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Doubt, a History
The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson

By Jennifer Michael Hecht

     In a very ambitious undertaking, Jennifer Michael Hecht has chosen to view humanity and it's advancements through the innovations of doubters. She begins with Ancient Greece and moves through time all the way to the present era. For such a monumental project, prospective readers might feel inclined to shy away from the text, thinking that it must be excessively dull and academic. However, Hecht manages to present her subject in a tone that is authoritative while, at the same time, being almost conversational. The way Hecht writes, she seems like a tour guide leading readers through history and introducing them to the crucial players of those times.

     The book begins with an introduction that includes a "Scale of doubt quiz." Readers answer thirteen yes or no questions and then go into the text knowing that they are atheists, agnostics, or believers. The quiz serves as a wonderful mechanism to get readers involved in the text before they actually get into reading it.

     Ample endnotes and an index will help readers navigate the book as well as find further information on the theories and people Hecht illuminates in the chapters.

     If you'd like to take a journey through human history and meet the great thinkers/doubters of the world, both religious and secular, you will not be disappointed in this text. Perhaps by the end, you'll be compelled to begin your journey as one of the next great doubters.

The Book

HarperSanFrancisco / HarperCollins
2003
Paperback
0-06-009795-7
Non-fiction / History
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Excerpt

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The Reviewer

Sarah Lomas
Reviewed 2005
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© 2005 MyShelf.com