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The God Delusion
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
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Outgrowing God
- A Beginner's Guide
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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In 12 fiercely funny, mind-expanding chapters, Dawkins explains how the natural world arose without a designer - the improbability and beauty of the "bottom-up programming" that engineers an embryo or a flock of starlings - and challenges head-on some of the most basic assumptions made by the world’s religions: Do you believe in God? Which one? Is the Bible a "Good Book"? Is adhering to a religion necessary, or even likely, to make people good to one another? Outgrowing God is a concise, provocative guide to thinking for yourself.
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Should be mandatory reading in Jr. High worldwide
- By Greg Coad on 2019-12-08
Written by: Richard Dawkins
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The Selfish Gene
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands to rethink their beliefs about life.
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Life changing book
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-07-25
Written by: Richard Dawkins
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The Four Horsemen
- The Conversation That Sparked an Atheist Revolution
- Written by: Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and others
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Daniel C. Dennett, Sam Harris, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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In 2007, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett filmed a landmark discussion about modern atheism. The video went viral. Now, the transcript of their conversation is illuminated by new essays from three of the original participants and an introduction by Stephen Fry.
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Just watch it on YouTube.
- By James Cooper on 2019-06-22
Written by: Christopher Hitchens, and others
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The Blind Watchmaker
- Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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The Blind Watchmaker, knowledgably narrated by author Richard Dawkins, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the 18th-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte.
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Excellent Discussion
- By Langer MD on 2020-02-23
Written by: Richard Dawkins
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The Greatest Show on Earth
- The Evidence for Evolution
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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The Greatest Show on Earth is a stunning counterattack on advocates of "Intelligent Design," explaining the evidence for evolution while exposing the absurdities of the creationist "argument". Dawkins sifts through rich layers of scientific evidence: from living examples of natural selection to clues in the fossil record; from natural clocks that mark the vast epochs wherein evolution ran its course to the intricacies of developing embryos; from plate tectonics to molecular genetics.
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Dual Narrators Ruins this Book
- By CalgaryPT on 2022-07-11
Written by: Richard Dawkins
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Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot
- Written by: Seth Andrews
- Narrated by: Seth Andrews
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Seth Andrews wasn't an idiot during his 30 years as an evangelical Christian. He wasn't unintelligent, nor did his IQ shift when he ultimately left religion entirely. He considered himself thoughtful, moral, reasonable, and at least as smart as the average person. In other words, he wasn't an idiot. Yet strangely, he often sounded like one.
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Entertainingly fantastic
- By Sethenin on 2022-02-20
Written by: Seth Andrews
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Outgrowing God
- A Beginner's Guide
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 12 fiercely funny, mind-expanding chapters, Dawkins explains how the natural world arose without a designer - the improbability and beauty of the "bottom-up programming" that engineers an embryo or a flock of starlings - and challenges head-on some of the most basic assumptions made by the world’s religions: Do you believe in God? Which one? Is the Bible a "Good Book"? Is adhering to a religion necessary, or even likely, to make people good to one another? Outgrowing God is a concise, provocative guide to thinking for yourself.
-
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Should be mandatory reading in Jr. High worldwide
- By Greg Coad on 2019-12-08
Written by: Richard Dawkins
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The Selfish Gene
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands to rethink their beliefs about life.
-
-
Life changing book
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-07-25
Written by: Richard Dawkins
-
The Four Horsemen
- The Conversation That Sparked an Atheist Revolution
- Written by: Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and others
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Daniel C. Dennett, Sam Harris, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In 2007, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett filmed a landmark discussion about modern atheism. The video went viral. Now, the transcript of their conversation is illuminated by new essays from three of the original participants and an introduction by Stephen Fry.
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Just watch it on YouTube.
- By James Cooper on 2019-06-22
Written by: Christopher Hitchens, and others
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The Blind Watchmaker
- Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Blind Watchmaker, knowledgably narrated by author Richard Dawkins, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the 18th-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte.
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Excellent Discussion
- By Langer MD on 2020-02-23
Written by: Richard Dawkins
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The Greatest Show on Earth
- The Evidence for Evolution
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Greatest Show on Earth is a stunning counterattack on advocates of "Intelligent Design," explaining the evidence for evolution while exposing the absurdities of the creationist "argument". Dawkins sifts through rich layers of scientific evidence: from living examples of natural selection to clues in the fossil record; from natural clocks that mark the vast epochs wherein evolution ran its course to the intricacies of developing embryos; from plate tectonics to molecular genetics.
