate choice in trying to write a non-fiction book for kids on his topic. The book is by no means devoid of value, however. It points out the hypocrisy of the crusades, for example, and it does invite children to think freely, though it does so a little awkwardly. And its explanation of why we invented religion is good. The author even very briefly debunks the argument from first cause.
Those virtues granted, I could not, unfortunately, recommend acquiring this book on its own merit as a book for children. There must be other, better texts for teaching children why we invented gods and why we should not revere them. As an early specimen of its genre, however, the book might be worth grabbing. If it does not engage children, it might help spark in parents ideas of how to explain the god phenomenon and how to provoke further thought on the part of their children.
Book Specifications
31 pages
Black and white illustrations throughout
Paperback $10
ISBN 0-87975-106-1
Publication: 1978, 1989, Prometheus Books
By AtheistDad
of AtheistParents.org
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By Chris Brockman, Illustrations by Anna Cammisotto
Initially published in 1978, What about gods? must be among the first secular humanist or atheist books published with children in mind. When writing a book that helps to define a genre in its early stages, an author has to make some choices that may or may not stand up down the road. In this case, one such choice was whether to attempt a non-fiction work or whether to tuck the book's ideology in among the folds of a fictitious plot.
Brockman decided to go the non-fiction route, unfortunately to the detriment of the book. He writes a series of loosely-stated arguments against gods and then encourages free thought. This is a fine approach for adults, but it does not seem an approach that would engage children. If there were more of the factual and less of the didactic, the approach might be more useful. Brockman's references to the facts of the crusades and citations of specific mythological stories as comparison points with modern religions would perhaps pique a child's interest, but his subsequent degeneration into the semantics of faith ruins those high points.
Had the ideas been stretched across a fictive framework, the didactic weakness might have been less pronounced. At any rate, when instruction wears the mask of fiction, any condescension (always an issue when you're trying to instruct) is directed at the characters within the book rather than at the reader. Plato knew this trick well.
So Brockman made an unfortunate choice in trying to write a non-fiction book for kids on his topic. The book is by no means devoid of value, however. It points out the hypocrisy of the crusades, for example, and it does invite children to think freely, though it does so a little awkwardly. And its explanation of why we invented religion is good. The author even very briefly debunks the argument from first cause.
Those virtues granted, I could not, unfortunately, recommend acquiring this book on its own merit as a book for children. There must be other, better texts for teaching children why we invented gods and why we should not revere them. As an early specimen of its genre, however, the book might be worth grabbing. If it does not engage children, it might help spark in parents ideas of how to explain the god phenomenon and how to provoke further thought on the part of their children.
Book Specifications
31 pages
Black and white illustrations throughout
Paperback $10
ISBN 0-87975-106-1
Publication: 1978, 1989, Prometheus Books
February 03, 2002