God Is Not Great Audiobook By Christopher Hitchens cover art

God Is Not Great

How Religion Poisons Everything

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God Is Not Great

By: Christopher Hitchens
Narrated by: Christopher Hitchens
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Whether you're a lifelong believer, a devout atheist, or someone who remains uncertain about the role of religion in our lives, this insightful manifesto will engage you with its provocative ideas.

With a close and studied reading of the major religious texts, Christopher Hitchens documents the ways in which religion is a man-made wish, a cause of dangerous sexual repression, and a distortion of our origins in the cosmos. With eloquent clarity, Hitchens frames the argument for a more secular life based on science and reason, in which hell is replaced by the Hubble Telescope's awesome view of the universe, and Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of the double helix.

In the tradition of Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Harris's The End of Faith, Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion. Atheism Christian Living Christianity Philosophy Political Science Politics & Government Religious Studies Social Issues Middle East Iran Inspiring Agnostic Tradition Middle Ages

Critic reviews

"[An] impressive and enjoyable attack on everything so many people hold dear... Hitchens has outfoxed the Hitchens watchers by writing a serious and deeply felt book, totally consistent with his beliefs of a lifetime. And God should be flattered: unlike most of those clamoring for his attention, Hitchens treats him like an adult."—New York Times Book Review
"[Hitchens] has somehow turned out an atheist book that, whatever one's stance on divine providence, is thoroughly enjoyable...in its profane interrogation of the sacred, [it] achieves a kind of joyous impudence...His narrative leans briskly and unrelentingly forward, subverting an unsettling all kinds of complacencies, religious and otherwise."—Joseph Rago, Wall Street Journal
Comprehensive Critique • Intellectual Depth • Authentic Voice • Historical Analysis • Persuasive Arguments

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So you've read Bertrand Russell's 1927 essay Why I Am Not a Christian and you're wondering why read Hichens? It's more than cold, hard logic about only Christianity. So you say you've read Sam Harris, The End of Faith and you're wondering the same thing? Well, Hichens is more than just about indicting Christians and really slamming Muslims. He's not so much about promoting atheism as Richard Dawkins as he is about promoting reasoned thought and critical thinking. Thinking that includes the unmasking of violence behind pacifist Buddhism which blew my socks off.

And what about that mumbling narration by the author? Is it that bad? It really is. I would have thought that a book this good with so much to be proud of, the author would have taken more care to enunciate a little bit more clearly. So here is what I would recommend: wear earphones. I have Bose noise-canceling earphones that worked just fine. Listening in the car did not work at all. One of the best parts of the book, the author's wit, is lost in his endings of so many sentences into audible unintelligibility. The author has a beautiful voice and I loved listening to it... when I could hear it.

So why read/listen to this book? It is just that good.

Why read this book?

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This book helped me finally come to grips with thoughts that have been creeping up on me for a long time. Religion damages us. It is responsible for many of the most heinous crimes against humanity and given excuses for arrogance, disdain and complete disregard for the sanctity of life and the value of independent thought. A *great* listen!

Brilliant & Thought-Provoking

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Hitchens nails all the key points in his argument as to why religion should be irrelevant in a modern society. Unfortunately religious people are very unlikely to be persuaded by logic.

Should be mandatory reading in churces

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Would you consider the audio edition of God Is Not Great to be better than the print version?

Hitch is a very good reader & since he's not with us any more, it's powerful to hear him narrate his book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of God Is Not Great?

The tidbits about Joseph Smith (Mormonism) are funny & devastating.
His comments on the Arabic language & how that impacts the Korans message were new to me.

What about Christopher Hitchens’s performance did you like?

His personality & intelligence shine through.

A classic that everyone should read once.

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I wish Authors would resist the temptation to narrate their own books. They rarely do them justice. If you can put up with the mumbled, slurred narration, it is an interesting, if rambling treatment of the corrosive effects of Religion. It is easy enough to let him ramble on in the background and miss the occasional point, without losing the gist of his arguments. Like Dawkins and Harris, a reader would need hard blinders not to be persuaded by his discussion. I found myself wanting to revert to hard copy to digest the material more completely. If Hitchens narrates his next book, I'll probably go that route.

Better researched than narrated

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