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 Customer Reviews
All too human..., 18 Nov 2008
I make one simple point: does religion per se create evil,
or does humanity create evil in its name? The point has been
made over and over again that any great system of thought
creates zealots who are prepared to kill in its name. Humans
like and crave for certainty, and they cannot tolerate having
their certainty challenged. It is simply a non sequitur for
authors like Hitchens constantly to bang on about the evil done
in religions' names. When will people stop peddling this tired
old fallacy? It does not address the substance of the argument.
Does the atom bomb invalidate nuclear physics? Of course not. Let's
hear the *arguments* for the non-existence of God, not the
emotive (alas too tragic) nonsense that really amounts only to
a lamentation of humanity's disastrous history.
God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens , 04 Nov 2008
Perhaps a danger with these 'Down with God' books is in assuming that God and Religion are related. It is possible to have a bad experience of religion, which is a man made thing. But if a person denies the very existence of God in the first place. How can a person who denies the existence of something write about something that they consider does not exist? Mmmm
In doing this are they not then giving body to something that they previously considered didn't exist - so that they are now writing about an entity that does exist?
It can only truly be presented that 'God is not Great' from personal experience, not from carrying out an academic study on whether another person considered whether 'God was not Great'. It is then necessary for the writer to relate from personal experience why they consider 'God is not Great'.
Thinking book, 04 Oct 2008
This book does make you think in two sense of that phrase: it makes you consider the big questions in life and it also makes you concnetrate hard to understand it in places.
I liked the book when considering it in the round. It think that Hitchens is clearly a very clever individual, well-read and who has considered his subject-matter in some detail and is very familiar with it. But this is part of the downside to the book in that, for someone like me, who is not a philosopher and who does not have a good grounding in the subject matter, it is difficult to follow in places (quite a few places).
I have also read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins recently and on balance I prefer Dawkins book. That said, the two books are written in different styles (Dawkins adopting more of a step by step guide, whereas Hitchens' approach is more conversational).
These books are very different to the books I would usually read and I think I have benefitted greatly from reading them, but to others who have not read them I would say that you need to be sitting quietly and without distraction to get the most out of the book!
God is not........., 23 Sep 2008
Great book. Unfortunately, I suspect the only people who will read it already know that God isn't!
Welcome to celestial North Korea, 22 Sep 2008
Dawkins has God on the floor and the Hitch has jumped into the ring and got a sneaky boot in. Booo, hiss! This book starts from where Dawkins left off i.e. there is no good reason for belief in anything with no evidence (e.g. the tooth fairy, flying spaghetti monster God etc). All these things might exist but it seems unlikely. Hitchens goes a step further and tries to show that not only does God probably not exist but it would be bad if he did. He describes Heaven as a celestial North Korea.
It seems a strong case but is based entirely around the portrayal of God in the world's religions. It seems possible to me that God does exist but religions are man made and have got God all wrong. Personally I'm not sure whether it matters whether God exists. I like to hope that we do not cease to exist when we die and I certainly hope we are more than our bodies. But I recognise that this is probably wishful thinking and I am not sure where a God or God's fit into all this.
This is a good read for making you think about such questions. And as always Hitchens writes wonderfully.
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Customer Reviews
All too human..., 18 Nov 2008
I make one simple point: does religion per se create evil,
or does humanity create evil in its name? The point has been
made over and over again that any great system of thought
creates zealots who are prepared to kill in its name. Humans
like and crave for certainty, and they cannot tolerate having
their certainty challenged. It is simply a non sequitur for
authors like Hitchens constantly to bang on about the evil done
in religions' names. When will people stop peddling this tired
old fallacy? It does not address the substance of the argument.
Does the atom bomb invalidate nuclear physics? Of course not. Let's
hear the *arguments* for the non-existence of God, not the
emotive (alas too tragic) nonsense that really amounts only to
a lamentation of humanity's disastrous history.
God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens , 04 Nov 2008
Perhaps a danger with these 'Down with God' books is in assuming that God and Religion are related. It is possible to have a bad experience of religion, which is a man made thing. But if a person denies the very existence of God in the first place. How can a person who denies the existence of something write about something that they consider does not exist? Mmmm
In doing this are they not then giving body to something that they previously considered didn't exist - so that they are now writing about an entity that does exist?
It can only truly be presented that 'God is not Great' from personal experience, not from carrying out an academic study on whether another person considered whether 'God was not Great'. It is then necessary for the writer to relate from personal experience why they consider 'God is not Great'.
