Recommended Reading

Articles on the internet and discussions on bulletin boards about Mormon history and doctrine are good, and can start you off on the right path, but nothing replaces the depth of a good, reliable, scholarly book. Therefore, we've compiled a list of books that will give you indepth, scholarly information about LDS Church history and doctrine, written by credible scholars, as well as a few other books that relate to either Christianity or other religion in general.

Mormon History
Mormon Doctrine/Scriptures - General
Mormon Doctrine/Scriptures - Book of Mormon
Mormon Doctrine/Scriptures - Book of Abraham
Mormon Doctrine/Scriptures - Bible
Mormon Doctrine/Scriptures - Doctrine and Covenants
Misc. Religion, Critical Thinking, and Philosophy

Mormon History

Early Mormon Documents, Vols. 1-5, edited by Dan Vogel, published by Signature Books: For the serious student of Mormon history, these volumes are hard to beat. Editor Dan Vogel has compiled mountains of primary, original documents, and reprinted them in five volumes. Each volume is packed with reprinted letters, diaries, newspaper articles/interviews, court records, etc., of people who influenced early Mormon history and those that were close to the action -- people like Joseph Smith Jr., William Smith, Lucy Smith, Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery, Palmyra residents, Josiah Stowell, Eber D. Howe, Charles Anthon, Isaac Hale, Emma Hale, Alva Hale, David Whitmer, and many, many more.
New Mormon Studies CD-ROM, by Smith Research Associates, published by Signature Books: This CD-ROM costs about $200, but what a resource! This single CD-ROM contains hundreds of books and periodicals that can be easily searched. Want to find out what early Church leaders said about the "Lamanites"? Type in "Lamanite" into the search engine, and hundreds of "hits" pop up within seconds that range from the Journal of Discourses, to diaries, to periodical articles. The CD-ROM contains scholarly books on a large variety of subjects all related to Mormonism, as well as numerous editions of Sunstone and Dialogue periodicals. For those serious about Mormon history/culture, this is definitely worth every penny!
The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, by D. Michael Quinn, published by Signature Books: This is an excellent book by one of Mormonism's best historians. Thoroughly documented (the footnotes take up 197 pages!), this volume takes the reader step by step through the evolution of Joseph Smith's (and eventually, Brigham Young's) rise to power. It begins with the humble beginnings in which the Church was relatively free from authority figures, then guides the reader through the development of Joseph's power and the beginnings of Church bureaucracy. Finally, it discusses the ramifications of Joseph's death and the subsequent power struggle between the various factions which resulted in Brigham Young gaining the support of the majority of the Mormon population. It's a very fascinating look into the political behind-the-scenes maneuverings which has shaped the Church. This is a "must-have" book for any library.
The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, by D. Michael Quinn, published by Signature Books: The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power is the companion volume to The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power. Like the first volume, this thick book is extremely well documented. Extensions of Power is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into the Church's internal politics from Brigham Young to the present. Behind the facade of unity that Church leaders like to present to Church members and to the world, there are political maneuverings that equal that of any other large bureaucratic organization. This book documents, among other things, the Church's little-known pivotal role in defeating the Equal Rights Amendement, it's cover-ups of dubious financial activities, and it's aggressive investigation of certain types of individuals by the Church's security force.
Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, by D. Michael Quinn, published by Signature Books: Early Mormonism and the Magic World View thoroughly documents the folk magic beliefs and practices of Joseph Smith's childhood and early adult life that eventually became blended with 19th-century Protestantism to create the uniqueness of Mormonism. This book guides the reader through the early Mormon belief in, and use of, divining rods, seer stones, and treasure digging. Chapters Three and Four discuss Joseph's beliefs in ritual magic, astrology, amulets, talismans, and magic parchments and how those beliefs shaped Mormonism.
Mormon Polygamy: A History, by Richard S. Van Wagoner, published by Signature Books: Today's LDS Church goes to great lengths to minimize its polygamous past. However, for the better part of a century, the practice of polygamy was integral to Mormon faith and beliefs. Even now, the Church has never renounced the doctrine of polygamy, even though it has eliminated the practice of polygamy -- in this life, at least. Mormon Polygamy: A History is an excellent overview of Mormon polygamy from it's inception in the 1830's by Joseph Smith to the Mormon polygamist dynasties in the 1980's. After reading this book, you'll discover that Fundamentalist Mormons actually practice a type of Mormonism that's much closer to Joseph Smith's and Brigham Young's Mormonism than today's LDS Church. Mormon Polygamy: A History is an easy read, and is relatively short (217 pages). However, it's packed with fascinating information, and should grace the library of every Latter-day Saint.
In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith, by Todd Compton, published by Signature Books: This book is pretty unique among Mormon historical books. Most books dealing with Mormonism concentrate on the men, who were the "movers and shakers" of the movement. However, Todd Compton provides us with a very unique perspective of Mormon history in his book In Sacred Loneliness. In Sacred Loneliness is a collection of biographical sketches of each of Joseph Smith's thirty-three known, documented wives. Each wife gets her own chapter, except for the Mother-Daughter team Joseph married, in which Patty and Sylvia Sessions share a chapter, and for two of the sister teams he married, in which Sarah and Maria Lawrence share a chapter, and Delcena and Almera Johnson share another chapter. A very moving, sometimes heart-rending book, In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith definitely needs to be in the library of every Latter-day Saint, or those with an interest in Mormon history.
Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, by Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery, published by University of Illinois Press: For most of us who grew up in the LDS Church, we didn't learn much about Emma Smith, first wife of Joseph Smith. She didn't travel west with the Saints to Utah, and Brigham Young didn't always have very nice things to say about her. But, it remains a fact that Emma was a powerful force in early Mormon history. Emma was strong, smart, opinionated, and had a powerful capacity to ignore her own unfortunate circumstances in order to help others in greater need. Faithful Latter-day Saints Newell and Tippetts take us through a well-documented, unabashed look at Emma Smith and the early Mormon history which unfolded around her. In this book, we learn of her strong character, and of the trials that constantly invaded her life -- mobs, privations, secret marriages of her husband to other women, including her best friends and counselors in the Relief Society -- and how Emma overcame these adversities. The reader of Mormon Enigma will almost surely come away with a new-found respect for Emma Hale Smith.
Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet, Dan Vogel, published by Signature Books: So many of the biographies that have been written about Joseph Smith can fall into one of two camps -- faithful promotions of the myth of Joseph Smith, or assassinations of Joseph Smith's character. Vogel has taken up the challenge made by historian Jan Shipps to blend both sides of Joseph -- to acknowledge his noble aspects while including his character flaws. Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet only takes us up to 1831, but Vogel does so comprehensively in the book's 744 pages. Probably it's greatest strength is that it has the most in-depth analysis of the BoM ever written, taking into account essentially all of the scholarship out there, by both apologists and critics. Vogel, far more than any other biographer of JS, has looked to Joseph's writings in order to understand his life.
The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship, by David John Buerger, published by Smith Research Associates: As we all have been taught, the temple ceremony is "sacred", not "secret". Yet, no one will dare talk about any aspect of the temple ceremony outside the Celestial Room. Even if you were to corner a temple president inside the temple in which he presides, chances are he'd still be unwilling, or unable, to provide details of how the temple ceremonies evolved into the ceremonies we attend today. Buerger's book breaks this secrecy, and reveals how much Joseph Smith borrowed from the Freemasonic rites of his day by comparing the two side by side. Of course, the popular apologetic response is that Freemasonry received (and subsequently corrupted) their rites from Solomon's temple, which, ostensibly, were identical to Joseph Smith's temple rites. Upon closer examination, of course, this argument falls flat, since the origin of many of the Masonic rituals that made it into our temple ceremony can be traced to the 18th century - not to Solomon's temple. The Mysteries of Godliness would be an excellent addition to every Latter-day Saint library. Even for those who are still faithful, it's worth getting the book in order to prepare their children for the first time they take out their endowments -- an experience that is often bewildering and extremely uncomfortable to those who have had no preparation.
The Refiners Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology by John Brooke, published by Cambridge University Press: This is one of the best books on Mormon history by a non-Mormon historian. It received the Bancroft prize - one of the highest awards bestowed by professional historians - but was (not surprisingly) panned as the worst book of the year by FARMS. Brooke places Joseph Smith's theology in its historical context and provides an excellent discussion of the influence of Masonry and other theological trends on Joseph Smith's thinking. Most of the best books on Mormon history cover the period before 1831, but Brooke's book goes on to provide the most thorough discussion of Joseph's Nauvoo theology in print. Because it's a book aimed at professional historians, it's a tough read, but well worth the effort.
Mormon America, by Richard and Joan Ostling, published by HarperSanFrancisco: This book, by two reporters who have covered the Mormon church for years, is an even-handed look at the modern church. It covers everything from Mormon art to the church's efforts at mainstreaming, controversies over the Book of Mormon, and the church's approach to dissenters. This book has a fascinating (and infuriating) chapter on the controversies surrounding the professionalization of the Church History department in the 1970's. The Ostlings articulate the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary Mormon culture and church organization better than any other book out there. In addition to the book's insights, the interviews and bibliography in this book are invaluable for anyone researching the modern Mormon church.
Joseph Smith and the Origins of the Book of Mormon, by David Persuitte, published by McFarland & Company: This small book offers detailed coverage of Joseph's 1826 trial for "glass-looking," the parallels between Ethan Smith's A View of the Hebrews and the Book of Mormon, and Thomas Dick's possible influence on the Book of Abraham and Mormon doctrine. Persuitte provides extensive excerpts from primary sources that are rarely mentioned in most other books, but which anyone interested in the origins in the Book of Mormon should be aware of.
Joseph Smith's Response to Skepticism, by Robert Hullinger, published by Signature Books: This book attempts to understand why Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon. Hullinger's thesis is that the book is Joseph's response to the deism and skepticism that were pervading American culture in the early 19th century. The main strength of this book is it's discussion of the Book of Mormon in the context of changing 19th-century ideas about the Bible. Hullinger's important book is frequently cited by later scholars of the Book of Mormon.

