Summary
Title: Dictionary of Atheism, Skepticism, & Humanism
Author: Bill Cooke
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1591022991
Pro:
• Includes a lot of material in short, informative entries
Con:
• Includes some terms that don't appear entirely appropriate
• Missing many terms that should have been critical
Description:
• Dictionary of terms, concepts, people, and organizations in the history of atheism, freethought, humanism
• Very personal reference on the basis of Cooke's past studies, research
Book Review
There are a number of options to choose from with Gordon Stein's Encyclopedia of Unbelief probably ranking as the best. A slightly smaller and less expensive option is the more recent Dictionary of Atheism, Skepticism, & Humanism by Bill Cooke, yet how does this resource fare? It's a mixed bag - some aspects are very good while others are inexplicably inadequate.
There are some good entries dealing with atheism proper, for example the idea that atheism is insufficient because it doesn't constitute a positive philosophy of life and the debate over whether the question gods' existence is really very important. Cooke doesn't always try to provide final answers but instead describes the overall issues and positions which different people adopt. These are among the best entries in the book because they explain the concept and give readers a sound basis for further research - exactly what a short encyclopedia like this should be doing.
On the other hand this is less an objective reference encyclopedia and more a personal reference that documents the various issues and ideas which Cooke has encountered over the years. Cooke openly acknowledges this, describing the book as the product of "thirty years of eclectic reading." There's nothing wrong with such a book and there are many examples in the history of publishing of such works having a great deal of influence. What's important, however, is that you know this when you open the book and thus know what to expect. Otherwise, it will be difficult to understand the presence and absence of certain items.
For example, why is there an entry for "Just War"? I could understand an entry on the ethics of war which explains various secular, atheistic positions and which also includes a bit of information about Christian Just War theories. I'm not sure why an entry about Just War in particular is here, however, except that it's a concept which Cooke has found interesting and wanted to include. It wouldn't have a place in an objective, academic reference work on atheism, skepticism, and humanism, but in a personal encyclopedic reference it's more understandable.
Other issues are more difficult to explain. Why, for example, is there no entry for the Raelians? UFOs merit an entry, but not Raelians - and the UFO entry doesn't even mention the Raelians. Granted, the Raelians aren't an example of humanism or skepticism, but they are definitely an example of atheism. They can be very aggressively atheistic, in fact. Their absence here can't be explained on the basis of their being a religion because there are entries for Religious Humanism and Ethical Culture. I can't think of any good reason for Raelians not having a detailed entry in an encyclopedia about atheism, even a highly personal one, and so I wonder what else might be missing.
This is not to say that it's a bad book, though. It's well written and there are lots of interesting descriptions of people, places, organizations, and concepts which have something to do with atheism, freethought, skepticism, and humanism. It is, however, an incomplete and personalized reference which, if used, should ideally be used in conjunction with more complete and objective works.
