Time to fill your mind and think for yourself

After finding yourself shunned from your friends and family, it is hard to know how to cope and what to do as an EXJW. I have been down this road myself and 15 years on I am still enjoying my free mind.

I have put together a reading list of books that I wish I had read earlier, all of which helped me in some way. I was also lucky to work in a big bookstore, so while I didn't have friends and family around me, I still had advice and experiences of others to help me. Although finding out the truth about "the Truth" can be a painful experience, I believe it is worth the price. Hopefully some of these books resonate with you and help you on your lonely journey towards truth.

Some books are based on the History and Problems of the JW's as it was good to get my eyes opened completely once I left. The control they have over you is quite insidious and can be affecting you in ways you can't see, for years after you leave. This is without any extra harm that many have had to face, dealing with abuse, pedophilia or condemnation of their sexuality.

I have grouped the books into categories that cover things like science, psychology, philosophy and some fiction to name a few.

One of the most interesting pieces I have read on the History of the Jehovah's Witnesses was this piece by Maurice Barnett. The first 2 sections are particularly of interest with lots of references to the legal cases in which the JW's were embroiled and some interesting facts about the Presidents of the Watchtower Society. Many teachings that were professed by "God's Faithful and Discreet slave" would get a modern day JW excommunicated for heresy.....or as they would put it in their own language; Disfellowshipped for apostasy.

In the post below you will find a breakdown and description of the titles in each category.

 Pastor Russells Headstone and Pyramid Memorial - from Jehovah's Witnesses by Maurice Barnett.

A break down of the categories:

For the History and JW specific doctrinal issues please see the previous post for a more in depth break down.

The rest are small categories of reading resources that have been put together to help EXJWs survive on the outside and broaden their knowledge from more than what the GB teaches


Science
The works of Richard Dawkins -
The Greatest Show on Earth; The God Delusion
Selfish Gene, Blind Watchmaker; Ancestors Tale
Extended Phenotype, Devils Chaplain, Unweaving the Rainbow

Some more books to help you learn the things we were denied inside are:
Charles Darwin - The Origin of Species
Brian Greene - The Hidden Reality Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos              
                     - The Elegant Universe
Carl Sagan   - Cosmos
                    - The Demon Haunted World
                    - Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
                    - The Dragons of Eden
Bart D Ehrman is a scholar in ancient languages and has written some very interesting books on the Bible and it's authors. This was very eye opening and goes very much against what JWs were taught about the bible.
His titles include: Misquoting Jesus; Forged; How Jesus became God; John Jesus and History
The New Testament - A Historical Introduction, The Other Gospels, The Apocryphal Gospels and
Truth & Fiction in the Da Vinci Code

Being Shunned as an EXJW can leave you without the tools to function in normal society. These are some classic books that served me well with practical ideas on organizing your life, making friends, changing your thinking and getting ahead.
The titles I've included in this list are:
How to Win Friends & Influence People - Dale Carnegie
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R Covey
Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill
Malcolm Gladwell -
Outliers, Blink - The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, The Tipping Point
David & Goliath - Underdogs, Misfits & the Art of Battling Giants

Money and Economics - JWs are told to ignore money as they will not grow old. They have been saying similar things to people for over 120 years, meaning that many did get old and as the Society won't look after them, they are left living their final years in poverty. I found these books can give you a good place to start learning about money and the economy:
Robert T Kiyosaki - Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Robert Kiyosaki   - Why A Students Work for C Students
Richard Branson   - Losing My Virginity
Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner - Freakonomics expanded
                                                  - Superfreakonomics
Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder - The Snowball

For the Budding Atheist I have included 2 books by Christopher Hitchens. Interesting reads no matter what you believe about God:  God is not great & the Portable atheist

Sex & Relationships
Most of us, especially if raised in the JW cult, have very little experience dealing with sex and relationships outside the Society. Hopefully these books are a start.
In the Sex and relationships list I have included:
The Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman
The Joy of Sex - Ultimate edition
100 Great Sex Games for Couples....and for those who found their sexuality forbidden I have included these titles in the LGBT EXJWs reading list as a start:
The Joy Of Gay Sex
Inside & Outcast, Multifaceted Stigma in the lives of Gay & Lesbian JWs
and a movie:
Prayers for Bobby - IMdB info

True story of Mary Griffith, gay rights crusader, whose teenage son committed suicide due to her religious intolerance. Based on the book of the same title by Leroy F Aarons.