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Dual Narrators Ruins this Book
- By CalgaryPT on 2022-07-11
Written by: Richard Dawkins
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Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot
- Written by: Seth Andrews
- Narrated by: Seth Andrews
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Seth Andrews wasn't an idiot during his 30 years as an evangelical Christian. He wasn't unintelligent, nor did his IQ shift when he ultimately left religion entirely. He considered himself thoughtful, moral, reasonable, and at least as smart as the average person. In other words, he wasn't an idiot. Yet strangely, he often sounded like one.
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Entertainingly fantastic
- By Sethenin on 2022-02-20
Written by: Seth Andrews
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Letter to a Christian Nation
- Written by: Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Jordan Bridges
- Length: 1 hr and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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"Forty-four percent of the American population is convinced that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead sometime in the next 50 years," writes Sam Harris. "Imagine the consequences if any significant component of the U.S. government actually believed that the world was about to end and that its ending would be glorious. The fact that nearly half of the American population apparently believes this...should be considered a moral and intellectual emergency."
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I expected more from him.
- By Igortskii on 2019-02-14
Written by: Sam Harris
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The End of Faith
- Written by: Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Brian Emerson
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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Audiobook narration is so bad that I can’t even listen
- By Gunnar Nelson on 2021-04-12
Written by: Sam Harris
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The Magic of Reality
- How We Know What's Really True
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Richard Dawkins, the world’s most famous evolutionary biologist, presents a gorgeously lucid, science book examining some of the nature’s most fundamental questions both from a mythical and scientific perspective. Science is our most precise and powerful tool for making sense of the world. Before we developed the scientific method, we created rich mythologies to explain the unknown. The pressing questions that primitive men and women asked are the same ones we ask as children. Who was the first person? What is the sun? Why is there night and day?
Written by: Richard Dawkins
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The Moral Landscape
- How Science Can Determine Human Values
- Written by: Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Sam Harris
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
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In this explosive new book, Sam Harris tears down the wall between scientific facts and human values, arguing that most people are simply mistaken about the relationship between morality and the rest of human knowledge. Harris urges us to think about morality in terms of human and animal well-being, viewing the experiences of conscious creatures as peaks and valleys on a "moral landscape".
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A worthy ambition, but...
- By ThoughtfulListener on 2019-08-28
Written by: Sam Harris
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Islam and the Future of Tolerance
- A Dialogue
- Written by: Maajid Nawaz, Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Sam Harris, Maajid Nawaz
- Length: 3 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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In this short book, Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz invite you to join an urgently needed conversation: Is Islam a religion of peace or war? Is it amenable to reform? Why do so many Muslims seem drawn to extremism? What do words like Islamism, jihadism, and fundamentalism mean in today's world? Remarkable for the breadth and depth of its analysis, this dialogue between a famous atheist and a former radical is all the more startling for its decorum. Harris and Nawaz have produced something genuinely new: they engage one of the most polarizing issues of our time - fearlessly and fully - and actually make progress.
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Must read for all Muslims
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-02-11
Written by: Maajid Nawaz, and others
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Godless
- How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists
- Written by: Dan Barker, Richard Dawkins - foreword
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Dan Barker
- Length: 19 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Part 1 of Godless, "Rejecting God", tells the story of how I moved from devout preacher to atheist and beyond. Part 2, "Why I Am an Atheist", presents my philosophical reasons for unbelief. Part 3, "What's Wrong with Christianity", critiques the bible (its reliability as well as its morality) and the historical evidence for Jesus. Part 4, "Life Is Good!", comes back to my personal story, taking a case to the United States Supreme Court, dealing with personal trauma, and experiencing the excitement of Adventures in Atheism.
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Much better than I anticipated.
