The God Delusion [B0163]

2008 PB with some cover wear and clean text pages. A preeminent scientist-and the world's most prominent atheist-asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11. With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines 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. The God Delusion makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just wrong but potentially deadly. It also offers exhilarating insight into the advantages of atheism to the individual and society, not the least of which is a clearer, truer appreciation of the universe's wonders than any faith could ever muster.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "So happy to finally have gotten around to reading this. Delightfully enlightening. Some chapters are a heavy read (complex, dense ideas, etc.) while others are easier to breeze through, but they're each full of useful insights on religion with some fun humor spread throughout."; "I have long considered myself an atheist, but wanted to read an actual atheist philosophy book to learn more about what that meant. I haven't read much philosophy so this was definitely hard work for my brain, but super thought provoking and interesting. Definitely affirmed a lot of what I already believe, but opened me up to some new ways of thinking about why I believe what I believe."