Thinking book, 04 Oct 2008
This book does make you think in two sense of that phrase: it makes you consider the big questions in life and it also makes you concnetrate hard to understand it in places.
I liked the book when considering it in the round. It think that Hitchens is clearly a very clever individual, well-read and who has considered his subject-matter in some detail and is very familiar with it. But this is part of the downside to the book in that, for someone like me, who is not a philosopher and who does not have a good grounding in the subject matter, it is difficult to follow in places (quite a few places).
I have also read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins recently and on balance I prefer Dawkins book. That said, the two books are written in different styles (Dawkins adopting more of a step by step guide, whereas Hitchens' approach is more conversational).
These books are very different to the books I would usually read and I think I have benefitted greatly from reading them, but to others who have not read them I would say that you need to be sitting quietly and without distraction to get the most out of the book!
God is not........., 23 Sep 2008
Great book. Unfortunately, I suspect the only people who will read it already know that God isn't!
Welcome to celestial North Korea, 22 Sep 2008
Dawkins has God on the floor and the Hitch has jumped into the ring and got a sneaky boot in. Booo, hiss! This book starts from where Dawkins left off i.e. there is no good reason for belief in anything with no evidence (e.g. the tooth fairy, flying spaghetti monster God etc). All these things might exist but it seems unlikely. Hitchens goes a step further and tries to show that not only does God probably not exist but it would be bad if he did. He describes Heaven as a celestial North Korea.
It seems a strong case but is based entirely around the portrayal of God in the world's religions. It seems possible to me that God does exist but religions are man made and have got God all wrong. Personally I'm not sure whether it matters whether God exists. I like to hope that we do not cease to exist when we die and I certainly hope we are more than our bodies. But I recognise that this is probably wishful thinking and I am not sure where a God or God's fit into all this.
This is a good read for making you think about such questions. And as always Hitchens writes wonderfully.
aphoristic and enlightening, 29 Sep 2008
I'm not especially interested in military history, neither am I a manager or businessman, but I still found this book very enjoyable. It has the rare appeal of being of its time but at the same time applicable to the present day. Many of the insights feel very contemporary - not simply to the business arena but to any aspect of life. The style is terse and aphoristic, which means that it doesn't really matter that the book is quite short. Even the chapters on terrain tactics are interesting from a historical point of view. I would also recommend a book called the Fall by Steve Taylor for its insights into the origins and history of warfare and social conflict The Fall:the Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era
Short, snappy and very readable, 08 Sep 2008
I bought this as I am quite interested in military history, and thought I couldn't really go wrong with £3. Instead of the paragraphs of thick text I expected, instead the book is laid out with numbered points in a series of about 13 chapters.
The text never becomes heavy, but instead is written in a very accessible way meaning it is easy to dip in and out of the book as you like. Also I thought that maybe the text would be outdated and irrelevant, but instead with a bit of common sense it can apply to us today.
All in all, very readable and well worth the money, especially if you need to purchase something to get free postage!
Not what I was expecting, but quirky and useful, 04 Jun 2008
I was expecting a huge tome full of Confuscian statements which are allegorical to warfare. What I received was a 69-page book of short instructions which are dirrectly about warfare, but in many cases allegorical to life.
Possibly they're all in some way applicable to the day-to-day, the fighting with fire section does seem a bit specialised, but doubtless the scales will fall from my eyes at some stage and I will be able to use its teachings in buying tangerines from waitrose.
The best thing about the book is the ability to spice up conversation. Never again will I use a hackneyed marketing phrase where something from Sun Tzu will work. Brilliant.
A must read book !, 25 Sep 2007
Short but Sweet !
Applicable theories even today !
Must Read, more than once !
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Customer Reviews
All too human..., 18 Nov 2008
I make one simple point: does religion per se create evil,
or does humanity create evil in its name? The point has been
made over and over again that any great system of thought
creates zealots who are prepared to kill in its name. Humans
like and crave for certainty, and they cannot tolerate having
their certainty challenged. It is simply a non sequitur for
authors like Hitchens constantly to bang on about the evil done
in religions' names. When will people stop peddling this tired
old fallacy? It does not address the substance of the argument.
Does the atom bomb invalidate nuclear physics? Of course not. Let's
hear the *arguments* for the non-existence of God, not the
emotive (alas too tragic) nonsense that really amounts only to
a lamentation of humanity's disastrous history.
