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God Is Not Great
- How Religion Poisons Everything
- Narrated by: Christopher Hitchens
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Critic Reviews
"The best of the recent rash of atheist manifestos." (Publishers Weekly)
"Effortlessly witty and entertaining as well as utterly rational." (Booklist)
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What listeners say about God Is Not Great
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ben Capozzi
- 11-13-11
...Though Hitchens Is!
Wow. I started reading this at 6am on a Saturday morning and could not stop until finished that evening.
I've seen Hitchens before on news programs, and the man's opinions and intellect are irrepressible so I had some idea of what I was in for. Still, this book is just amazing. Bracing. Uncompromising. Informed. Secular.
Hitchens' assault on Religion is without reprieve and may serve as a significant crossbeam in the structure of any atheist's mental architecture. I imagine that the faithful reading this to 'study up on the enemy' will find only things that make them very angry or uncomfortable. I do NOT think Hitchens will lead to any conversions; his style is far too abrasive. However, some folks do respond best to aggressive intervention.
For me though, the best of this book is the clear breadth and depth of the author's mind. I simply cannot recall the last time I read anything so damned erudite. Agree or disagree with him, Hitchens is an amazing American intellectual.
From here, I'm actually returning to one of Hitchens' cited authors, Bart Ehrman, whom I've explored only marginally before, but that is one of the real joys of this book –if you're a sincere explorer, Hitchens points out a dazzling number of fascinating areas on the map of human progress to explore yourself. Even if you don't accept his conclusions, you may be reminded of all those Enlightenment and earlier figures who form the dim constellation of our understanding that you glossed over in (perhaps graduate-) school, if at all. I'm certainly inspired to brush up.
I love that this is narrated by Hitchins himself, which seems the best way to experience it. Those who feel they may need to recall and reference his arguments again may want a visual version in print or ebook format, but, especially now that esophageal cancer has taken his voice from him, I feel very fortunate (dare not say blessed!) to have this edition.
77 people found this helpful
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- Mark
- 07-08-15
Hard not to be persuaded
This is my fourth consecutive book dealing with an atheistic theme, and I enjoyed it as much as the other three (‘The God Delusion’, ‘On the Historicity of Jesus’ and ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’). It’s a very reasonable, well-argued discussion of religion looked at from many different angles.
Christopher Hitchens, who here narrates his own work, has a reputation for being a pugnacious, controversial figure, one of the ‘Four Horsemen of Atheism’ and so I was expecting to find some of the material shocking or disagreeable, but I didn’t. It seemed to be mostly sensible and true, so I suppose I must already be a willing convert to this world view.
He explains that religion arose in humanity’s infancy, when we had very little understanding of nature, when a deity was as good an explanation of lightning, volcanoes, sunrises and earthquakes as anything else on offer. Now science provides a much better explanation of these natural phenomena, but once religion has established itself, it is very hard to shake off. Young minds are indoctrinated with religious ideas, founded on fear, and then, in most cases, these beliefs persist through adulthood until death. Sometimes this is harmless enough, if people lead good lives and care about their fellow humans, but in many situations throughout history religion has caused repression, conflict and suffering.
Each religion considers its own holy book to be the only true version of the creation story, while all others are heresies. In each case the story of the founding figures is based on a mish-mash of ancient documents which have very little historical credibility and are probably mostly fictional. And then these scriptures become the basis of a system of rigid rules dictating in minute detail how life must be lived; leading to harmful practices and beliefs such as female circumcision, the prohibition of contraception, the stipulation of the existence of hell, burning people at the stake and encouraging martyrdom (for the reward of 72 virgins), just a few examples of arbitrary edicts from dodgy ancient sources that have caused untold misery.
The big three monotheistic religions have been around a long time, and they have pervaded all aspects of culture, art and literature to such an extent that they now have an aura of solemn authenticity and because of this long tradition they feel like the genuine article. But it is interesting to look at some recently formed religions to see how quickly they can spring up, based on bogus stories. The Mormon religion is a laughable case of a huckster, Joseph Smith, who wrote his own bible conveniently including prophets who had lived in the USA, yet this is now taken 100% seriously and is the founding document of a religious movement involving 15 million adherents. Haile Selassie and Rastafarianism provide another good example. Similarly, the ‘cargo cults’ that spontaneously cropped up in several Pacific Islands in the twentieth century offer an instructive model of how religions can form in a short time based on mythical figures (e.g. John Frum and Tom Navy), or unwitting real people (e.g. Prince Phillip), accepted as messiahs, who made no claims to having such status. It is not difficult to imagine that similar events may have occurred in antiquity to found the big three religions, in which case there should be no reason to be in awe of them.
