"Myths of the Tribe" provides the historical evidence needed to understand why religions preaching love and compassion have histories soaked in blood. The cause lies not in human failure to follow teachings, but in the structure of organized religion itself.

Institutional religion, claiming exclusive access to divine truth, must view all other beliefs as heretical. History, philosophy, ethics, psychology, and modern conflict data reveal that religion’s very framework fosters the intolerance and violence it claims to prevent. Rich doesn’t call for religion’s prohibition—he calls for rational examination of institutions once considered beyond criticism.

"Myths of the Tribe" traces how religions evolved from survival rituals into systems of control shaping how we think, vote, and live. Drawing from anthropology, cosmology, philosophy, and history, Rich shows how dogma—treated as infallible—has justified violence, suppressed science, and influenced our views on morality, poverty, drugs, and ethics. booksforthinkers.com

What if everything you believe about God and morality is simply an accident of where you were born?

David Rich spent decades traveling nearly every country on earth and found that faith almost always follows geography—Muslims in Arabia, Hindus in India, Christians in America, and so on.

Scribes of the Tribe asks whether religion is revelation or inheritance, and what that means for a world divided by competing beliefs.

Through monthly dinners between Rich, the skeptic, and Tom, the believer, their conversations progress from ancient tombs to modern conflict zones, from Epicurus to Aquinas, Freud to Pascal—our greatest thinkers across the ages.

Their dialogue distills centuries of philosophical struggle into intimate, searching exchange, and their friendship shows that disagreement need not fracture respect: faith and reason, when met with honesty, illuminate each other.

A journey through doubt, conviction, and the stories we inherit, Scribes of the Tribe invites you to question what you’ve been taught and to rediscover what it means to live ethically in a fractured world. booksforthinkers.com

Ralph Charlton and Doug Kirk should never have been allowed anywhere near ISIS territory in Syria. They’re two cranky octogenarians armed with a camera, a garbage bag, and a “safety guarantee against ISIS”, so laughably fake it’s confirmed bogus as they bounce toward Aleppo in a minibus full of gung‑ho ISIS recruits.

Ralph, a cheerful travel writer who thinks every religion is beautiful, immediately starts debating theology with men who settle arguments with guns and razor‑sharp swords. Doug, a penny‑pinching Brit, clings to his French press like a holy relic, wondering aloud whether Ralph is flirting with senility.

Then the curator of the Aleppo Museum confesses that he forged their papers, ISIS wants him dead, and these two bewildered retirees are his last hope to smuggle a priceless 4,500‑year‑old artifact to safety. Against all logic, they reluctantly agree.

Suddenly they’re dodging bombs, crossing minefields, and stealing AK‑47s deep in the heart of ISIS territory, while teaming up with a young Yazidi fighter whispered to be the Joan of Arc of Sinjar.

The ISIS Affair is a wildly irreverent thriller proving that age is just a number — and the most dangerous thing isn’t terrorism. It’s two stubborn old men on a mission. Watch out, ISIS. booksforthinkers.com

Plane crash. Fatalities. And then the real nightmare begins with their rescuers. Seven‑foot intelligent Antelopes with emerald eyes, strict religions, and a justice system that makes Kafka look like customer service. Civilization flipped upside down. Fanatic inter‑Antelope threats of war.

Mack’s job was supposed to be simple: escort eighteen lottery millionaires to Rio. Instead, he’s defending devout Baptist Courtney Sherman after she repeatedly slashes a sacred Antelope idol—triggering a show trial where the judge is prosecutor, the jury are co‑defendants, and the punishment is boiling oil.

As three rival Antelope nations unite against the human “threat,” Mack must stop an execution, prevent a civil war, and keep his group from self‑destructing. A darkly comic, high‑stakes satire perfect for fans of Swift, Pratchett, and razor‑sharp social commentary. booksforthinkers.com

What's the difference between a dream and a delusion? For David Rich, it took a sinking sailboat, six months stranded in Mexican ports, and countless mechanical disasters to figure it out—and the answer will surprise you.

Most sailing memoirs celebrate competence, seamanship, and triumph over the elements. In this brutally honest and absurdly funny memoir, David Rich chronicles his disastrous 1 1/2 years attempting to sail around the world aboard his thirty-five-foot sailboat, Grendel. Sail the World? celebrates something far more valuable: the courage to be terrible at something and do it anyway.Within hours of departure from Ensenada, Mexico, in May 1993, Grendel begins sinking—the first of countless catastrophes that will plague Rich's journey down the Baja Peninsula and into the Sea of Cortez.

If you've ever wondered whether you're too old, too inexperienced, or too inept to chase your dreams, this book is your answer. His goal was to sell the sailboat, buy an RV in Europe, and spend the next 17 years RVing in 171 countries on six continents.

Unlock your potential for absurd adventure—buy Sail the World? today and discover why ineptitude might be your greatest qualification for an extraordinary life. And buy its sequel, RV the World. booksforthinkers.com

: David Rich and his wife, Mary Alexon, illustrate the most spectacular use of a shoestring budget, changing everything about what you may think is possible, living in 171 countries across six continents (and visiting Antarctica) on a shocking barebones budget, spending less per month than most Americans pay in rent.

Are you tired of watching your travel dreams slip further away with each passing year, forever waiting to see the world's most spectacular places—Petra's ancient temples, Norway's Arctic islands, Egypt's timeless monuments—before it's too late? Do you think that traveling the entire world requires more money, time, or courage than you possess? Don’t postpone your travel dreams, forever waiting for the mythical "right time" that rarely arrives. booksforthinkers.com