Mormon Doctrine/Scriptures - General

An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, by Grant Palmer, published by Signature Books: If you are just starting to learn about the various controversies surrounding Mormonism's foundational claims, this is a great book to start off with. Written by an honest believer, Grant Palmer covers such subjects as Joseph Smith as a Translator/Revelator, authorship of the Book of Mormon, Evangelical Protestantism in the Book of Mormon, Witnesses to the Golden Plates, The Book of Abraham, the Kinderhook Plates, the Greek psalter, the evolution of the First Vision story, and much more. This is an excellent book, that we highly recommend.
The Word of God, edited by Dan Vogel, published by Signature Books: This essay collection, edited by Dan Vogel, is absolutely excellent. Unfortunately out of print, it's worth the effort to find a copy to borrow. Probably the most notable of all the essays is Edward Ashment's "Reducing Dissonance: The Book of Abraham as a Case Study", in which he addresses both cognitive dissonance and the Book of Abraham. Other fantastic essays are Lester Bush's "The Word of Wisdom in Early Nineteenth-Century Perspective", and Vogel's and Metcalfe's "Joseph Smith's Scriptural Cosmology" (where you can read about Joseph's beliefs of men living on the moon).
The Search for Harmony, edited by Gene A. Sessions and Craig J. Oberg, published by Signature Books: Though out of print, if you have access to a library or other source which will lend you a copy, this has several essays that are worth the read. This collection of essays seeks to reconcile Mormon doctrine with science. One of the noteworthy inclusions of this collection are a couple essays discussing the evolution the Church made from being relatively supportive of the Theory of Evolution to generally opposed to it. The book chronicles the internal politics which caused the shift, and how the anti-evolutionists (such as Joseph Fielding Smith) simply out-lived the pro-evolutionists like James Talmage and B.H. Roberts, and became free to promote an anti-Evolutionary point of view with little opposition.