Hitchens summarises these and many other arguments very persuasively. He had an adventurous and exciting life as a foreign correspondent and he describes at first hand his experiences of some of the evils perpetrated in the name of religion. Perhaps he exaggerates with his mantra ‘religion poisons everything’ because, even if religious beliefs are unfounded, religion must nevertheless have given hope and consolation to many down the ages. Also, my own experience of many religious people is that they are happy and positive and lead good lives. So even if they are wrong about the existence of God, I don’t agree that it poisons absolutely everything. However, in general I found myself agreeing with Hitchens’ opinions and I found the book to be an excellent and enlightening listen.
11 people found this helpful
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- Dr.
- 09-13-12
God May Not Be Great - But Hitchens Is
If you are an atheist - or wonder if you are - this is an important and thoughtful book to let you know you are not alone and not alone in wondering why no one points out all of the ways that religion gets it so wrong. It is also important to note that Hitchens does not mock religion or the idea of god - in the way that Richard Dawkins does (e.g., in The God Delusion). He also isn't trying to gently speak to believers to help them see how harmful a strident religion can be the way Sam Harris does (e.g., in Letters to a Christian Nation). Instead, Hitchens thoughtfully and scholarly dissects and discards each of the main arguments for god and shows how they are used to attack non-believers and control society. His arguments are VERY compelling and well thought out - if you are open to the notion that god is a very interesting idea but not self-evident - and not the domain of any religious group and should not to be used to control society.
To the extent that there is a downside - it is Hitchens himself. Yet again, Hitchens remind us why writers should never narrate their own books. Although a few writers can pull it off - Hitchens is not one of them. For much of the book I was straining to hear and to understand him. He seems to mumble and he trails off at the end of sentences. Although frustrating, it did not distract enough to undermine the significance of this book.
11 people found this helpful
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- Alex MacDuff
- 01-30-20
I am in awe at the popularity of this complete and utter claptrap.
I started listening to this book on recommendation from an Atheist friend of mine. He and I got into a discussion, and he mentioned this book as a good place to start to understand his viewpoint. This is the mindset that I had approaching this book: I should listen to this in order to better understand him and the logical basis for his views. Unfortunately, every moment I have spent listening to this audiobook has been torture. Mind you, this is not due to the Author’s own lack of wit or a terrible command of the English language. Hitchens was quite witty and engaging, and his years of writing experience do indeed shine through, and his delivery of the audio version is quite good. My true frustration lies in the author’s completely sloppy and incompetent retelling of historical events, wherein he never lets up the slightest chance for a dig at religion, even if the dig is entirely unjustified.
Before I go on, I have to be honest, I found myself completely unable to finish this recording. However, unless the last quarter of the book spend its time recanting the errors of the first 3 quarters, then I will be satisfied in spending my valuable time elsewhere.
Back to the review, I have no problem with the occasional mistake, as we are all indeed very fallible and can never be expected to create anything close to a perfect polemic, but to constantly mix up basic facts about the very religions you seek to criticize is quite ridiculous. One of the most glaring examples that jumps to mind would be when Christopher Hitchens attempts to make the case that many other religions had the same Virgin birth story as Jesus. Not only is the overwhelming majority of these comparisons either generated out of thin air, or so mangled as to lose the original story completely; but the only two stories that have even a tangential resemblance (Perseus and Romulus/Remus) are twisted into a pretzel in order to justify the narrative Hitchens puts forth.
He also has a habit of slipping in ridiculous comparisons and historical anecdotes that also have no bearing in reality. Did you know that the Spanish didn’t actually inherit the tradition of offering guests various appetizers in the form of dried meats and cheeses from the Romans, or just find it a nice thing to do? It was in fact started entirely by the inquisition in order to root out secret Muslims and Jews! If that sounds completely ridiculous, that is because it is, and only something that a man with complete bias would put forward as a serious charge. He also made the rather confusing claim that a sudden flood affecting only the area of Mesopotamia would somehow be more awe-inspiring than the earth itself opening up to engulf the entire world, leaving only one family as the survivors. I am equally perplexed at the claim that the conquests of the Muslim Caliphates are not as impressive as the conquests of Alexander. Alexander was able to complete his conquests in less time, this is true, but the Muslim Caliphate took on two of the strongest empires at the same time, ended up creating successor states that conquered more than double the land area of Alexander’s exploits, and these states were far more stable than the kingdoms left behind by Alexander.
Again, I am not trying to be overly harsh. I understand including a few embellishments here and there for the sake of literary weight, or just because the stories are interesting. I, for example, am more than happy to recount the tale of St. Nicholas slapping the heretic Arias at the council of Nicaea. Is there good evidence for this pious legend? No, not at all, but it’s a fun story so I am happy to retell it, despite its major flaws. But to fill a project of this nature to the brim with such inaccuracies is to call into question the integrity of the research that went into this book that I hesitatingly refer to as a polemic.
