The End of Faith

By: Sam Harris

Narrated by: Brian Emerson

Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Here is an impassioned plea for reason in a world divided by faith. This important and timely work delivers a startling analysis of the clash of faith and reason in today's world.

Harris offers a vivid historical tour of mankind's willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs, even when those beliefs are used to justify harmful behavior and sometimes heinous crimes. He asserts that in the shadow of weapons of mass destruction, the world can no longer tolerate views that pit one true god against another. Most controversially, he argues that the we cannot afford moderate lip service to religion - an accommodation that only blinds us to the real perils of fundamentalism.

While warning against the encroachment of organized religion into world politics, Harris also draws on new evidence from neuroscience and insights from philosophy to explore spirituality as a biological, brain-based need. He calls on us to invoke that need in taking a secular humanistic approach to solving the problems of this world.

©2007 Sam Harris (P)2004 W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Not for the faint of ear or heart

Although I was not personally offended by Harris's words in this book, I can definitely see how many people would be! Harris spares no blunt criticisms of traditional religiosity, and shares little to no charitable words whatsoever regarding ALL of Islam. However, his brutally honest delivery is the only fault I find in his book, if that even is something to be criticized... and even that is delivered with an articulate tactfulness that is hard not admire.

Interesting book

It would have probably became a better audible book if the author would have read it. Unfortunately the narration of the book it is too flat, almost devoid of meaning. It literally takes hours to accommodate with this narration style. Once and if you can get past that, the content of the book, the concepts and matters addressed are quite interesting. A bold undertake on religion and faith. This book in itself is a great acquisition.

Scary but inciteful

An in depth illustration of the dangers and ignorance of organized religion. Simple truth, Christianity, Judaism and Islam are all divisive and judgmental, many times leading to unconscionable suffering, torture, death, etc. This book makes it clear that complicity in the form of religious moderates is a main threat that allows this dangerous nonsense to continue.

great book

it has given me a lot of ammo against the pious. the reader was great and articulate as well which was a relief after listening to arguably essays by christopher hitchens which is also a great read.

Bravo

Bold, courageous and packed with incredible lucidity. Thank you. Another must read and re-read. But alas, I imagine that those who need to read it most never will.

Expect Anything Less?

This book is killer. Kept me engaged and wanted it to keep going. I do wish Sam read it though.

Greatful

Would you consider the audio edition of The End of Faith to be better than the print version?

I'm very greatful to have these amazing writers, storytellers, and critical thinkers sharing their thoughts on such a fundamental and important aspect of humanity. We need more people to speak up and break the taboos stifling the quailty of our lives and threatening our very existence.

very Interesting and thought provoking

good narration, captured Sam Harris tone very well. A good read and will be sure to re read it

great

you are a great human . this and many of his works are what humanity needs. thanku

Good points

He makes some good points, sometimes overstates things, and sometimes is overly idealistic in searching for fundamental principles. It's nice to hear an atheist explain his basis for morality. There's a lot here for people of faith to engage with, but I'm pretty sure most will either not read it, or happily dismiss it whenever they find a single point of contention.

The narrator was pretty bad. His inflection lacked contextual conscientiousness.