I couldn't get the book so this was the next best thing....warning: very emotional

Carl Gustav Jung did a lot of research, study and writing about the subconscious. I find his works explained to me much about my psyche. It is heavy reading so I suggest that anyone new to Jung start with Man & his symbols. The Books included in this list:
Man & his symbols - a good introduction
Quotations, Seven [7] Sermons to the dead, The Red Book, The Association Method
The Spiritual problem or Modern Man, AION - Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self
Freud and Psychoanalysis, Memories, Dreams, Reflections
Psychology & Religion, Psychology of the Unconscious 1916 & 1949
The Practice of Psychotherapy, Theory of Psychoanalysis
The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga, Collected Papers on Analytical Psychology
Contributions to Analytical Psychology, Psychological Types, Studies in Word Association
The Psychology of Dementia Praecox [Schizophrenia], Crystalinks

Plus a few more specific titles relating to what JWs believe and how some try to counter them:
Miller, John C.  Witnessing to Jehovah's Witnesses
Metzger, Bruce M. The Jehovah's Witnesses & Jesus Christ
Jehovah's Witnesses & Watchtower Doctrine Analysis - Essay -
Belief vs Fact, Smoking, 607 BCE, 144000, What constitutes false prophecy, the Faithful & discreet slave
New Light or Bad Light  - A look at "new light" from the faithful & discrete slave.


This is the list as it stands so far but there is more to add so check back again soon.

The JW specific reading list

Most of the books / papers / essays in this category deal specifically with issues uniquely JW. Though similar themes are found throughout most EXJW survival tales, every individual takes their own path to recovery.

The control of the Governing Body is absolute. All must believe what they teach, even if it is proven to be wrong. People who may be right, are called prideful and rebellious if they promote or even converse with others, about ideas contrary to what the G.B teaches. If the G.B later reaches the same conclusion, anyone "disfellowshipped" for believing an idea before the G.B approved it are not automatically "reinstated" or pardoned, and there is no apology to anyone who may have faced hardships due to restrictions made by the Governing Body after they reverse or change a restriction.

During the Walsh trial in Scotland, the future President of the Society and member of the "Governing Body", admitted under oath, that the watchtower has printed false prophecy and that unity is more important than truth.
You can read a copy of the transcript along with some typed out excerpts of key points, so as to make them easier to read, from here. <- I will find another place to host soon.

I also found the books by Raymond Franz  to be quite interesting as he had a rather unique perspective on the organisation as he was a member of the governing body, on the writing committee and the nephew of Fred Franz, who eventually became a president of the watchtower society, back when that meant something.
Crisis of Conscience tells his story starting from early life as a zealous Jehovah's Witness. This is by a man who clearly still has a strong faith in God but not in earthly organisations. The second book "In Search of Christian Freedom" explores worshiping God without religion, but rather on a personal level.

The Gentile Times Reconsidered  is mentioned in Crisis of Conscience and is an interesting read as to how the chronology that led the JWs to 1914 doesn't fit with history. This books takes a closer look at 607 BCE.

There is also some great drama in The 1917 Bible Students Schism between Rutherford and those who wanted the Watchtower to be run according the Russell wishes as expressed in his will. It follows the accounts as published by both sides.

I have included Comfort for the Jews by Rutherford to show just how inaccurate every prophecy made by the Watchtower Society has failed to come true....every single one. Also a paper examining a number of Misquotes by the Watchtower Society, used to support their teachings.