God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens , 04 Nov 2008
Perhaps a danger with these 'Down with God' books is in assuming that God and Religion are related. It is possible to have a bad experience of religion, which is a man made thing. But if a person denies the very existence of God in the first place. How can a person who denies the existence of something write about something that they consider does not exist? Mmmm
In doing this are they not then giving body to something that they previously considered didn't exist - so that they are now writing about an entity that does exist?
It can only truly be presented that 'God is not Great' from personal experience, not from carrying out an academic study on whether another person considered whether 'God was not Great'. It is then necessary for the writer to relate from personal experience why they consider 'God is not Great'.
Thinking book, 04 Oct 2008
This book does make you think in two sense of that phrase: it makes you consider the big questions in life and it also makes you concnetrate hard to understand it in places.
I liked the book when considering it in the round. It think that Hitchens is clearly a very clever individual, well-read and who has considered his subject-matter in some detail and is very familiar with it. But this is part of the downside to the book in that, for someone like me, who is not a philosopher and who does not have a good grounding in the subject matter, it is difficult to follow in places (quite a few places).
I have also read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins recently and on balance I prefer Dawkins book. That said, the two books are written in different styles (Dawkins adopting more of a step by step guide, whereas Hitchens' approach is more conversational).
These books are very different to the books I would usually read and I think I have benefitted greatly from reading them, but to others who have not read them I would say that you need to be sitting quietly and without distraction to get the most out of the book!
God is not........., 23 Sep 2008
Great book. Unfortunately, I suspect the only people who will read it already know that God isn't!
Welcome to celestial North Korea, 22 Sep 2008
Dawkins has God on the floor and the Hitch has jumped into the ring and got a sneaky boot in. Booo, hiss! This book starts from where Dawkins left off i.e. there is no good reason for belief in anything with no evidence (e.g. the tooth fairy, flying spaghetti monster God etc). All these things might exist but it seems unlikely. Hitchens goes a step further and tries to show that not only does God probably not exist but it would be bad if he did. He describes Heaven as a celestial North Korea.
It seems a strong case but is based entirely around the portrayal of God in the world's religions. It seems possible to me that God does exist but religions are man made and have got God all wrong. Personally I'm not sure whether it matters whether God exists. I like to hope that we do not cease to exist when we die and I certainly hope we are more than our bodies. But I recognise that this is probably wishful thinking and I am not sure where a God or God's fit into all this.
This is a good read for making you think about such questions. And as always Hitchens writes wonderfully.
aphoristic and enlightening, 29 Sep 2008
I'm not especially interested in military history, neither am I a manager or businessman, but I still found this book very enjoyable. It has the rare appeal of being of its time but at the same time applicable to the present day. Many of the insights feel very contemporary - not simply to the business arena but to any aspect of life. The style is terse and aphoristic, which means that it doesn't really matter that the book is quite short. Even the chapters on terrain tactics are interesting from a historical point of view. I would also recommend a book called the Fall by Steve Taylor for its insights into the origins and history of warfare and social conflict The Fall:the Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era
Short, snappy and very readable, 08 Sep 2008
I bought this as I am quite interested in military history, and thought I couldn't really go wrong with £3. Instead of the paragraphs of thick text I expected, instead the book is laid out with numbered points in a series of about 13 chapters.
The text never becomes heavy, but instead is written in a very accessible way meaning it is easy to dip in and out of the book as you like. Also I thought that maybe the text would be outdated and irrelevant, but instead with a bit of common sense it can apply to us today.
All in all, very readable and well worth the money, especially if you need to purchase something to get free postage!
Not what I was expecting, but quirky and useful, 04 Jun 2008
I was expecting a huge tome full of Confuscian statements which are allegorical to warfare. What I received was a 69-page book of short instructions which are dirrectly about warfare, but in many cases allegorical to life.
Possibly they're all in some way applicable to the day-to-day, the fighting with fire section does seem a bit specialised, but doubtless the scales will fall from my eyes at some stage and I will be able to use its teachings in buying tangerines from waitrose.
The best thing about the book is the ability to spice up conversation. Never again will I use a hackneyed marketing phrase where something from Sun Tzu will work. Brilliant.
A must read book !, 25 Sep 2007
Short but Sweet !
Applicable theories even today !
Must Read, more than once !
