Preface

Academic authors tend to write defensively. As academics, we often back up every claim with multiple citations and exhaustively defend our work against every conceivable criticism. For this reason, earlier drafts of this book were originally many times longer and included many more citations, quotations, and rational defenses of our point of view. To adapt those earlier drafts for a general audience, we have eliminated most of this.¶

If you are unconvinced by the perspectives outlined here, do not immediately dismiss them. Instead, explore the articles and books included in the Further Readings section at the end of the book. Every claim we make in this book has been made by dozens of other credible scholars. Their more academic treatment of these same issues may be more persuasive to you.¶