Sourdough, I think I mentioned this in another thread, not sure if it is in this one, but another good book recently published on this topic is "How We Believe" by Dr. Michael Shermer., a social scientist. His examination of why people make a particular belief choice is really interesting.

To quote from the preface, "Since humans are storytelling animals, a deeper aspect of the God Question involves the origins and purposes of myth and religion in human history and culture, the subject of the seventh, eighth, and ninth chapters. Why is there is an eternal return of certain mythic themes in religion, such as messiah myths, flood myths, creation myths, destruction myths, redemption myths, and end of the world myths? What do these recurring themes tell us about the workings of the human mind and culture? What can we learn from these myths beyond the moral homilies offered in their narratives? What can we glean about ourselves as we gaze into these mythic mirrors of our souls? When we began the Skeptics Society and Skeptic magazine in 1992 we adopted a quote from the seventeenth-century theologian and philosopher Baruch Spinoza: "I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them." When it comes to religion it is especially difficult for any of us to apply this principle consistently. But if we do the moral dilemma of how to discuss the God Question without offense may be resolved.

Here is a website where you can read excerpts from the book.How We Belive.com