The book!!!!!!!!!, 13 Oct 2008
This is the book to have if you wish to know more about critical thinking. The book has exercises and is abundant with knowledge to assist you with your exams, assignments and general thinking. A must have for all student, just wish i'd found it eariler.
Critical Thinking Skills, 25 Jul 2007
If you are unsure about how to critically think, or pinpoint an argument, then get this book. It has plenty of excersises to help hone your skills, and I'm glad I got this book before going into 2nd Year Uni.
Definatley a must-have in my opinion.
Longer than necessary, but very useful, 14 Aug 2006
If like me your lecturers constantly tell you that you need to "critically analyse" but don't actually tell you how to do it, this book will be very useful!
It gives you examples of the difference between describing and analysing and also has tests for you to check you understand each concept. There are also examples of how to write essays and when to use references to back up facts. It is also useful in pointing out how to avoid making assumptions or being biased.
The only slight downside to the book is that there is maybe too much information than is necessary. A lot of the introductory chapters may not be useful for those at university as it may all seem obvious but the book is also aimed at those at 6th form/college.
I bought this at level 3 and it taught me a few simple things which definately helped me pick up some extra marks and I ended up with a 2:1. Had I bought this at the start of level 2 I think I could have ended up with a 1st. Critical analysis is not difficult. Once you realise the simple process of doing this it comes naturally and this book certainly helped develop these skills.
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Customer Reviews
All too human..., 18 Nov 2008
I make one simple point: does religion per se create evil,
or does humanity create evil in its name? The point has been
made over and over again that any great system of thought
creates zealots who are prepared to kill in its name. Humans
like and crave for certainty, and they cannot tolerate having
their certainty challenged. It is simply a non sequitur for
authors like Hitchens constantly to bang on about the evil done
in religions' names. When will people stop peddling this tired
old fallacy? It does not address the substance of the argument.
Does the atom bomb invalidate nuclear physics? Of course not. Let's
hear the *arguments* for the non-existence of God, not the
emotive (alas too tragic) nonsense that really amounts only to
a lamentation of humanity's disastrous history.
God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens , 04 Nov 2008
Perhaps a danger with these 'Down with God' books is in assuming that God and Religion are related. It is possible to have a bad experience of religion, which is a man made thing. But if a person denies the very existence of God in the first place. How can a person who denies the existence of something write about something that they consider does not exist? Mmmm
In doing this are they not then giving body to something that they previously considered didn't exist - so that they are now writing about an entity that does exist?
It can only truly be presented that 'God is not Great' from personal experience, not from carrying out an academic study on whether another person considered whether 'God was not Great'. It is then necessary for the writer to relate from personal experience why they consider 'God is not Great'.
Thinking book, 04 Oct 2008
This book does make you think in two sense of that phrase: it makes you consider the big questions in life and it also makes you concnetrate hard to understand it in places.
I liked the book when considering it in the round. It think that Hitchens is clearly a very clever individual, well-read and who has considered his subject-matter in some detail and is very familiar with it. But this is part of the downside to the book in that, for someone like me, who is not a philosopher and who does not have a good grounding in the subject matter, it is difficult to follow in places (quite a few places).
I have also read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins recently and on balance I prefer Dawkins book. That said, the two books are written in different styles (Dawkins adopting more of a step by step guide, whereas Hitchens' approach is more conversational).
These books are very different to the books I would usually read and I think I have benefitted greatly from reading them, but to others who have not read them I would say that you need to be sitting quietly and without distraction to get the most out of the book!
God is not........., 23 Sep 2008
Great book. Unfortunately, I suspect the only people who will read it already know that God isn't!
Welcome to celestial North Korea, 22 Sep 2008
Dawkins has God on the floor and the Hitch has jumped into the ring and got a sneaky boot in. Booo, hiss! This book starts from where Dawkins left off i.e. there is no good reason for belief in anything with no evidence (e.g. the tooth fairy, flying spaghetti monster God etc). All these things might exist but it seems unlikely. Hitchens goes a step further and tries to show that not only does God probably not exist but it would be bad if he did. He describes Heaven as a celestial North Korea.
It seems a strong case but is based entirely around the portrayal of God in the world's religions. It seems possible to me that God does exist but religions are man made and have got God all wrong. Personally I'm not sure whether it matters whether God exists. I like to hope that we do not cease to exist when we die and I certainly hope we are more than our bodies. But I recognise that this is probably wishful thinking and I am not sure where a God or God's fit into all this.
