A Thought Provoking Read
922493
This was a re-read. This time around I was stuck how regional some religions are. I was from California  and there was an LDS Church around the corner from where I lived in Redwood City as well as a Temple in the Oakland Hills. It made me realize that different religions tend to be dominate in different parts of the country, but for the most part now, peaceabley
2574132
Nicely written. I found myself bookmarking  many areas as they were thought provoking. The end is a bit warm and fuzzy for my liking, but again the thought provoking ideas about our concept of time made it worthwhile reading.  I also liked the short chapters format.
1200841
This was a really good read.  Thought provoking and makes a great gift to a person who has need of some uplifting.  It is a novel, a fictional story, but it gives you a point to ponder.
4828350
I really enjoyed this book.  Of course philosophy books will always get you to think - whether you agree or not with some of the ideas being presented.  I found I agree with many of the ideas in this book but also the author presented other angles of viewing a topic that are refreshing and thought provoking.  I think this is a book anyone regardless of background (i.e religion, political views etc) would enjoy reading as its purpose is to get you to think about your own ideas.  Its good to stop and re think the foundation you live by because we get so busy it often becomes 'automated'.  the book isn't written to upset or poke at those with differing opinions. It is written to get you to think about your own path and those around you.
Although I finished the book I am still thinking about it,  a lot of the ideas in it stay with you whether you choose to adopt them or not, and that's a sign of a great book for me!
3442973
Good book.  Thought provoking.  Enjoyed reading it.
4110152
A strikingly thought-provoking book, Yuval Harari's "Homo Deus" is not something that you will be able to read without having your opinions challenged. Whether or not you believe in the future that Harari envisions, the author makes some convincing arguments for the current and future development of the "superhuman". But beware, Harari is a bit of a chameleon, and often I found myself not knowing what the author really believes himself. This is appropriate in a book designed to have you trying to reach your own conclusions. Some of the book rephrases and extends parts "Sapiens", an earlier volume by the same author (and well worth the read, if you have not already).
In a short review it would be difficult and perhaps misleading to try and summarize such a far-reaching book, but here are some topics discussed:
 Differences between humans and other animals
 Human domination of the planet, how and why, and for how long?
 Are humans "superior" to other animals?
 Humanism as the most important religion, and how biotech and A.I. might threaten it
 What comes after humanism?

This book should be required reading in American high-schools, but, sadly, for obvious reasons this is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

One final note: The opening section of the book may strike some readers as too outrageous, what with its science fiction-like descriptions of a future world. Don't put the book down at that point, but read on, as the author makes convincing cases for all sides in the ensuing discussions.
2703191
I am really not a fan of religious books, and there are many references to religion and belief in this book. But I have to say, it didn't get in the way of the story or seem over the top. This book sucked me in to the characters and their lives. Very well written, and very thought provoking. At times I even found myself thinking that although the life they lead was structured (very), you can see the attraction of it and how it would just simply work, even in today's society. It really makes you think, but it's a great story.
4116843
This is a wonderful thought-provoking book. It provided me with many insights into the mysteries of life and the beauty of nature. It contains life stories that demonstrate the power of the mind in dealing with the challenges that confront us in life, such as suffering grief from the loss of a loved one or facing our own mortality. Above all, it stresses the importance of love in each person's life. When I finished reading it, I felt very much at peace with the world and with life.
4167217
Dr. Dychtwald has written a thoughtful book that truly makes me think about how I view the purpose of my own life and the way I have and will spend my time.  With the economic turmoil we are experiencing, the message to take a look at what is really important and significant in one's life is not only relevant but incredibly important.  This is a well written, enlightening read that is sure to make you think.
350588
This was a thought provoking novel about some real issues that we are living with in our busy American lives. The well written novel was worth the time investment and leaves you thinking about personal priorities.
1857078
I was intrigued from the beginning.  A book title that we all know to be untrue.  It had me thinking what is this all about?  I opened the cover and began reading, immediately feeling at ease with the style and tone of the book and the journey it suggested would lie in the pages ahead.  A book that spoke to our human desire to be more.  I found it to be a powerful collection of thoughts that takes you on a journey with the author and challenges the way you may have looked at life, without ever stopping to consciously question or wonder.  A journey that makes it impossible not to explore our perceptions of ourselves and the world we live in and invites us to consider making more conscious and deliberate choices.  A reminder that our choices, whether deliberate or inadvertent,  shape and mould our personal reality.  An insightful book that affirms things really are what we decide them to be and that no matter what happens along the way, and how unquestionably difficult  and real some struggles can be, that life is worth living. With an undeniable honesty this thoughtful book combines gentle meditative passages, humour and a life affirming realness that made me want to continue reading.  A journey well worth taking.
2916949
I liked the concept and twist on how the smallest of decisions can impact our lives and history.  It was an enjoyable and thought provoking read.
3978190
This book is a very thought provoking book in that it challenges the question of whether a person should have a gun for protection of family and property.  In this story, the main character is a minister and a Christian.  It raised questions I had never considered and showed the consequences both good and bad of this minister's choice in the matter.  Though graphic and compelling, the story shows the evil that anyone can encounter today and begs the challenge of how to deal with that evil. Given the recent Trayvon Martin episode we all witnessed on TV, it is a timely book worth reading.
2901742
Being a U.S. citizen whose exposure to war is limited, A Psalm for the Battle gave me pause to think about my Christian faith from a different perspective.  I enjoy books that are worth pondering, challenging me to question what I believe. As things in the world become more unstable,  the ethical and moral questions presented in this book are worth exploring.  Freedom is not without cost and how we reconcile our faith with our calling to protect that freedom should be a priority for all of us.  I am challenged to pursue further reflection on what this means to me personally. A great thought provoking book.
4158692
This was a great read - I really enjoyed it. There are some interesting topics to ponder that are involved in the story. Highly recommended.
2121270
A thought-provoking read for everyone, especially those of us approaching or in the troisime ge.  Harry Citron looks back on his life and his mistakes and discovers several surprises in the present.  His own sexuality has led him astray from conventional morality, yet Harry remains a moral being, and a likeable one, in spite of his caddishness at times.  Having left academia for Paris, he has many thoughts - both positive and negative - about various aspects of France and his experiences living abroad. The thread that leads him on throughout the novel is his desire to see Suzanne, an ex-colleague's wife, with whom he had had a passionate affair twenty years previously.  As he sheds layers of intellectuality he comes to realize that he need not write literary criticism or even literature itself but that his whole life has been his creation, his sonata.  An impressive first novel with a most memorable ending!
708233
The Transhumanist Wager is not the type of book I usually pick to read so I wasn't sure I would enjoy it.  I decided to give it a try anyway and was surprised when I did enjoy it, particularly given its length.  The author created the characters thoughtfully and developed them well. It was easy to like some of the characters and easy to dislike others, which I believe was the author's intent in creating the characters the way he did. I thought the story line moved along well and was movingly written.  My only complaint is that the debates between Jethro and the Reverend seemed to go on longer than necessary and I skipped several pages of their debate late in the book.

The ideas presented in the book are intriguing, as I am not a religious person and do not believe in the concepts of Heaven or Hell.  I often think about what happens to us after we die and whether there is something else out there for us once we die--the subject is touched on during the book.  Many other subjects are touched on as well including the future of humanity, advanced technology, personal relationships, politics, personal motivations, and greed.  A great deal of the story seemed as if it could happen in our times but the author also threw in concepts that are very sci-fi and futuristic, which I found to be an interesting dichotomy.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is open to new ideas and interested in reading some thought-provoking fiction.