Holy Blood, Holy Grail: The Secret History of Christ & The Shocking Legacy of the Grail
by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln was the book that finally helped me let go of my lingering "but what if the church, bible, etc are right." thoughts. It was a grueling read, mostly because they researched it very thoroughly and included all that detail in the book. But when they wrapped it up and made their conclusions at the end, it blew my mind. Never looked back.

The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Seriously...

I suppose this is one of those discussions that could go on for ever and ever with no conclusion but I still believe in free will. I think we are very heavily influenced by our history and past experiences but that doesn't mean that we don't still have the ability to make decisions and changes in our lives. I'm sure Sam Harris could do a better job proving that we don't have free will, but I still believe we have it.

The book I read which affected me similarly was On Being Certain, by Robert Burton. He is a neuroscientist, and his book is about how people form beliefs, come to conclusions, avoid contradictory information, etc. He also explores the concept of free will, and the myth of objectivity. It was a mind-blowing book.

Maybe I should read it. I realized religious residue was keeping me in an unfulfilling marriage, like I was going to get some sort of purple jelly bean prize in the afterlife if I stuck it out. Might be time to root out whatever else I might not even realize is hiding in my battered psyche.

I think it broke my inability to give up the most ridiculous parts of my beliefs. I never read the book but was curious what those beliefs were (perhaps I have them too !)