- By Christian Hamel on 2022-11-05
Written by: Dan Barker, and others
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The Portable Atheist
- Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever
- Written by: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Nicholas Ball
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Abridged
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Atheist? Believer? Uncertain? No matter: The Portable Atheist will engage you every step of the way. From the number one New York Times best-selling author of God Is Not Great, comes this provocative and entertaining guided tour of atheist and agnostic thought through the ages with original pieces by Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
Written by: Christopher Hitchens
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Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens
- Written by: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 28 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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The first new collection of essays by Christopher Hitchens since 2004, Arguably offers an indispensable key to understanding the passionate and skeptical spirit of one of our most dazzling writers, widely admired for the clarity of his style, a result of his disciplined and candid thinking. Topics range from ruminations on why Charles Dickens was among the best of writers and the worst of men to the enduring legacies of Thomas Jefferson and George Orwell.
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Read anything written by Christopher Hitchens
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-09-19
Written by: Christopher Hitchens
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The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins: Key Takeaways, Analysis, & Review
- Written by: Instaread
- Narrated by: Michael Gilboe
- Length: 28 mins
- Unabridged
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In The God Delusion, philosopher Richard Dawkins evaluates popular arguments for the existence of God. The idea that God is not an object that can be accessed and reviewed using human reason is rejected. Instead, evidence that proves with at least 51 percent certainty is presented to prove that God does, in fact, not exist, casting reasonable doubt on the efficacy and usefulness of belief in God.
Written by: Instaread
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Flights of Fancy
- Defying Gravity by Design and Evolution
- Written by: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins
- Length: 4 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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The wonder of flight. The science of evolution. From both, Richard Dawkins weaves a fascinating account of how nature and humans have learned to overcome the pull of gravity and take to the skies. Have you ever dreamt you could fly? Or imagined what it would be like to glide and swoop through the sky like a bird? Do you let your mind soar to unknown, magical spaces?
Written by: Richard Dawkins
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A Universe from Nothing
- Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing
- Written by: Lawrence M. Krauss
- Narrated by: Lawrence M. Krauss, Simon Vance
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Where did the universe come from? What was there before it? What will the future bring? And finally, why is there something rather than nothing? Krauss’ answers to these and other timeless questions, in a wildly popular lecture on YouTube, has attracted almost a million viewers. One of the few prominent scientists to have actively crossed the chasm between science and popular culture, Krauss reveals that modern science is indeed addressing the question of why there is something rather than nothing—with surprising and fascinating results.
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Salute to Prof Lawrence Krauss
- By Anand Kulkarni on 2018-07-31
Written by: Lawrence M. Krauss
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God
- The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction
- Written by: Dan Barker
- Narrated by: Dan Barker, Richard Dawkins, Buzz Kemper
- Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Originally conceived as a joint presentation between influential thinker and best-selling author Richard Dawkins and former evangelical preacher Dan Barker, this unique book provides an investigation into what may be the most unpleasant character in all fiction. Barker combs through both the Old and New Testaments (as well as 13 different editions of the "Good Book"), presenting powerful evidence for why Scripture shouldn't govern our everyday lives.
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Very Good but.....
- By Anonymous User on 2019-07-05
Written by: Dan Barker
Publisher's Summary
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.
What the critics say
"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)
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What listeners say about The God Delusion
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kindle Customer
- 2019-02-22
A must read
It’s my second book I’m listening from professor Dawkings, it’s very interesting from the beginning to the end, well put together and very interesting stories told by professors experience. I was religious person but I’m glad that my eyes are open now and I can see everything not like I used to.
Make sure you have a friend or someone that you can talk to after you Read/listen to this book because it’s hard to just let it go.
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5 people found this helpful
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- K. Brainard
- 2021-01-12
Loved the content, but reading was a tad disjointe
Dawkins did a great job here! His many ways of explaining the very low probability of there being a God was spot on. However, I do not believe it will sway the religious, since he uses science to back up his arguments instead of speaking their own language. I still say it's a must-read.
Only downside to this audiobook is the constant back and forth between the two narrators. It takes a while to get used to and can be jarring initially.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 2019-03-26
The Best!