Mormon Doctrine/Scriptures - Book of Mormon

American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon, edited by Dan Vogel and Brent Lee Metcalfe, published by Signature Books: In Sunday School, most of us will learn a few basics of the Book of Mormon. We're told to read the text, and apply its lessons in our lives. But what do we really know about the Book of Mormon? How can a proper historical perspective help us understand more about its origins and intents? Vogel and Metcalfe have collected nine essays from different authors to aid in understanding the historical context in which the Book of Mormon emerged. Included in this book is Thomas Murphy's landmark essay, "Lamanite Genesis, Genealogy, and Genetics", as well as Vogel's insightful essay entitled, "The Validity of the Witnesses' Testimonies", and Scott C. Dunn's "Automaticity and the Dictation of the Book of Mormon". This book is definitely worth purchasing.
New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology, edited by Brent Lee Metcalfe, published by Signature Books: New Approaches to the Book of Mormon is currently out of print, but if you can find it at a library, or get it through an inter-library loan, it will be worth your trouble. For two hundred years, the Bible has been scrutinized with an approach sometimes called "Higher Criticism". New Approaches to the Book of Mormon is one of the most prominent examples of such an approach being taken on the Book of Mormon. This is definitely not light reading, but much of the information contained in this book would be hard to find elsewhere. Like American Apocrypha, Metcalfe has collected a series of essays written by various authors about the Book of Mormon from the perspective of their particular fields of expertise. For example, Egyptologist Edward Ashment provided the essay, "A Record of the Language of My Father: Evidence of Ancient Egyptian and Hebrew in the Book of Mormon", and anthropologist Deanne Matheny gave us her essay, "Does the Shoe Fit? A Critique of the Limited Tehuantepec Geography". New Approaches to the Book of Mormon is deep, insightful, and scholarly. We highly recommend this book if you can find it.
Studies of the Book of Mormon, by B.H. Roberts, edited by Brigham G. Madsen, published by Signature Books: Studies of the Book of Mormon is a fascinating book, from an historical perspective. B.H. Roberts, president of the Quorum of Seventy, and renowned defender of the LDS Church, privately did his own study on the problems surrounding the Book of Mormon. Why he did so, no one really knows. All we do know is that these three exhaustive studies were written by Roberts in the 1920's and 1930's, and were never meant to be published. These studies are pretty devastating to the claims that the Book of Mormon is an ancient document. In particular, B.H. Roberts provided a thorough study showing the parallels between the Book of Mormon and a book preceding the Book of Mormon by only a few years called "View of the Hebrews", written by a pastor who lived near Palmyra, and who was the pastor of Oliver Cowdery's three sisters and his stepmother. Roberts remained faithful to the end of his days, and his studies never saw the light of day until years later when his son, Ben Roberts, made them public. It's ironic that one of the most critical, devastating, studies of the Book of Mormon came from one of its most ardent defenders. Even Roberts was not able to provide an adequate defense to his own study, and really never even tried. Of note, in this book, is the reaction of the Quorum of the Twelve when Roberts presented one of the studies to them.
Quest for the Gold Plates: Thomas Stuart Ferguson's Archaeological Search for the Book of Mormon, by Stan Larson, published by Freethinker Press: This book is a fantastic first book for anyone doubting the historicity of the Book of Mormon, or who is just becoming aware of the many archeological, linguistic, and anthropological problems surrounding the Book of Mormon. Stan Larson traces the decades-long journey of one of the Book of Mormon's chief defenders, Thomas Stuart Ferguson, from being an idealistic believer, to being a closet-disbeliever. Ferguson is the one who spearheaded the search of ancient American ruins for evidence in favor of the Book of Mormon. For years, Ferguson tirelessly raised funds, hired professional archeologists, visited various ruins, and wrote excitedly about the findings and possibilities of so-called "Book of Mormon archeology". But, in the end, no real evidence ever surfaced for the Book of Mormon. Despite making truly ground-breaking discoveries that have gone down in the pages of American archeological history, all the evidence that Ferguson's team collected pointed away from the Book of Mormon, rather than toward it. Quest for the God Plates is a "must read"! If you can't add it to your own library, you at least need to borrow it from a library and read it. Not only is the story of Thomas Stuart Ferguson chronicled, but a great deal of valuable information on the state of archeological evidence against the Book of Mormon is included.
Losing A Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church, by Simon G. Southerton, published by Signature Books: Losing a Lost Tribe is the most current and detailed examination to date of the evidence surrounding Native American DNA and how it impacts the LDS Church's teachings regarding the Hebrew origins of Native Americans. According to the teachings of every prophet starting with Joseph Smith, all Native Americans are descendants of Lehi, and are, therefore, Hebrew (see Who Are The Lamanites?). However, DNA evidence clearly shows that Native Americans have Siberian/Mongoloid origins, and are entirely void of Hebrew ancestors. Read the ZCL review of the book here.

Mormon Doctrine/Scriptures - Book of Abraham

By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri, by Charles Larson, published by Institute for Religious Research: By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus, published more than a decade ago, is still one of the best treatments in print on the issues surrounding the Book of Abraham. True, apologists of the Church often complain that critics of the Book of Abraham reference By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus without regard to the "new scholarship" they've provided for the Book of Abraham. But, the truth is that this so-called "new scholarship" that apologists promote is just repackaged old arguments that Charles Larson has already adequately dealt with in this book. Our only criticism and word of warning regarding By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus is that it's written from a conservative Christian perspective, and therefore has one whole chapter toward the end of the book devoted to promoting the "real Jesus", in favor of the "Mormon Jesus". With that in mind, we don't recommend that you give this book to your very LDS family members and friends, since the last chapter will cause them to discount the rest of the book. However, despite that one specific chapter, the information regarding the history of the Book of Abraham and how it stacks up against our current knowledge of Egyptology is very, very accurate. It's an easy read, and will give you a firm grasp of the basic issues of the Book of Abraham, and the basic approaches taken by apologists. By clicking on the link above, you can either order a free copy of By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus or download the text for free. We highly recommend this book, with the one noted exception.

