5.0 out of 5 based on 21 reviews. – Customer review on 27/10/2009

An excellent book by one of the greatest scientists of our time. Offers believers an insight to what the "other team" has to say in a professional and non-offensive manner.

5.0 out of 5 based on 21 reviews. – Customer review on 16/07/2009

If you've read a bad review of this book somewhere, the chances are quite good that the reviewer has not actually read it. Dawkins is thoughtful and erudite as always, and his phrasing is carefully considered. One thing is clear when reading all Dawkin's works - the one thing he tries very hard to avoid is allowing a logically mistaken statement to appear in anything he writes.

5.0 out of 5 based on 21 reviews. – Customer review on 19/07/2007

Dawkins writes passionately and lucidly - he is one of the rare science writers who can put a complex subject like evolution into language that anyone can understand.

But this book is less about evolution, and more about why religion is a relic of a bygone era that we should shed ourselves of.

It considers each of the main reasons why people commonly think religion is useful, such as in providing moral guidance, and shows why it just isn't true.

For me, the most interesting section was on countering the theories of creationists and followers of the intelligent design belief. Time and again Dawkins shows that followers of intelligent design misrepresent evolutionary theory with questions like "which makes more sense - believing this wonderfully complex plant/animal/organ formed by random chance, or that it had an intelligent designer?". If you can't see what is wrong with that question, then you need to read this book!

The last chapter is quite extraordinary. In a nutshell, science is revealing how mind-blowing our universe is. When reality is so truly weird and wonderful, why would you want to spend any time theorizing about sky-fairies (angels/gods/devils) and other such religious nonsense?

At $11 it is excellent value.

If you don't have it, buy it. It really is that good.

5.0 out of 5 based on 21 reviews. – Customer review on 15/07/2011

Dawkins scores again. As a one-time believer in religious myths I had struggled with the illogic and contradictory nature of superstitious faith. Dawkins shines a light into the murky darkness of "magical thinking". The more we learn about our origins the more we understand the fictions we have invented to explain our place in the universe for what they are. Stories made up by a social ape to justify...whatever, till a better model comes along. Well, it has.

5.0 out of 5 based on 21 reviews. – Customer review on 22/03/2011

This book covered many questions that I myself had had and answered them diligently. Well written with a touch of humour now and then, but not always an easy read. A must for those who are querying their faith, or just to broaden your mind. R. Dawkins is a well respected polecist, and scholar

5.0 out of 5 based on 21 reviews. – Customer review on 12/12/2009

Fantastic book, well worth a read, especially if you're unsure why people are upset about religion.

5.0 out of 5 based on 21 reviews. – Customer review on 02/11/2009

Av really great book. Explodes many of the arguments put forward by the Creationists (including so-called 'Intelligent Design' advocates) in an easily read and very comprehensible form. Very well written. Extremely good.

5.0 out of 5 based on 21 reviews. – Customer review on 23/03/2009

One of the best books I have read. It would be a great world indeed if everyone read this, regardless of personal conviction. Dawkins is a thoughtful humane writer who is free of opinion and deals only with the facts available to him (and human kind). Raise your ability to think rationally and consider reading this great book. In the year 2009 there is no excuse for ignorance. This book is full of amazing thought, idea and fact. Raise your awareness of OUR home, Earth & the Universe.

4.0 out of 5 based on 21 reviews. – Customer review on 12/03/2009

I've read a plethora of books attempting to convert me to a certain religion and have never been satisfied with an answer. Dawkins is attempting to convert me to Atheism in this book of his, and over time I believe he will be successful. There are many valid points he brings up - most I agree with, while few are a stretch. What I most enjoyed about this book was that upon picking it up I felt that I'd be berated from cover to cover about how Atheism is the 'correct' choice over any religious viewpoint. This was not the case at all so I was pleasantly surprised. The last half of the book focused more on what we can learn from religion, be that good or bad. I feel that I would have felt quite indifferent about this book had the last chapters been omitted

4.0 out of 5 based on 21 reviews. – Customer review on 06/03/2009

Dawkins does well moving beyond his natural territory of science to some quite fresh thoughts on e.g. the origins of moral values and behavior and his passion over the pressure religious parents place on children is moving and convincing. Worth reading alongside Christopher Hitchens' God is Not Great. I note that some of the attempted criticism of the Dawkins book on this site is from people who haven't read the book, especially the clown who tries to bring Einstein to the fold, obviously not having read the lengthy discussion of Einstein's views which prompted some Christians to tell him to go back to Germany - nice. But of course those with closed minds will never read this book, or Hitchens' or anything else that would challenge their comfortable fantasies.