I expected better based on the reputation that Hitchens has been able to garner, but I am astounded by the sheer stupidity of this book. I think any atheist who unironically touts this as a source of solid argumentation does as much damage to their position as creationists do to the Christian position.
TL;DR: This book, while written with Hitchens’ characteristic wit, is sloppy, incompetent, and not to be taken in any serious light whatsoever. I expect more from the atheist position, and wound up both frustrated and disappointed.
10 people found this helpful
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- Robert
- 11-25-11
Why read this book?
So you've read Bertrand Russell's 1927 essay Why I Am Not a Christian and you're wondering why read Hichens? It's more than cold, hard logic about only Christianity. So you say you've read Sam Harris, The End of Faith and you're wondering the same thing? Well, Hichens is more than just about indicting Christians and really slamming Muslims. He's not so much about promoting atheism as Richard Dawkins as he is about promoting reasoned thought and critical thinking. Thinking that includes the unmasking of violence behind pacifist Buddhism which blew my socks off.
And what about that mumbling narration by the author? Is it that bad? It really is. I would have thought that a book this good with so much to be proud of, the author would have taken more care to enunciate a little bit more clearly. So here is what I would recommend: wear earphones. I have Bose noise-canceling earphones that worked just fine. Listening in the car did not work at all. One of the best parts of the book, the author's wit, is lost in his endings of so many sentences into audible unintelligibility. The author has a beautiful voice and I loved listening to it... when I could hear it.
So why read/listen to this book? It is just that good.
53 people found this helpful
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- Michael
- 12-13-09
5-Star Writing. Perfect Author Narration.
Okay, I'm officially angry--people have written reviews here claiming Hitchens's reading of his book is inaudible or full of mumbling. My fear is that you will read those reviews and decide on that point alone to eschew purchasing this book.
Let me elucidate this for you: on perhaps 3 occasions in a book of more than 8 hours, Hitchens ends a sentence so quietly that its very hard to hear what he's saying. That's it. Juxtapose this non-issue with the insuperable benefit of having Hitchens read his own work. He knows just where to put the emphasis, where to sound incredulous. When he says "I" he really means it because its HIM talking. Couldn't have asked for a better reader. The book itself is plainly fascinating. Hitchens once said in an interview that one should read books which make one feel inadequate (in the positive intellectual sense). God Is Not Great is one of those books. Guaranteed to be one of the best credits you'll ever use. This book spurred me to research Hitchens and I discovered he is quite a remarkable man. The most impressive thing about Hitchens and his writing is probably his vocabulary. It's simply daunting and highly educational to listen to this book. And that's to say nothing of the immensely lucid, incisive, prescient and thoroughly convincing content of Hitchens's thesis that religion is man made and presents the greatest threat to the continuation of human prosperity. This is one of those "must read" books regardless of which side of the issue you fall on. Note: Make sure to complement Hitchens with Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) and Sam Harris (The End of Faith), both of whose major atheist texts are available in unabridged form on Audible, and both of which are as excellent, if not quite as succinct as Hitchens's book. For the best opposition view, read Dinesh D'Souza's What's So Great About Christianity?
113 people found this helpful
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- Carl
- 02-07-10
Brilliant
Christopher Hitchens is a brilliant man. In my personal opinion I can't think of another living human being who I would consider more intelligent. He is also an independent thinker. Those who know him, or come to know him will quickly realize that he holds a set of beliefs that are combined. For example, while he is against religion, he is also against abortion.
I would highly recommend this audio book. It is read by Mr Hitchens. While some previous comments have pointed out that he occasionally doesn't do the greatest job, I think this is more than compensated for because you really get the feeling that your listening to him give a talk to a group of people.
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- Marcelo Vergara
- 10-22-07
Excellent Listeing
I very much enjoyed listening to this book. Never been a big fan of his but in this case I thought he had the goods on this subject. I think people on both sides of this topic should take time to listen or read this book as it provokeed a great deal of thought for me. I agree with him and my life experience brings me to the same conclusion. I recommend it!
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- Cora Judd
- 12-07-08
Clarifies ones thinking
It's true, Hitchens may mumble and he speaks with a British accent. To allow this to obscure the important ideas that he explores is a mistake. If it's sound ideas you're after, God is Not Great has more than can be absorbed in a single reading. The book is more than worthy of the minor effort.
I'm persuaded by God is Not Great that any good that religion may accomplish can be better achieved without religion and, conversely, the worst evils will arise from religious belief, as they always have.