Mormon Doctrine/Scriptures - Bible

Who Wrote The Bible?, by Richard Elliott Friedman, published by HarperSanFrancisco: So much energy in the LDS Church is devoted to propping up the Book of Mormon and the Myth of Joseph Smith, that not much real study is devoted to the Bible. Most of the thinking and assumptions associated with the Bible in LDS thought come directly from the early- to mid-19th Century. Most current Biblical scholarship -- including modern translations like the NIV -- are viewed with deep suspicion by Latter-day Saints. This book will bring you up to date on who wrote the basic books of the Bible. It doesn't go into depth on many of the books written by the minor prophets, but talks extensively on the "First Five Books of Moses", which were not written by Moses, as well as other books in the Old Testament, and reveals the current scholarship of their origins. Who Wrote The Bible is an excellent addition to any Latter-day Saint or Christian library.
Who Wrote The New Testament? The Making of the Christian Myth, by Burton L. Mack, published by HarperSanFrancisco: The LDS Church is currently trying to mainstream its image. It wishes to portray a more "Christian" persona. Yet, with all the talk about being Christian, the Church avoids current Biblical scholarship. Almost all of our "knowledge" from official Church sources are based in 19th-Century assumptions about the Bible. Even the dates and authors of the books -- facts established a long time ago -- are rejected in favor of incorrect 19th-Century assumptions. Who Wrote The New Testament is an overview of the latest scholarship into the evolution of what we know as the New Testament. It is an essential book for anyone who wishes to call themselves "Christian", or for anyone who would like to correct their skewed assumptions they obtained while growing up in the LDS Church.
The Origin of Satan, by Elaine Pagels, published by Vintage: In the LDS worldview, Satan is real. He's the nemesis of all that's good. He and his devils are constantly trying to make Latter-day Saints sin and fall away from the Church. He's after their children, and he's behind most of what's bad in their lives. However, he wasn't always this way. In The Origin of Satan, journey back in time with respected Biblical scholar Elaine Pagels to a point in history about two-and-a-half millennia ago when the character of Satan was created. Learn how he started off as an obedient angel of God whose job was to provide opposition. Throughout the years, people have added details to his character one by one, until he has become the embodiment of evil, and is at open war with God, and all that's good. While LDS theology places most of its emphasis on Jesus, the character of Satan is, nevertheless, extremely important. The Origin of Satan will de-mythologize Satan, and put him in his proper historical perspective. It is an excellent read.
A History of God, by Karen Armstrong, published by Ballantine Books: What's one thing Judaism, Christianity and Islam have in common? Belief in God. A History of God is essential reading for anyone who believes in God, or for anyone who was raised to believe in God. Highly respected Biblical scholar Karen Armstrong takes on the daunting task of unraveling the 4,000 year evolutionary history of our current, Western, concept of who and what God is. Armstrong details the evolution of God from his polytheistic origins to his strict monotheism, and through the various attributes of starting off as largely vengeful and warlike, into being a loving and forgiving father.

Mormon Doctrine/Scriptures - Doctrine and Covenants

The Joseph Smith Revelations: Text and Commentary, by H. Michael Marquardt, published by Signature Books: The Church likes to cultivate the myth that the revelations we read in the Doctrine and Covenants were dictated straight from Christ's mouth through Joseph Smith, direct to paper; then left there, unchanged, for the benefit of the members. This is a myth and is entirely untrue. Revelations were routinely changed throughout the 1830's and 1840's to reflect changes and evolutions in various doctrines. Some revelations were pre-dated to make it appear that priesthood authority appeared sooner than it actually did. Certain doctrines that evolved in the late 1830's were inserted into early 1830's revelations to give the appearance of consistency. Indeed, Oliver Cowdery, who was Joseph's scribe for many of these revelations, became very upset by the egregious nature of these changes, and ended up believing that Joseph was a fallen prophet. Marquardt, in his book The Joseph Smith Revelations, compares the currently published revelations found in the Doctrine and Covenants with the first published sources of these same revelations -- The Book of Commandments, and various journals. By comparing the differing versions of revelations, one can follow the evolution of Mormon doctrine from quite mainstream Protestant-based in the beginning, into something quite unique by the 1840's. Also included are Joseph Smith's non-canonized revelations. Often these revelations weren't canonized because they didn't come true, or were seriously flawed in some way. But, Marquardt provides them anyway. The Joseph Smith Revelations: Text and Commentary is a resource very few Latter-day Saints even know exists.

