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)

An amazing book by a very learned man

The god delusion is easy to read. It explain itself along the way and in some places it is very amusing though Richard Dawkins never lets go of the very important pointe - think for your sekf! Do not let anybody tell you how things are - discover the world and the truth for your self. A very important message in this world!

Amazingly Accurate

Anyone with a brain, needs to read this (Dawkins). His reasoning is simplistic enough for a child to understand.

Great book!

Fantastic book. I took of one mark for the performance. Both voices were fantastic but the female narrator switching between reading quotes and reading as Dawkins got confusing for me.

Eye-Opening, Though With a Bit of Fluff

Enjoyed this piece by always-engaging Dawkins, it had several great snippets and anecdotes to dig into. I especially like how he talks about Atheism being a social stigma, underscored in my own life by the fact that I'll be hiding this Goodreads review from my Facebook feed to avoid upsetting friends and relatives. I also appreciate how he's not afraid to dive into the question of whether religion itself, not religious extremism, might be the actual issue, but it seemed a bit cheap when Dawkins and co-narrator Ward would sometimes speak in overblown, leering tones when referring to certain religious acts. As one might expect from a book written by an accomplished scientific mind, the book often drifts into scientific asides with only tangential relation to the topic at hand, but I've always been fascinated by science so I didn't much mind. Overall I had a good time, and I think it certainly helped me gain perspective in a subject where being informed is the most important (and most often overlooked) factor. [AUDIBLE]

Essential book!

This is the first Dawkins book if listened to, and it was amazing. He provides a very thorough discussion and was very thought provoking.

Excellent book, excellent performance.

If you could sum up The God Delusion in three words, what would they be?

Religion is irrational

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

I loved the switch between male and female voices, it keeps you interested and engaged. while with other books the monotone narrator can sometimes cause your to drift off, Dawkins and Wards voices are varying and compelling.

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

I have, and as with the others, this one is excellent.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

This book helped me to take many arguments that I already had, and turn them into much more eloquent ones.

Any additional comments?

Science is the best tool we currently have to discern reality.

true

this is very true a very good book for atheists and believers who want more information about atheism

Refreshingly Scientific and Comical

After reading this book I have a newfound appreciation and awareness towards science and it's simplicity in explaining the origins of human life against the claims of creationism. I will definitely be reading this again, and again, and again.

God is Dead!

Witty discourse on the argument that God never existed, only science. As per the title religious beliefs are merely delusions. Religious people refuse to discuss the topic because their leadership, fearing that with proof they would lose their members, order their followers to claim faith and to refuse further discussion.

An intellectual triumph!

Where does The God Delusion rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best fact books I have ever read. The book really opens up you mind to start thinking outside of the box.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The God Delusion?

The part about how children are indoctrinated by their parents is really interesting. It highlights the importance of good education for a society to thrive.

Which character – as performed by Richard Dawkins and Lalla Ward – was your favorite?

I like the interactions between the two narrators.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I like they way the book is in general not pointing fingers and leaves it up to you to decide what to conclude and think.

Any additional comments?

This should be a must read for anyone using rhetoric and teaching. There is a lot of inspiration to get here.