Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

“The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins oscillates between being fantastically insightful, witty, and amusing to becoming blindingly boring in certain sections. While it took me 43 days to finish the novel (it was quite a struggle to swim through some parts that were too jargon-y and dry), I’d say this is an essential read for anybody interested in seeing religion from an atheist’s perspective. Dawkins, throughout the book, presents several arguments against religion and the existence of an omnipotent creator who monitors every move made by billions of humans to determine who goes to heaven and who is condemned to hell.

I read the 10th-anniversary edition of the book, and the introduction by Dawkins is perhaps my favorite part. In this section, the author talks about why the temptation to believe in a higher power is so compelling, and in many cases, delves into the reasons behind the inclination to feign religiosity as well. I guess I was just hoping for the rest of the book to be just as entertaining too (fiction reader here).

Sample this snippet from the introduction (from 2016) –

Of the 535 members of the combined houses of Congress, not a single one admits to not believing in a higher power. That is statistically beyond implausible, verging on impossible. More than 20 per cent of the US population at large now tell pollsters they have no religious belief. The figure swells to 40 per cent of American scientists and 90 per cent for elite scientists (those elected to the National Academy of Science) and is probably similar for other educated elites such as top philosophers, historians, and other scholars, including (for sure) many biblical scholars. In the face of these numbers, how is it even remotely plausible that the figure for the US Congress is zero? The conclusion is glaring: a substantial number of US politicians are simply lying when they profess faith. To put it in starkly cynical terms, a successful US politician is either religious or a well-educated and intelligent liar.

Richard Dawkins

Dawkins goes on to add a little side note at the bottom of the page about having confirmed off-the-record that some politicians indeed prefer to keep atheism in the closet because they don’t want to lose out on voters. Makes perfect sense. And no matter what anybody says, the “religious vote bank” is a thing around the world.

“The first 80-90 pages of ‘The God Delusion’ are very engaging. However, from thereon, it becomes a mighty struggle for an average reader not accustomed to non-fiction. It gets dry, and some chapters resemble research papers, which could be impressive to readers who enjoy a formal tone, as opposed to an informal and casual one. I found it a little reader-unfriendly in many sections, particularly in chapters where Dawkins refers to scientific theories, expecting readers to already be familiar with the content.

I had bought this copy as a gift for my Dad years ago, and he never read it. After reading it, I know a casual reader like my dad, whose favorite genre is fast-paced thrillers (think Sidney Sheldon and Chase), would’ve abandoned it after a few pages. But I also know of friends who’d be able to enjoy reading it a lot more than I did. Definitely get this book if you are bit of a science nerd and open to debating religion.

Rating: 3 on 5.

Read Next: Monica Graphic Novel Review – Twisty As Hell

Also Read: The Ruins Book Review – Vine-tastic Horrors (Audio Version Below)