God Is Not Great

How Religion Poisons Everything

By: Christopher Hitchens

Narrated by: Christopher Hitchens

Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

In the tradition of Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Harris' recent best-seller, The End of Faith, Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion. With a close and erudite reading of the major religious texts, he 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 view of the universe, and Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty of the double helix.

©2007 Christopher Hitchens (P)2007 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"The best of the recent rash of atheist manifestos." (Publishers Weekly)
"Effortlessly witty and entertaining as well as utterly rational." (Booklist)

Brilliant

I love this book. It's brilliant, to the point, honest and it's about time somebody pointed out the obvious paradoxes and crimes that derive from religion. Please file the bible under 'fiction'.

Read it, if you dare!

If you are religious, this book can change your life forever. It should be required reading in school. So much suffering under religious edicts that can be spared if more people put "god" in its right place, at the trash heap of history.

God or no Good ?

Everyone should check out this book, believers and non believers alike. It makes you think.

Eye-opening

I enjoyed this book and was sad that it was over after so many hours of accompanying me on my walks and cross-country skiing. I had heard some of the arguments before, but to hear them all together and with science and stories to back them, it becomes very engaging. His voice is very easy to listen to and very soothing. He speaks too quickly the odd time, in areas that I am sure he thinks are not as important. Watched him on Charlie Rose just last night and found him to be very honest and forthright. He is known for taking the opposing position on a lot of common topics, but when he explains, you see that he is not doing it for publicity (or purely for), but provides very compelling and evocative counter views. He has cancer of the esophagus and I wish him well. His cancer has changed the way he looks at things, so I look forward to his next book. Everyone, religious or otherwise, should listen to his discussion in this book.

Essential "Reading"

Since I'm a relatively young man and have just recently discovered Hitchens and his work, an unfortunate couple of years since his passing, it is really fortunate to have his audiobook read by him.

Although it is certainly not the same as seeing the man alive delivering his lines in seminars and such I was really pleased with the clarity of the arguments and admirable erudition, like an excellent teacher, wich he clearly was, he advances through organized religions motives and common practices allowing the listener to understand their similarities and arm himself against false claims of moral superiority from believers.

The biggest quality of this book is to show how man-made is organized religion, with all it's faults and wrongdoings, and to remind us that we and most importantly, people with authority, are only mammals.

(With the "small" difference that we can be rational. Let us not forget this fact and let us never surrender our reason for any motive, for those who may want others to do it won't surrender theirs and will exploit this for their benefit)

Devastating to religions oldest bastion, morality comes from God

Blow after devastating blow against the common religious idea that God is great and that belief in him leads people to greater moral lives. Using his keen wit, fantastic command of the English language and thorough research of history Hitchens is a joy to listen too, especially since we are no longer graced by the benefit of further oratory from him.

Incredible

We miss you Hitch, rest well my friend!
Incredible vocabulary from one of our generations greatest authors

Excellent narration and of course, writing.

Christopher Hitchens never ceases to amaze me with his vocabulary and so well written arguments. It is as amazing opportunity to be able to listen to him to Hitchens read his own books! I will never have enough of his speeches.

Fantastic!!

A truly excellent book with perfect author narration. Insightful, Elegant and perfect as an audiobook.

As Only Hitch Can

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Not your typical exploration of why a belief in God might be illogical or unsupported, a much more thorough and unique look at what the ramifications of religion can be.