Product Description

'Here is the point about myself and my co-thinkers. Our belief
is not a belief. Our principles are not a faith. We do not hold our
convictions dogmatically. We believe with certainty that an ethical life
can be lived without religion. And we know for a fact that the corollary
holds true - that religion has caused innumerable people not just to
conduct themselves no beter than others, but to award themselves permission
to behave in ways that would make a brothel-keeper or an ethnic cleanser
raise an eyebrow.' From the introduction to God Is Not Great.

In the tradition of Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not a Christian,
Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion. In a series
of acute readings of the major religious texts, he demonstrates the ways in
which religion is man-made, dangerously sexually repressive and distorts
the very origins of the cosmos. With robust 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 awesome view of the universe and
Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of the
double helix.

God is Not Great marvels at the possibility of society without religion,
arguing that the concept of an omniscient God has profoundly damaged
humanity. Hitchens proposes instead that the world might be a great deal
better off without `him'.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36665 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

New York Times Book Review New York Times Book Review New York Times Book Review New York Times Book Review
'A serious and deeply felt book, totally consistent with his
beliefs of a lifetime. And God should be flattered: unlike most of those
clamoring for his attention, Hitchens treats him like an adult.'

Esquire US
'Thank God for Christopher Hitchens. For he has written the finest
of the down-with-God books.'

Johann Hari, The Independent
Dazzling... It shows Hitchens can still intellectually get it up, and
how...

Customer Reviews

Clever, Very Readable and Pretty Convincing Too
Firstly - I've read the US version of this book, "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything", this is why I can write a review.
If you just want to comment on Hitchens/Atheism in general (either for or against) then please do it somewhere else!

I wasn't the greatest Hitchens fan but I have to admit that this book is something special. It's well written with lots of entertaining anecdotes and is easily more readable than Dawkins "The God Delusion". The pages fly by and his points are interesting and well made.

Obviously I was expecting a rabid attack on all things godly yet Hitchens turns out to be cleverer than that. He insists that people should be free to believe what they want - they just shouldn't try to force their beliefs on others. There's the expected examination of the Abrahamic religions here (yes, including Islam) but also critiques of other faiths too. Intelligent and inventive, this was far far better than the book that I was expecting.

Overall it's a great read with a convincing message that has convinced me to look at Hitchens back catalogue to see what other gems are hidden there...

I dare you to read this!

Read it with an open mind
This book is a worthy companion to Dawkins "The God Delusion". Whereas Dawkins is a scientist, this author takes more of a historical perspective.

I have read a great deal of the current fashion of these type of books. I have enjoyed them all, but Hitchens is perhaps the best of all. He is fearless and expresses himself with great eloquence. You really have to admire his convictions, even if you do not agree with his every point.

Hitchens shows why he believes religion to be a consequence of our evolutionary childhood, why he believes it should not be considered a source of morality and all the ways in which it has demonstrated (he believes) its tendency to forster totalitarian malevolence.

It is unfortunate that many of the reviews posted are vitreolic arguements from pro- or anti-creationists. Clearly many people take great offence to their faith being questioned. But surely if ones faith is trully strong, they should be able to respond to such challenges in a positive way? It is scarcely likely that a book is going to change your lifelong held beliefs, so surely it can be read with an open mind as to understanding other peoples point of view.

The only criticism I would make of this book is that sometimes too much knowledge is assumed of the reader. At times I found myself having to contentrate quite hard as I was not overly familiar with the historical events.

It's exactly what it claims to be
This book is EXTREMELY well written. Witty, informative, and determined.

Many one-star-ers have noted that this book is one of two things:

1. The Atheist Camp claim that this book is not as 'good' as the God Delusion by Richard Dawkins - the arguments are difficult to follow, it's not as scientific or academic as it might be.

Well, Christopher is not a scientist. The book is a fantastic diatribe against the parties of God - it doesn't claim to be anything more. It's a wonderful contribution to atheistic literature. It's funny, clever and well-researched. It's not supposed to be an academic thesis.

2. The God Camp claim that Hitchens succeed in attacking religion, but doesn't manage to prove that God himself does not exist.

While he outlines his reasons for not believing in God, Hitchens does not set out to prove that God does not exist. He sets out to do what it says underneath his main title - to demonstrate how religion poisons everything - and he does a fantastic job.

This book is highly recommended to those who want to laugh and cry at the same time.