Belief Instinct: The Psychology of Souls, Destiny, and the Meaning of Life

Witty . . . . [Bering] employs examples and analogies that make his arguments seem like common sense rather than the hard-earned scientific insights they really are.
Bering ranges comfortably among evolutionary biology, psychology, and philosophical concerns, and finds the good science in belief.
Bering's contribution to answering the question [of God] is worthy of consideration by any thinking person.
[Bering] approaches these dicey subjects with a dazzlingly insightful reading of the empirical literature on human cognition and development, a sly sense of humor, and an obvious compassion for those who do not share his beliefs. He also has a lot of fun. Richard Dawkins and others have surveyed some of this terrain before, but few have done it as convincingly and enjoyably.
A colorful romp through psychology, philosophy and popular culture.
Blending empirical evidence from seminal research with literary allusions and cultural critique, Bering examines the central tenets of spirituality, from life's purpose to the notion of an afterlife, in a sociotheological context underlined by the rigor of a serious scientist.