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xennicole's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. While decent, the "firebrand atheism," the most vocal brand of atheism isn't going to convince people who don't want to be convinced and leaves those unsure (agnostics) feeling bad that they can't proclaim from the mountain tops that there doubt is pointless. It was an interesting read from the loudest atheist in America.
While I agree about Church/Religions getting government subsides/tax breaks without any oversight and other things that government does that does not make this a tolerant nation that is suppose to have freedom "from" religion (mostly Christianity, or what America calls Christianity) and it should be because the Constitution says so, but I digress.
Interesting read, but didn't sway me to move from my indifference to religion any closer to Atheism nor it is make me swing any closer to religions.
While I agree about Church/Religions getting government subsides/tax breaks without any oversight and other things that government does that does not make this a tolerant nation that is suppose to have freedom "from" religion (mostly Christianity, or what America calls Christianity) and it should be because the Constitution says so, but I digress.
Interesting read, but didn't sway me to move from my indifference to religion any closer to Atheism nor it is make me swing any closer to religions.
bronzel's review against another edition
This feels like I’m being yelled at and also extremely dogmatic. As someone who has religious trauma and has rejected religion, this was a terrible introduction to atheism. At least in my case, Silverman has done atheism a disservice because now I feel averse to learning more about it, not empowered or further curious.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry
dodaheem's review against another edition
2.0
First, the disclaimer - I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads Give Away.
I was very much looking forward to this book. What I found should not have been a surprise, but it was, and it was a disappointing one. My essential problem with this book is that it reads just like the evangelical dogmatic genre within religion - "here is Truth! Here is the Only Acceptable Answer and you MUST get on board, go door to door and spread the news, and anyone who hesitates (much less questions) is a fool."
I was hoping for something more rational and less dogmatic. I had a hard time reading the book because I couldn't separate the message from the medium (nod to Marshall McLuhan). I wanted ideas and information, not to be yelled at.
Perhaps this approach has value, but it missed the mark with me. While the author presents several effective examples and explanations, and dissects many religiosity arguments, the book fails to get me on board. I took a long time to get through this because it just felt intolerant, self aggrandizing, and harsh. We aren't going to win an Atheist utopia with this approach any more than we'd win a Baptist utopia with the same strategies. Let's not just have a bunch of people standing in a room yelling at each other and berating each other for their nonsense. No religious person is going to be persuaded by this any more than an atheist is going to be persuaded by threats of hell and promises of heaven. Silverman is, in the end, preaching to the choir.
I was very much looking forward to this book. What I found should not have been a surprise, but it was, and it was a disappointing one. My essential problem with this book is that it reads just like the evangelical dogmatic genre within religion - "here is Truth! Here is the Only Acceptable Answer and you MUST get on board, go door to door and spread the news, and anyone who hesitates (much less questions) is a fool."
I was hoping for something more rational and less dogmatic. I had a hard time reading the book because I couldn't separate the message from the medium (nod to Marshall McLuhan). I wanted ideas and information, not to be yelled at.
Perhaps this approach has value, but it missed the mark with me. While the author presents several effective examples and explanations, and dissects many religiosity arguments, the book fails to get me on board. I took a long time to get through this because it just felt intolerant, self aggrandizing, and harsh. We aren't going to win an Atheist utopia with this approach any more than we'd win a Baptist utopia with the same strategies. Let's not just have a bunch of people standing in a room yelling at each other and berating each other for their nonsense. No religious person is going to be persuaded by this any more than an atheist is going to be persuaded by threats of hell and promises of heaven. Silverman is, in the end, preaching to the choir.
tammybellflower's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely love this book! I have many of the same sentiments as Mr. Silverman when it comes to religion.
thejdizzler's review against another edition
4.0
I generally liked this book. With a similar topic to the God Delusion by Dawkins but without the condescension, this book made a pretty clear has why it's important to stand up for atheism. I did not know before reading this how much Christianity has co-opted and twisted the rules of this country to benefit itself, and how other religions do the same thing around the world. Religion, not religious people, is a threat to tolerance, democracy and equality under the law.
What I liked about this book vs. the God Delusion is Silverman tries to make it clear that religious people are just as much victims of the "meme" of religion as we are. They should try to be helped, instead of mocked and ridiculed like Dawkins suggests. However, despite his best intentions, Silverman veers into mocking territory too often for my tastes.
But hey, as he says, we need both types of atheists.
What I liked about this book vs. the God Delusion is Silverman tries to make it clear that religious people are just as much victims of the "meme" of religion as we are. They should try to be helped, instead of mocked and ridiculed like Dawkins suggests. However, despite his best intentions, Silverman veers into mocking territory too often for my tastes.
But hey, as he says, we need both types of atheists.
mesy_mark's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, for David Silverman's first book, it is quite an easy enjoyable read. It uses plain language that isn't complex but it doesn't dumb things down nor does it feel condescending. In fact, I can probably imagine that he enjoyed writing 'dick' s many times. And reading that I've been called a dick or act dick-ish was also fun to read cause it is such a good phrase because it made the text feel like a friendly conversation rather than a formal read.
Silverman encourages us, atheist, to love as an open atheist and it changed my mind on some things. One to live a more open atheist life. Asked and it will be answered: I am an atheist. Another is to work on getting out of religious rituals that family engages in that I do not want to participate in (and find ridiculous) like pray before eating dinner (and sometimes lunch like my nephew insists on doing).
The pros of this book are the ability to feel at home with the text. It personable and is just plain friendly while also getting the message across.n Yet there is a con to this book that doesn't have to do with the text itself- just with the size. The graphs are rather small and even though I am used to reading micro pint in part because of my handwriting, the graphs are just hard to appreciate due to size. Maybe if Silverman just blew up each graph to be a page each it would have been a better way to understanding the points Silverman made within the text.
Silverman encourages us, atheist, to love as an open atheist and it changed my mind on some things. One to live a more open atheist life. Asked and it will be answered: I am an atheist. Another is to work on getting out of religious rituals that family engages in that I do not want to participate in (and find ridiculous) like pray before eating dinner (and sometimes lunch like my nephew insists on doing).
The pros of this book are the ability to feel at home with the text. It personable and is just plain friendly while also getting the message across.n Yet there is a con to this book that doesn't have to do with the text itself- just with the size. The graphs are rather small and even though I am used to reading micro pint in part because of my handwriting, the graphs are just hard to appreciate due to size. Maybe if Silverman just blew up each graph to be a page each it would have been a better way to understanding the points Silverman made within the text.
mikecross's review against another edition
3.0
Inspirational to a point, but the author seems a little too angry and a little too self promotional. Most readers do not need to be convinced, but that's what we get.
manuelte's review against another edition
5.0
Clear, actionable, reaffirming. On the surface it is about dispelling the lie of god and allowing us to make rational decisions without the crutch of myths; in reality it is much more about equality and the much needed separation of church (any church) and state.