Hitchens strengthens my view of religious faith as a barrier to clear thinking. It was refreshing to see his clinical treatment of religion in America, something Americans can't seem to do. The Mormons are one of his examples. Few in the US either know enough or have the nerve to discuss Joseph Smith as the sexual predator and con man that history shows him to be, or analyze the timely "revelations" that have kept the Mormons clinging to the fringes of viability through the years. The Mormons are only one of the book's examples of how fast a religion can spring from a fertile mind and spread to infect millions. Hitchens makes a good case that we in America are uniquely susceptible to such charlatans (although England's new relationship with Islam would make equally fascinating reading).
Those who are religious merely out of habit or a failure of introspection may be the ones to embrace the rationale of 'God is Not Great' most easily. The grimly devout will probably respond to Hitchens' ideas with the usual vitriol. They may rightly sense the inherent threat that such rational treatment of the 3 main religions' histories poses.
I ended the book seeing that we're in a bit of a Dark Age and won't be free until the majority see religious thinking as the human invention that it is, and the devout minority are relegated to the same status as conspiracy theorists and UFO seekers.
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- Ian
- 11-08-07
A sardonic and sobering look at faith
After listening to Christopher Hitchens' own oral reading of his book, I read a few reviews online. While most praised the London-born Vanity Fair columnist's prose and wit, many took him to task over alleged wild generalizations and selective readings of supposedly sacred texts and events.
Never mind them. Hitchens' book is a scathing -- and, were this a just world, sobering -- examination not only of the tenets and histories of the three "big box" monotheisms of the world, but also of the idea of religion in general. While Hitchens lays out very specific cases against Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (he even reserves a lengthy chapter for the fallacies inherent to the supposedly benign "Eastern" religions), his most potent vitriol is reserved for that universal class of charlatans who have made their living out of the cynical and systematic usage of mankind's vestigial fear of the unknown.
Hitchens' draws on religious texts (including the Torah, Bible, and Koran) as well as many religious writers from throughout history to make his often hilarious and well-reasoned case against God.
Channeling Voltaire, he muses that instead of God creating man in his own image, man creates God in his.
Hitchens' accent is very light, and on the whole he is very enjoyable to listen to, although he occasionally mumbles and is prone to finishing paragraphs off with a somewhat louder final phrase. However, he is careful to pause clearly when quoting any lengthy passages.
"God Is Not Great" won't appeal to believers, but for anyone who is cynical toward the overall effect religion has had on world history and humanity, look no further.
61 people found this helpful
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- Paul
- 12-16-11
A Great Work of Truth
A great book read by the man himself. Today is a sad day indeed.
....One of my first audiobooks and still one of my favourites.
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- Keijo Sandvik
- 04-25-15
Hitch, as ususal, pulls no punches
However Hitchens may offend some people with this book, one must bear in mind that throughout his career, he would never present these kinds of arguments without measured consideration and meticulous research. Precious few people can make a point with such engaging authority and command of the English language as Hitch. Even if you disagree with the title of the book, he makes a case for the prosecution that is very difficult to dismiss out of hand. If rational thinking and healthy skepticism are part of your methodology, then you should take a listen. Much can be learned from this man. I've found it compelling enough to play right through more than once. Brilliant.
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- KZ
- 01-22-20
Thank you Hitch
🙏🏽🧘🏽♀️🌕🌙 thank you for your scholarship. A great man, a brave man and a man missed too soon
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- Alan Lachman
- 11-03-19
Reader performance
Excellent content but poorly read by author as his voice clarity and volume varies from clear and loud to, for the most part, mumbled and a whisper. Ask Stephen Fry to re-record it.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-27-19
RIP MR Hitchens
Great talking points, excellent use of history and philosophy to structurally critic the existence of religion.
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- Kindle Customer
- 05-30-19
Pure brilliance
A well thought out and strong argument made here. Particularly interesting with discussion on communism.
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- Louis Cohalan
- 08-19-16
excellently laid out and argued
Hitchens mumbles a bit in his reading but I still wouldn't want it read by anyone else. The book is a strong rebuke of religion arguing that there is overwhelming evidence that it is man-made.
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- Max Martin
- 03-01-20
Eye opening
very interesting, tough to hear what has happened throughout the birth of religion. Why don't we teach more history of it.
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- DJG
- 04-07-19
Everything you would hope for from the great man.
A melodic reading from Christopher Hitchens. Covers many of the points made in his many debates but is allowed the time and stage to himself to share his views.
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- Jose
- 08-02-16
the Hitch slap
Hitchens delivers knock out punches with elegance, charm and respect. loved every second of it.
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- Amazon Customer
- 05-20-22
Perfect book about religion
Extremely informative and condescending. The correct way to talk about religion. Big Fan. hooray