I recently became an atheist and this book has helped me escape the religious worldview.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Keslyn
- 2018-11-21
didnt need two narrators
the content was good with well thought arguments but I found the different narrators to be distracting. I would've preferred just hearing Dawkins narrate
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2 people found this helpful
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- Ryan
- 2018-02-17
Thank you for the insight
Outstanding, easy to listen to while multi tasking. Will most certainly be listening too another time.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Nur-so
- 2020-04-24
The beauty in understanding
An amazing book making a beautifully written point for science, logic, sanity and the natural world for which you developed a deeper understanding as further you get into the book, to the point that you don’t need god sensed miracles anymore because you appreciate the miracles of the real world all around you so much more.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jen Bussey
- 2018-09-17
Great, objective listen
I loved this entire book and could not stop listening. Dawkins critiques and analyses the bizarre logic of religion very forensically and in a way that is easy to digest and understand.
#Audible1
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1 person found this helpful
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- Sam Gregory
- 2018-09-14
Thought Provoking Book
If there is a single shred of doubt in your mind that religion isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, Dawkins can explain that doubt to you.
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- SL
- 2018-05-05
Very informative book. Quite a bit of science.
Lots of science in the beginning but great logic in the last few chapters. Very convincing.
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- Joe
- 2017-12-09
Horrible.
Again, horrible. If you’re an atheist who misses the joy of being subjected to condescending sermons, then this book is for you. Otherwise, you’ll be hard pressed to find someone more pedantic and self-aggrandizing than Mr. Dawkins. I squandered 60 agonizing minutes on this book before throwing in the towel. Don’t let the high-brow-sounding accent fool you — the book is boorish tripe, with nothing overly insightful to be gleaned from it. Just stay away.
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- Rick Just
- 2006-12-21
Dangerous Religion
If you've read much Dawkins, (The Blind Watchmaker, The Selfish Gene, Climbing Mount Improbable, and others) it will come as no surprise to you that he is no fan of religion. What is new in The God Delusion is that the evolutionary biologist goes beyond rational disagreement with those who believe, and argues that religion is dangerous and should be opposed on nearly every front. He recognizes that religion has been an important force in art and literature, but gives it credit for little else in the realm of good.
Dawkins makes no distinction between radical evangelical Christianity, the Taliban and Jihadist Muslims. The worldview of each is equally intolerant of any other belief, and so ultimately equally dangerous.
Dawkins spends about half the book examining historical and philosophical arguments for the existence of God. In doing so, he takes apart the reasoning of many men, noble and ignoble, most of whom are dead. In a historical review such of this, arguing with the dead is unavoidable. Dawkins spends a bit too much time arguing with the more recently dead Stephen Jay Gould, a fellow evolutionary biologist and sometimes nemesis, than is strictly necessary.
One thing that particularly rankles Dawkins is the concept of children being born into a religion. They grow up, typically, thinking that their parents' religion is the one true faith. How lucky for them. Dawkins seethes at calling a four-year-old a Catholic or Muslim child. We do not call them a Democrat or a Republican based on their parents' convictions. They are allowed to make that choice for themselves when they mature. Religion should be a matter of choice, not indoctrination, according to Dawkins. Of all his contentions in this particularly contentious book, this may be the least likely to gain traction.
Because religion in its multitude of forms is so widely practiced, Dawkins assertions will seem radical. They will not, however, seem irrational.
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197 people found this helpful
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- Michael
- 2006-12-31
Unimpressive
Firstly I am an agnostic [Weak-agnostic by Dawkin???s definition], liberal, a product of evolution, and pro-choice ??? but I find Dawkins more of an embarrassment than a spokesperson. Although there are similarities between god and the tooth fairy ??? there are also key differences. The key mysteries of the tooth fairy have been resolved (a caregiver is putting money under the pillow), the key mysteries of creation and existence are still open questions. Dawkins presents here the worst kind of science; make your assumption, pile on ???facts??? to support your assumption, and ignore or strawman away any data that does not support your assumption. Dawkins spoke concerning a shirt which said something like ???Homosexuality is a Sin, Islam is a Lie, Abortion is Murder??? being not covered by first amendment because hate speech is not protected. Although I disagree with the shirt, I can???t see it as hate speech. Indeed the wearer may very well have regarded it as love-speech. This is one of the many cases where is seems Dawkins is seeing only what he wishes to see. Dawkins brushes away the argument that an atheist society might be ill-suited for survival. Nevertheless this is a key question ??? if atheist societies ever existed, they are now extinct. There is a real possibility that atheist societies would be no better, and perhaps far, far worse, then our present condition. It also seems to me that the crutch of religion is very useful to some people. Perhaps if we kick away people???s crutches, most will find they don???t need it, but some will likely fall. Kicking away crutches does not seem a wise thing to do.