Misc. Religion, Critical Thinking, and Philosophy

The Varieties of Religious Experience, by William James, published by Modern Library: Even though this book was first published back in 1902, it is still applicable today. William James, a noted psychologist, takes us through the varying psychological experiences that make up our collective religious experiences. Since his writings are now in the public domain, you can purchase this book very inexpensively. In the link above, you can download an e-book version for less than $5.00. Of particular note to Latter-day Saints are the examples he uses of people from the early 1800's (one experience, in particular, in 1820's New York State) which are uncannily similar to Joseph Smith's First Vision -- particularly, his earliest recorded version.
Why God Won't Go Away, by Andrew Newberg, M.D., Eugene D'Aquill, M.D., Ph.D., and Vince Rause, published by Ballantine Books: Most Latter-day Saints simply assume that the spiritual manifestations and feelings they feel are 1) somehow unique in providing them assurance that the "Gospel is true", and 2) are feelings imprinted on them directly by the Holy Ghost. Indeed, religious experiences are extremely powerful for all humans. But, is this phenomenon a direct result of a supernatural being, or can it be explained as a physical, chemical reaction in our own brains? While Why God Won't Go Away never tries to assume that God doesn't exist, it does attempt to explain in layman terms what happens in our brains when we have religious experiences. Newberg and D'Aquili take us into their lab, where they have studied this phenomenon scientifically, using PET scans to locate the region in our brains which is responsible for spiritual experiences, and measure, and even recreate, the conditions necessary to duplicate those experiences in the lab. This is a ground-breaking work that needs to be read by everyone who has ever been religiously-inclined.
Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and other Confusions of Our Time, by Michael Shermer, published by Owl Books: For many leaving the LDS Church, the question as to why people believe "weird things" seems applicable to those believers left behind. But in reality there are plenty of other weird beliefs out there -- alien abductions, Jewish holocaust conspiracies, mind-reading, etc. Shermer lists more than two dozen ways our thinking gets screwed up, which often leads us to believe things that are far removed from reality. For those just coming out of the fog of Mormonism, this book is very helpful in developing good critical thinking skills. This is an excellent book for anyone.
How We Know What Isn't So: The Fallibility of Human Reason In Everyday Life, by Thomas Gilovich, published by Free Press: Psychologist Thomas Gilovich provides a fascinating look into our minds, and how we come have deep-seated erroneous beliefs that we never question. One of the big reasons we don't question our erroneous beliefs, according to Gilovich, is because no one ever challenges us on those beliefs. Our beliefs that are consistently challenged tend to be the most consistent with reality. This is a fantastic book for those exiting a fundamentalist worldview!
Atheism: The Case Against God, by George H. Smith, published by Prometheus Books: Atheism is routinely misunderstood by theists -- sometimes grossly misunderstood. Atheists, in fact, often have to call themselves "agnostics", even though the term may be inaccurate for them, just to give theists a slightly more correct mental picture of the atheist's true beliefs. This book strives to correct these misunderstandings. It correctly defines the terms "atheism" and "agnosticism", and then attempts to provide a case for atheism's validity. Even if you are a dyed-in-the-wool theist, with absolutely no possibility of losing your theistic beliefs, you really ought to read this book in order to better understand the people you interact with who may be atheists. It will give you a fresh perspective as to why they're atheists, and what you should not assume about them because of their atheistic status. At the very least, your atheist friends will appreciate your attempt to better understand their point of view.
Why Atheism?, by George H. Smith, published by Prometheus Books: Why Atheism? is meant to be a more concise treatment of the arguments in favor of Atheism than the author's previous work, Atheism: The Case Against God. Indeed, Why Atheism? weighs in at less than 200 pages, as compared to the 350 pages of its predecessor. Whether you're exploring the validity of atheism, or whether you're just trying to understand the atheist's perspective, this is a good book on the subject.

Signature Books — online books section

In addition to many of the fantastic publications that Signature Books has for sale above, they have also created a Free Online Book section on their website. We are very excited about this resource. These are books that are now out of print, that probably don't have enough draw to warrant a reprinting, but which are well-written and full of great information, so the folks at Signature Books would like the public to still be able to access themm. It's a page that we highly recommend you bookmark, since it will be updated with dozens more books in the future:

The Signature Books Library