The Golden Bough is an interesting book by James Frazer that compares and contrasts scientific and religious thoughts. With events such as fertility rates and human sacrifice being compared both religiously, and scientifically, The Golden Bough makes for a unique book.
His overall theory being that the human race has evolved from believing in magic, going to religious belief, and now in transition to scientific thought, Frazer discusses how old cultures acted in both scientific in religious manners. Human sacrifice, as one example, was a way to show appreciation to gods, but it may have scientifically been a way to kill someone without them questioning it, or to (as a race) promote survival of the fittest.
J.M.W. Turner, a renowned painter and thinker, painted a picture called Golden Bough, and this painting inspired many of the thoughts and ideas in Frazer's work. Of course, the titles of the two masterpieces are the same, but the painting was of a tree in a grove, growing day and night. Frazer says it reminded him of religious ceremonies in Nemi, which the painting looked like to him.
