Resources
There is no ‘required reading’ in order to identify yourself as a Humanist, but we often hear from people that they would like to learn more about this philosophy of life. The following are a few resources that allow you to find out more about the history of Humanism, famous Humanists and Humanism in popular culture…
Learn About Humanism
The British Humanist Association offers a simple guide:
The Really Simple Guide to Humanism
Free courses in Humanism are offered by the Humanist Institute at:
http://cohe.humanistinstitute.org/free-courses
Find out how to celebrate Humanism on World Humanist Day:
http://iheu.org/humanism/world-humanist-day/
You are in good company – have a look at this list of famous Humanists:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_secular_humanists
Stay informed by reading this Canadian Humanist magazine:
http://www.humanistperspectives.org
Further Reading
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The Philosophy of Humanism – Corliss Lamont
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Good without God, what a billion non-religious people do believe
– by Greg Epstein, -
Humanism: A Very Short Introduction – Stephen Law
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Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism – Susan Jacoby
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Making the Manifesto – William Schulz
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The Good Book: A Humanist Bible – A.C. Grayling
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Parenting Beyond Belief – Dale McGowan
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The Magic of Reality – Richard Dawkins
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Letter to a Christian Nation – Sam Harris
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Why I Am Not a Christian – Bertrand Russell
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Why are You Atheists So Angry? – Greta Christina
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Comforting Thoughts about Death that have Nothing to do with God
– Greta Christina -
The Quest for a Moral Compass: A Global History of Ethics
– Kenan Malik
Humanism in Popular Culture
The following are a collection of films, television shows, books and authors that may appeal to Humanists. They may not be aimed specifically at Humanists, but they embrace a Humanist mindset.
Movies
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American Beauty (1999)
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Inherit the Wind (1960)
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Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
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Cosmos with Carl Sagan (1980)
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Little Buddha (1993)
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The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
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The Crucible (1996)
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Chocolat (2000)
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Jesus Camp (2006)
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The Invention of Lying (2009)
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Agora (2009)
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Creation (2009)
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The Nature of Existence (2010)
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The Grey (2012)
TV Shows
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Star Trek
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Firefly
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The Wire
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The Mentalist
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QI
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Doctor Who
Literature
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Candide – Voltaire
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Sirens of the Titan – Kurt Vonnegut
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The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
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1984 – George Orwell
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Peaches for Monsieur le Cure – Joanne Harris
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Letters from the Earth – Mark Twain
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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
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Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
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The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
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The Elegance of the Hedgehog – Muriel Barbery
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His Dark Materials Trilogy – Phillip Pullman
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Good Omens – Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett



Humanist Authors
Many of the people on this list have identified themselves as Humanists, others write with a Humanist perspective that makes their books well worth a read. A few specific book suggestions are included below.
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Louisa May Alcott
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Isaac Asimov
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Margaret Atwood
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L. Frank Baum
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Ambrose Bierce
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Charles Dickens
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Alexander Dumas
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Neil Gaiman
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Joanne Harris
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Nathaniel Hawthorne
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Robert Heinlein
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Aldous Huxley
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Jack London
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H.P. Lovecraft
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James A. Michener
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A.A. Milne
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George Orwell
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Edgar Allen Poe
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Beatrix Potter
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Terry Pratchett
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Philip Pullman
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Gene Roddenberry
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Dr. Seuss
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Robert Louis Stevenson
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Mark Twain
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Kurt Vonnegut
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H.G. Wells