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96 people found this helpful
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- toromei
- 2009-01-19
well worth your time
i am a christian, and i found this book to be brilliant (with the exception of the section on memes, which i found to be pedantic)... i believe that anyone -- religious or non-religious, young or old -- should read this book... whether you agree with the conclusions Dawkins draws, these are important questions that have bearing on all of humanity, and this is a very well considered, cohesive, and enjoyable treatise on matters of origin and existence... its a bit slow at times, but on the whole i cannot recommend this highly enough...
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90 people found this helpful
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- carl801
- 2007-09-09
Wow, I can come out of the closet!
This book was a life-changing experience for me. I always knew I was not a believer, but I never could articulate what I was. I owe a debt of gratitude to Richard Dawkins for his rational, elegant, and passionate dissection of the intellectual fraud we call revealed religion. You could say that Dawkins gave me the courage to come out of the closet and put my HL Mencken quotes up on the wall for all to see.
Perhaps the best thing about this book is the moral outrage it no doubt causes among believers, so many of whom probably haven't read (listened) to it.
Once I started listening to this book, I could not stop until the last word was spoken. This is the only audiobook I've listened to twice.
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80 people found this helpful
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- R. Hilton
- 2007-05-17
A good read but it won't sway your mind.
I've read a couple of Richard Dawkin's works: The Blind Watchmaker and The God Delusion.
First of all, let me praise Mr. Dawkins, and Lalla Ward for a captivating reading of his work. They make a good oratory team, very pleasant listening. I was hoping for a bit more "meat" to chew on in God Delusion but to me, Richard simply sets up straw men then slays them magnificently. Like a skilled surgeon, he seeks out the most tumorous examples of mankind's failures in the name of religion then portrays them as an evil perpetrated by faith in God. I share his disgust for religion as we know it, having been corrupted by corrupt men, but that comparrison is just as useless as blaming a firearm for murdering someone. From a more positive perspective, Christians, especially church leaders and clergy, should read TGD, not so much for what it reveals about atheism but for what it reveals about how religion is perceived by non-believers. It is to their shame the message of The Cross is lost in the cacophony of religious infighting and corruption.
A reasonable counterbalance to TGD is Ravi Zacharias' Can Man Live Without God?, a collection of speeches given by Mr. Zacharias. Ravi sets up his own straw men for battle and does an eloquent job of doing so. Of course, he's coming from the perspective of one who believes in an almighty Creator so he manages to raise questions that Mr. Dawkins didn't seem to think of. Where Dawkins attempts to appeal to logic, Ravi focuses more on the philosophical aspects of the state of mankind. My personal, and totally biased opinion, is that Zacharias gets a head start in the debate simply because he addresses the heart of man, rather than the mere mind of man.
To those who are convinced in their positions, whether it be for or against God, neither of these orators will sway you from your stance. If you're genuinely on the fence, read both books.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2020-05-15
Richard Dawkins is no Cultural Anthropologist
Richard Dawkins is a brilliant scholar in the field of evolutionary biology, but he is neither a sociologist nor an anthropologist.
Like Dawkins, I do not believe in God, but in spite of this, I find his ultimate thesis lacking. He characterizes religion as a kind of memetic parasite that infected humanity long ago.
Now, I think a robust debate can be had as to the role of religion, if any, in modern society, but it is a bit of a stretch to suggest religion has always been a malignant memetic parasite. And Dawkins fails to provide enough convincing evidence to support such a stretch.
Dawkins begins this audiobook by talking about a promotional poster for a TV special on religion that he had narrated. The poster featured a New York skyline with two intact Twin Towers. The poster was captioned, "Imagine a world with no Religion." This prologue Dawkins delivers betrays his ignorance.
It reflects a man who's thoughts on religion are not informed by a robust study of human history and culture, but merely half-baked observations about current events: Before jumping to the conclusion that "religion was the cause of 9-11", actual anthropologists might explore other possibilities. They might ask if the fall of the Ottoman Empire and a centuries worth of European geopolitical meddling had more to do with that unprecedented attack than an ideology that has existed in that region for 1500 years.