This is a good read for making you think about such questions. And as always Hitchens writes wonderfully.
aphoristic and enlightening, 29 Sep 2008
I'm not especially interested in military history, neither am I a manager or businessman, but I still found this book very enjoyable. It has the rare appeal of being of its time but at the same time applicable to the present day. Many of the insights feel very contemporary - not simply to the business arena but to any aspect of life. The style is terse and aphoristic, which means that it doesn't really matter that the book is quite short. Even the chapters on terrain tactics are interesting from a historical point of view. I would also recommend a book called the Fall by Steve Taylor for its insights into the origins and history of warfare and social conflict The Fall:the Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era
Short, snappy and very readable, 08 Sep 2008
I bought this as I am quite interested in military history, and thought I couldn't really go wrong with £3. Instead of the paragraphs of thick text I expected, instead the book is laid out with numbered points in a series of about 13 chapters.
The text never becomes heavy, but instead is written in a very accessible way meaning it is easy to dip in and out of the book as you like. Also I thought that maybe the text would be outdated and irrelevant, but instead with a bit of common sense it can apply to us today.
All in all, very readable and well worth the money, especially if you need to purchase something to get free postage!
Not what I was expecting, but quirky and useful, 04 Jun 2008
I was expecting a huge tome full of Confuscian statements which are allegorical to warfare. What I received was a 69-page book of short instructions which are dirrectly about warfare, but in many cases allegorical to life.
Possibly they're all in some way applicable to the day-to-day, the fighting with fire section does seem a bit specialised, but doubtless the scales will fall from my eyes at some stage and I will be able to use its teachings in buying tangerines from waitrose.
The best thing about the book is the ability to spice up conversation. Never again will I use a hackneyed marketing phrase where something from Sun Tzu will work. Brilliant.
A must read book !, 25 Sep 2007
Short but Sweet !
Applicable theories even today !
Must Read, more than once !
The book!!!!!!!!!, 13 Oct 2008
This is the book to have if you wish to know more about critical thinking. The book has exercises and is abundant with knowledge to assist you with your exams, assignments and general thinking. A must have for all student, just wish i'd found it eariler.
Critical Thinking Skills, 25 Jul 2007
If you are unsure about how to critically think, or pinpoint an argument, then get this book. It has plenty of excersises to help hone your skills, and I'm glad I got this book before going into 2nd Year Uni.
Definatley a must-have in my opinion.
Longer than necessary, but very useful, 14 Aug 2006
If like me your lecturers constantly tell you that you need to "critically analyse" but don't actually tell you how to do it, this book will be very useful!
It gives you examples of the difference between describing and analysing and also has tests for you to check you understand each concept. There are also examples of how to write essays and when to use references to back up facts. It is also useful in pointing out how to avoid making assumptions or being biased.
The only slight downside to the book is that there is maybe too much information than is necessary. A lot of the introductory chapters may not be useful for those at university as it may all seem obvious but the book is also aimed at those at 6th form/college.
I bought this at level 3 and it taught me a few simple things which definately helped me pick up some extra marks and I ended up with a 2:1. Had I bought this at the start of level 2 I think I could have ended up with a 1st. Critical analysis is not difficult. Once you realise the simple process of doing this it comes naturally and this book certainly helped develop these skills.
An Antidote to Modern Life!, 01 Nov 2008
Finding Happiness is one of those rare gems of a book that serenely guides you through the trials of modern day life. Father Jamison takes the reader hand in hand to genuine inner joy. "Are monks happy?" His reply, "They are not unhappy." That grabbed me straight away, along with his question about having a happy death! Having never thought about death being happy, on the rare occasions I think about death. I realised that to have a happy death, equates to having a happy and fulfilled life.
With his profound insights, and effective communication, this book remarkably mirrors humanities embedded condition. With such elegance, we're guided through many of the reasons that make us unhappy.
Ultimately the dark clouds dissipate, opening the door to inner happiness, if you so choose..
This book is of a solid foundation to make a significant change in your life. Its timing in this troubled era is perfect.
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Customer Reviews
All too human..., 18 Nov 2008
I make one simple point: does religion per se create evil,
or does humanity create evil in its name? The point has been
made over and over again that any great system of thought
creates zealots who are prepared to kill in its name. Humans
like and crave for certainty, and they cannot tolerate having
their certainty challenged. It is simply a non sequitur for
authors like Hitchens constantly to bang on about the evil done
in religions' names. When will people stop peddling this tired
old fallacy? It does not address the substance of the argument.
