This book is complete rubbish and it's astonishing that someone has paid for it to be published again. It is based on an absurd premise - that western culture is somehow based on humanistic ideals. Once critical thinking and philosophy are taught to all children from an early age we might begin to see a humanistic society. Right now we have is a hodge-podge postmodern disaster where the rantings of all absurd religions are given 'equal validity' and greed is taught as the one true god via our 'free' media. How can humanism be blamed?

I found this book hard to put down even though I disagree with his basic thesis. Our culture is in crisis, but it is mainly the result of greed and apathy which are two tenets of human nature common to mankind regardless of creed or education.
Death does not need to be seen as an enemy. It is part of the natural process (I am not a Buddhist). If we did not die, very soon the planet would be overpopulated.
His analysis of Freud is not really very original - hardly anyone believes him any more, except the New Age Pop Psychologists.
Perhaps he just needs to get out more!

For a decent appraisal of what the true wreck of modern civilisation is, try Francis Wheen's 'Idiot Proof: Deluded Celebrities, Irrational Power Brokers, Media Morons, and the Erosion of Common Sense'. (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00073HH9M/ref=pd_sim_b_4/104-0160577-9283921?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance).

In this book Wheen outlines the way in which the humanistic ideals of the enlightenment have been abandoned or ignored (by both the masses and many powerful leaders) in favour of religious/postmodern/new age bunk.

Bring back Humanism.

Well written Peter.
This is now the second of your articles, that I have read, and I have had many of the same thoughts. You expressed yourself well.

I often go back over this book, and appreciate many of its gems.

John Carrol also wrote 'Guilt: The Grey Eminence Behind Character, History and Culture'.
He is certainly a prophetic voice outside of the church, and Christianity, and for this reason his contribution is - as you suggest - free from a need to keep the faithful happy - while at the same time saying many things, with which the faithful would be happy.

In my view, humanism is a dead end approach to life. And many who hold to it seem very agro, for all their thinking and philosophy.

However, death has its legitimate place, in a world where sin and guilt have had such profound effects.

Certainly death is a welcome situation, for us all - eventually.
But especially so, when one believes the promises of Jesus.
Whoever lives and believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live....