If I'm being honest, though, what bothers me most about Dawkins book is the thinly veiled racism. He characterizes all religions as foolish and misguided, but he makes a point to single out Islam as particularly barbaric and incompatible with modern values. Again, he never really considers whether the violence taking place within and emanating from the Middle East has less to do with Islam, and more to do with the kind intense animosity that could result from a centuries-wiorth of intercultural meddling by the Western World.
Stick to your lane, Richard. This book is embarrassing.
Narration was good, though.
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- Darwin8u
- 2014-09-21
A Tone Lifted from Fundamentalists
I always enjoyed that line between humanist and believer. I remember when I was a Mormon missionary reading C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. After finishing it, I immediately felt I needed to read Russell's Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects. I don't have a real problem with agnostics, atheists, humanists, etc. I think the competitive nature of belief is important. I think religion NEEDS to be able to thrive under scrutiny. It can't be comfortable. It can't be too protected. It needs to offer something if it is going to continue to be relevant. But I just can't get too excited by Dawkins, Harris, and Maher's forms of Atheism. While I like and respect their ability and desire to look at facts, adore skepticism and the scientific method, etc., their tone seems to have been lifted from Fundamentalist Christians.
Perhaps, it is their evangelical nature I am rejecting. But it can't be that exactly. I loved Christopher Hitchens. It wasn't like he was just soft and kind. But he came off more like a drunk rationalist than I pious prig. Perhaps that is my main beef with Dawkins. When he is in positivist mode, he is exciting. I love reading his stuff about evolution and science and the scientific method. I just don't think he is very good and criticism. He seems to smug. Too cocky. To be fair to Dawkins I felt the same way about overly smug members of my own belief system, or Christians who seem more interested in bashing other's beliefs than showing the benefits of their own. Don't smash Buddhists, SHOW me what you have to offer. Don't smash belief, show me what skepticism has to offer.
As far as the narration, the back-and-forth narration between Richard Dawkins and Lalla Ward was a bit distracting. The male/female, twisting narration helixes through the entire book, but I can't quite see the point of it. Perhaps it was just so that Dawkins didn't have to narrate the whole book himself. But why, in the middle of a paragraph, would you switch narrators. It was odd.
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- Victor Snyder
- 2006-12-13
Accolades for
In "The God Delusion", Richard Dawkins is witty, poignant, and inspiring. I have listened to most of it in a very short amount of time because I have a hard time putting it down. If you're looking for proof that belief in a personal God is irrational or an explanation to why so many people believe in God, this book will do the job. Dawkins' book is thought provoking, eye opening, and enjoyable to listen to. I'd love to see more of his books (and books like it) on this site. It is now one of my favorites.
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- KD
- 2007-07-24
Every Word is Perfect
I am in agreement with many of the reviewers here who really appreciated this book. I just have a few additional comments:
1) The two-narrator format seemed odd to me at first until I realized it was like a two-person play. Then I really enjoyed listening to the narrators play off each other.
2) Richard Dawkins is a superb reader of his own work, which is not something you can say for everyone.
3) This book is NOT a rant, as others have said. We always accuse others of ranting when we cannot answer their arguments.
4) It is not absurd to say that raising a child to be religious is a kind of child abuse. Many people wonder about this, especially those in the particularly guilt-inducing varieties of religion. I've known many folks over the years who wonder what damage they may be doing to their kids.
5) Dawkins makes it clear at the beginning that he does not expect to win over true believers. He is instead giving people permission to be atheists. This is an important distinction and is based on his experience with readers and students over the years. I teach about human evolution and can verify that many people don't even realize they have a choice when it comes to the ways they think and live in the world.
6) Dawkins is right that so many people who are anti-evolution do not understand how it works. He is also right that really understanding evolution is a life-transforming, consciousness-raising experience.
7) This book is very witty and in some parts, downright funny. But it is also compassionate and nurturing in many ways.
Highly recommended!
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- Randal
- 2006-12-08
Affirming Atheism!
Finally, an audiobook that passionately defends atheism and rational thinking as the only path to finding meaning and purpose in a Godless universe! A must "listen" for both the faithful and non-believer...
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- Duncs
- 2023-04-16
Funny and full of brilliance
Everyone should read this excellent book, and one day the world may become a better place.
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