Does the atom bomb invalidate nuclear physics? Of course not. Let's
hear the *arguments* for the non-existence of God, not the
emotive (alas too tragic) nonsense that really amounts only to
a lamentation of humanity's disastrous history.
God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens , 04 Nov 2008
Perhaps a danger with these 'Down with God' books is in assuming that God and Religion are related. It is possible to have a bad experience of religion, which is a man made thing. But if a person denies the very existence of God in the first place. How can a person who denies the existence of something write about something that they consider does not exist? Mmmm
In doing this are they not then giving body to something that they previously considered didn't exist - so that they are now writing about an entity that does exist?
It can only truly be presented that 'God is not Great' from personal experience, not from carrying out an academic study on whether another person considered whether 'God was not Great'. It is then necessary for the writer to relate from personal experience why they consider 'God is not Great'.
Thinking book, 04 Oct 2008
This book does make you think in two sense of that phrase: it makes you consider the big questions in life and it also makes you concnetrate hard to understand it in places.
I liked the book when considering it in the round. It think that Hitchens is clearly a very clever individual, well-read and who has considered his subject-matter in some detail and is very familiar with it. But this is part of the downside to the book in that, for someone like me, who is not a philosopher and who does not have a good grounding in the subject matter, it is difficult to follow in places (quite a few places).
I have also read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins recently and on balance I prefer Dawkins book. That said, the two books are written in different styles (Dawkins adopting more of a step by step guide, whereas Hitchens' approach is more conversational).
These books are very different to the books I would usually read and I think I have benefitted greatly from reading them, but to others who have not read them I would say that you need to be sitting quietly and without distraction to get the most out of the book!
God is not........., 23 Sep 2008
Great book. Unfortunately, I suspect the only people who will read it already know that God isn't!
Welcome to celestial North Korea, 22 Sep 2008
Dawkins has God on the floor and the Hitch has jumped into the ring and got a sneaky boot in. Booo, hiss! This book starts from where Dawkins left off i.e. there is no good reason for belief in anything with no evidence (e.g. the tooth fairy, flying spaghetti monster God etc). All these things might exist but it seems unlikely. Hitchens goes a step further and tries to show that not only does God probably not exist but it would be bad if he did. He describes Heaven as a celestial North Korea.
It seems a strong case but is based entirely around the portrayal of God in the world's religions. It seems possible to me that God does exist but religions are man made and have got God all wrong. Personally I'm not sure whether it matters whether God exists. I like to hope that we do not cease to exist when we die and I certainly hope we are more than our bodies. But I recognise that this is probably wishful thinking and I am not sure where a God or God's fit into all this.
This is a good read for making you think about such questions. And as always Hitchens writes wonderfully.
aphoristic and enlightening, 29 Sep 2008
I'm not especially interested in military history, neither am I a manager or businessman, but I still found this book very enjoyable. It has the rare appeal of being of its time but at the same time applicable to the present day. Many of the insights feel very contemporary - not simply to the business arena but to any aspect of life. The style is terse and aphoristic, which means that it doesn't really matter that the book is quite short. Even the chapters on terrain tactics are interesting from a historical point of view. I would also recommend a book called the Fall by Steve Taylor for its insights into the origins and history of warfare and social conflict The Fall:the Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era
Short, snappy and very readable, 08 Sep 2008
I bought this as I am quite interested in military history, and thought I couldn't really go wrong with £3. Instead of the paragraphs of thick text I expected, instead the book is laid out with numbered points in a series of about 13 chapters.
The text never becomes heavy, but instead is written in a very accessible way meaning it is easy to dip in and out of the book as you like. Also I thought that maybe the text would be outdated and irrelevant, but instead with a bit of common sense it can apply to us today.
All in all, very readable and well worth the money, especially if you need to purchase something to get free postage!
Not what I was expecting, but quirky and useful, 04 Jun 2008
I was expecting a huge tome full of Confuscian statements which are allegorical to warfare. What I received was a 69-page book of short instructions which are dirrectly about warfare, but in many cases allegorical to life.
Possibly they're all in some way applicable to the day-to-day, the fighting with fire section does seem a bit specialised, but doubtless the scales will fall from my eyes at some stage and I will be able to use its teachings in buying tangerines from waitrose.
