Book cover of Doubt: A History

Book description

In the tradition of grand sweeping histories such as From Dawn To Decadence, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, and A History of God, Hecht champions doubt and questioning as one of the great and noble, if unheralded, intellectual traditions that distinguish the Western mind especially-from Socrates to Galileo and Darwin…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Doubt as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I have always been intrigued by thoughtful doubters who reject mainstream ideas, whose intellects “boldly go where nobody has gone before.” Most of our intellectual revolutions start with such doubters, who look at widely accepted ideas and say “I am not so sure about this.”

I really loved the author's discussion of poor Job as he wrestled with the prevailing belief that a good man would be blessed by God with a happy life. Jennifer Hecht is a gifted writer. She reminds us that now-mainstream thinkers from the pastPythagoras, Jesus, Marx, Galileo, Freud, Darwin—were radicals in their own…

If you love Doubt...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like Doubt?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Doubt.

Browse books like Doubt

Book cover of Darwin: The Life of a Tormented Evolutionist
Book cover of Coming of Age in the Milky Way
Book cover of New Worlds, Ancient Texts: The Power of Tradition and the Shock of Discovery

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,395

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Doubt, you might also like...

Book cover of Need to Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence

Need to Know by Nicholas Reynolds,

The authoritative but accessible history of the birth of modern American intelligence in World War II that treats not just one but all of the various disciplines: spies, codebreakers, saboteurs.

Told in a relatable style that focuses on actual people, it was a New Yorker "Best of 2022" selection and…

Book cover of Tsunami

Tsunami by LeeAnn Pickrell,

On the morning of December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. The resulting tsunami killed an estimated 230,000 people across fourteen countries, from Indonesia to Sri Lanka to Thailand to the Maldives to India and all the way to East Africa.…

5 book lists we think you will like!