The God Delusion

By: Richard Dawkins

Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward

Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Discover magazine recently called Richard Dawkins "Darwin's Rottweiler" for his fierce and effective defense of evolution. Prospect magazine voted him among the top three public intellectuals in the world (along with Umberto Eco and Noam Chomsky). Now Dawkins turns his considerable intellect on religion, denouncing its faulty logic and the suffering it causes.

He critiques God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing his points with historical and contemporary evidence. In so doing, he makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just irrational, but potentially deadly.

Dawkins has fashioned an impassioned, rigorous rebuttal to religion, to be embraced by anyone who sputters at the inconsistencies and cruelties that riddle the Bible, bristles at the inanity of "intelligent design", or agonizes over fundamentalism in the Middle East or Middle America.

©2006 Richard Dawkins (P)2006 Tantor Media, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Richard Dawkins is the leading soothsayer of our time....The God Delusion continues his thought-provoking tradition." (J. Craig Venter, decoder of the human genome)
"The God Delusion is smart, compassionate, and true....If this book doesn't change the world, we're all screwed." (Penn & Teller)
"The world needs...passionate rationalists....Richard Dawkins so stands out through the cutting intelligence of The God Delusion." (James D. Watson, co-discoverer of DNA, author of The Double Helix)

Dawkins knock it out of the park.

Dawkins's "The God Delusion" is an all-encompassing look at the different basis behind "god" and the many different arguments to break down the illusion. Essentially an Atheist "Bible", it presents a view of the world based on science and reason, in a science laden but easily grasped way, and by reading aloud himself (along with his wife), Dawkins is able to give it the personal touch that may have been lacking from a narrator, and I do believe this helps reduce the difficulty. Anyone desiring an in-depth look into the history and reasons behind religion need look no further than this excellent piece of contemporary literary prowess.

Great Book and Amazing Reading (Regardless of View

It can, at times, be very dense, but it is mind opening and intelligent. Dawkins does a thorough job explaining his views and issues (as well as logical failures) with opposing views. alGreat arguments and counterarguments galore.

Worth the credit

I was raised catholic and was interested in hearing another perspective so I checked it out. The narrators were unable to really pull me in as it was sort of bland. However some of the points and counterpoints were undeniably interesting. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for an alternative to what they were taught.

Thanks Richard Dawkins for such intelligence!

Would you listen to The God Delusion again? Why?

It would definitely be worth listening to again. There are so many cogent arguments and counter-arguments that it is hard to remember them all. The thought-provoking ideas combined with humor and personal experiences lecturing about atheism makes this a must-read for atheists and agnostics, as well as any religious people with serious doubts.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Dawkins seemed to be speaking to me when he accuses agnostics as being atheists with no backbone. My logic in being an agnostic was that there is no way to prove a negative: you can't "prove there is no god". But Dawkins chides that it isn't up to us to prove there is no god, it is up to theists to prove there IS a god. If we honestly feel the arguments supporting the existence of god are fatuous and transparent lies, then we should stand up and declare ourselves atheists, and not worry about stepping on toes or being thought unsympathetic.

Have you listened to any of Richard Dawkins and Lalla Ward ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I prefer listening to this in doses, so I can go off and think about what was said, and dive into the next chapter with a fresh mind.

Any additional comments?

I especially like Dawkins comments about the complete ostracism of atheists in US culture and politics. He notes a poll asking people "would you vote for a for president?" For being "Irish" it was "99%", "Catholic" it was 95%, "Mormon" it was about 80% (this was before Romney), and for "Atheist" it was something like 40%.

A Must Read!

Pros:
This is a must read for anyone aware of the idea of god. Any believer who dares to scrutinize their god beliefs and wishes to be truly honest with themselves would be right to read this all the way through, dismissing any well deserved candid tones by the author. It covers a wide array of arguments against god, especially the monotheistic god of Abraham, and includes a plethora of quotes, studies, and science that sould keep any open minded human cautious of beliefs.

Cons:
Regarding the audible, the chapters were off according to the paperback and narration. I would have rather listened to only Richard Dawkins instead of the mix of the additional reader. Also, I would have liked to seen the studies referenced in more detail.

thought provoking

i found the trxt humorous, enlightening, and at times depressing over the hate on both sides.

A classic for open minds.

Get your critical thinking skills polished up for this classic treatise. The author does sound a touch smug, but with good reason.

Great book!

Very informative. I could listen to Dawkins all day. Would definitely recommend this to all atheists and believers alike.

One of the most important books of our time!

A must read for the religious and non-religious. I'm sure this will be considered as the atheist bible for years to come!

my first audible book

I have been wanting to read this book for some time, but have been unable to with my busy schedule. audible was the perfect solution. I very much enjoyed the experience!