The best thing about the book is the ability to spice up conversation. Never again will I use a hackneyed marketing phrase where something from Sun Tzu will work. Brilliant.
A must read book !, 25 Sep 2007
Short but Sweet !
Applicable theories even today !
Must Read, more than once !
The book!!!!!!!!!, 13 Oct 2008
This is the book to have if you wish to know more about critical thinking. The book has exercises and is abundant with knowledge to assist you with your exams, assignments and general thinking. A must have for all student, just wish i'd found it eariler.
Critical Thinking Skills, 25 Jul 2007
If you are unsure about how to critically think, or pinpoint an argument, then get this book. It has plenty of excersises to help hone your skills, and I'm glad I got this book before going into 2nd Year Uni.
Definatley a must-have in my opinion.
Longer than necessary, but very useful, 14 Aug 2006
If like me your lecturers constantly tell you that you need to "critically analyse" but don't actually tell you how to do it, this book will be very useful!
It gives you examples of the difference between describing and analysing and also has tests for you to check you understand each concept. There are also examples of how to write essays and when to use references to back up facts. It is also useful in pointing out how to avoid making assumptions or being biased.
The only slight downside to the book is that there is maybe too much information than is necessary. A lot of the introductory chapters may not be useful for those at university as it may all seem obvious but the book is also aimed at those at 6th form/college.
I bought this at level 3 and it taught me a few simple things which definately helped me pick up some extra marks and I ended up with a 2:1. Had I bought this at the start of level 2 I think I could have ended up with a 1st. Critical analysis is not difficult. Once you realise the simple process of doing this it comes naturally and this book certainly helped develop these skills.
An Antidote to Modern Life!, 01 Nov 2008
Finding Happiness is one of those rare gems of a book that serenely guides you through the trials of modern day life. Father Jamison takes the reader hand in hand to genuine inner joy. "Are monks happy?" His reply, "They are not unhappy." That grabbed me straight away, along with his question about having a happy death! Having never thought about death being happy, on the rare occasions I think about death. I realised that to have a happy death, equates to having a happy and fulfilled life.
With his profound insights, and effective communication, this book remarkably mirrors humanities embedded condition. With such elegance, we're guided through many of the reasons that make us unhappy.
Ultimately the dark clouds dissipate, opening the door to inner happiness, if you so choose..
This book is of a solid foundation to make a significant change in your life. Its timing in this troubled era is perfect.
A helpful insight into the mind of a Communist/Marxist, 14 Oct 2008
Although only 40 pages long, you get an insight into the way that both Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels felt about the world they lived in and how it could change for the greater good (in their opinion anyway). I do encourage anyone with even a minor interest in European politics, to give this book a try.
Even though I was fascinated by the two authors ideology (Ultimately, the hope that a Proletariat will rise to conquer the all-oppressing Bourgeoise, in every country) I do feel that they did not make clear any kind of policies that they would enforce after they took power. All it seems is that they want to get the oppressers out, but after that they don't seem to know what they want to do (despite destroying any kind of private property and attempting to establish an equalised economy, which is mentioned countless times within the Manifesto). This failure to think of anything else may be one of the reasons why Communism failed so miserably in Europe.
Don't get me wrong, I feel that the theory of Communism is the greatest piece of political thought. It's just that when it is put not practive, it all goes horribly wrong. Communists (including Marx and Engels) seem to feel that everyone will just see that their ideology is the best, agree with them and allow them to do whatever they like. Marx and Engels fail to comprehend that not all humans think and feel about the world like they do, when people reach the top, they are corrupted by power and then their greed is all they care about (take Joseph Stalin as an example). It does seem that the authors are hoping for a bit much. I also found it funny near the end when they spoke of the "imminent" Proletariat uprising in Germany and that Communists should mainly focus on that country so that it could be taken from the Bourgeoise, when not even 100 years later we all know who was in charge of Germany. Definately not a friend of the Proletariat.
Overall, I found it to be a fascinating read, and credit to the well thought out introduction, which gave more imformation on the origins of Communism and the backgrounds of Marx and Engels. I recommend this book to everyone.
