Reddit reviews Buddhism the Religion of No-Religion (Alan Watts Love Of Wisdom)

Alan Watts - The Book (on the taboo against knowing who you are)

..and Buddhism - The Religion of No Religion

'Religion' is the answer for most people. But this didn't work for me because being scientific minded I rejected religion at a young age. Recently I've read more about Buddhism, and seen that it has a minimum of mythology and I think what mythology is attached to Buddhism can be rejected without losing the rest of the philosophy.

I think this book is a good, short, cheap intro to buddhism: http://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-Religion-No-Religion-Watts-Wisdom/dp/080483203X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296157180&sr=8-1

And this is a good book on mortality. It's ostensibly for kids, but I think it fits in well with Buddhist thoughts, and it helps calm me when I read it: http://www.amazon.com/Lifetimes-Bryan-Mellonie/dp/0553344021/ref=cm_lmf_tit_8_rsrssi2

Finally, this book says it is for mothers, but I am not a mother and I found it a good introduction to the most practical aspects of buddhism: http://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-Mothers-Approach-Yourself-Children/dp/1741140102/ref=tmm_pap_title_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296157315&sr=8-1

Yeah, totally.

Alan Watts, Buddhism: The Religion of No Religion, audio dl

Steve Hagen, Buddhism Plain and Simple (haven't read it, but it's highly recommended)

Also, you can check out the FAQ.

Start with Watts. He's a great writer and the book is really short.

Schick and Vaughan's How to Think About Weird Things and Sagan's Demon-Haunted World are my favourites of what I've already seen listed in the comments. If you're really into this, I also recommend Skeptic Magazine. And for the hell of it, listen to Baba Brinkman.

These all toot the horn of Western science, which is great stuff, but also can feel cold and empty by itself. The other side of the critical thinking coin can be found in Eastern thought.

I sincerely recommend following Alan Watts. He's a brilliant, playful artist of ideas -- his outlook is the closest I've ever found to spiritual realism. Buddhism (especially Zen) makes for a great subjective science of mind, as long as, when exploring it, one uses the critical thinking skills learned elsewhere.

If you read Sam Harris (I've read The Moral Landscape and The End of Faith), you'll find his approach to reason is a lot of neuroscience and a bit of Eastern thought. He's like a more Western-leaning Watts, clear to the point of bluntness, very refreshing.

I have a personal thing for mixing east and west. I'll stop now. :)