The introduction alone is worth your money, 01 Aug 2008
I will leave others to debate the relative merits of the actual Manifesto and say a couple of words about the introduction because the product distinction - criminally - doesn't seem to mention it. Gareth Stedman-Jones' introduction is a book in itself, longer than the Manifesto and an excellent and absolutely compelling introduction to the intellectual and historical context. By framing the intellectual debates of the Young Hegelians and others in a rich historical narrative Stedman-Jones makes them positively fascinating! He tells the story of the life of the young Karl Marx and describes his interactions with the intellectuals of the time, showing that Marx borrowed pretty much every element of his early (more philsophical) work from those around him but that his particular genius was to combine them all in such original formations. He even throws in a bit of completely original research about why Marx shied away from making his call for socialism a moral imperative (it was radical egoist Stirner's influence apparently). Its a hell of a lot of knowledge crammed into a very small space in a fascinating and readable manner and will double your appreciation and understanding of the Manifesto itself. All in all: if your trying to work out which edition to buy - get this one for the intro!
The Communist Manifesto - still relevent, 30 Jul 2008
After the Berlin wall fell, the so-called "communism" that "Marx envisioned" fell with it. Or so we are told. In actuality the class struggle that Marx wrote about in this booklet is still alive and kicking. The proletariat is still, according to Mr. Marx, destined to overthrow the bourgeoisie, fulfilling its' historical role. But we are told "No"; capitalism is the answer to all our problems now, it offers us democracy and freedom. Nothing could be father from the truth. In fact, capitalism doesn't work at all for the majority of the world's people: it is a grotesque caricature of freedom that Marx understood exactly. The victory of the individual comes with the destruction, the mass overthrow of capitalism. Do not let the likes of Firedman and others fool you. Serfdom already exists; the Soviet Union and others were just as fake as capitalism, and, as Marx pointed out "The emancipation of the working class must be an act of the working class".
This is not a manifesto like the Labour Part has a manifesto. It is a philosophical document that is invaluable to the labout movement and to working people worldwide.
Future prospects, 28 May 2008
Read this in context and as of its time. It's a Manifesto, just as Labour or the Conservarives or George Bush put out party manifestos at each election (or at least they did when they at least pretended to have policies and an idiology that went beyong simply making the world safe for the rich to get richer).
It's an election leaflet, party rallying call and outline of policies all in one. And what is the message? You poor take courage, you rich take heed...the World Turned Upside Down (where the rich and powerful become equal to the rest of us) is dawning. As a Socialist Party member that is this reviewers life work.
This edition has the greatest literary introduction ever, 16 Sep 2007
Greatest explanatory introduction ever, in fact could be as important or good as the book itself, really does Engels justice.
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Customer Reviews
All too human..., 18 Nov 2008
I make one simple point: does religion per se create evil,
or does humanity create evil in its name? The point has been
made over and over again that any great system of thought
creates zealots who are prepared to kill in its name. Humans
like and crave for certainty, and they cannot tolerate having
their certainty challenged. It is simply a non sequitur for
authors like Hitchens constantly to bang on about the evil done
in religions' names. When will people stop peddling this tired
old fallacy? It does not address the substance of the argument.
Does the atom bomb invalidate nuclear physics? Of course not. Let's
hear the *arguments* for the non-existence of God, not the
emotive (alas too tragic) nonsense that really amounts only to
a lamentation of humanity's disastrous history.
God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens , 04 Nov 2008
Perhaps a danger with these 'Down with God' books is in assuming that God and Religion are related. It is possible to have a bad experience of religion, which is a man made thing. But if a person denies the very existence of God in the first place. How can a person who denies the existence of something write about something that they consider does not exist? Mmmm
In doing this are they not then giving body to something that they previously considered didn't exist - so that they are now writing about an entity that does exist?
It can only truly be presented that 'God is not Great' from personal experience, not from carrying out an academic study on whether another person considered whether 'God was not Great'. It is then necessary for the writer to relate from personal experience why they consider 'God is not Great'.
Thinking book, 04 Oct 2008
This book does make you think in two sense of that phrase: it makes you consider the big questions in life and it also makes you concnetrate hard to understand it in places.
I liked the book when considering it in the round. It think that Hitchens is clearly a very clever individual, well-read and who has considered his subject-matter in some detail and is very familiar with it. But this is part of the downside to the book in that, for someone like me, who is not a philosopher and who does not have a good grounding in the subject matter, it is difficult to follow in places (quite a few places).
I have also read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins recently and on balance I prefer Dawkins book. That said, the two books are written in different styles (Dawkins adopting more of a step by step guide, whereas Hitchens' approach is more conversational).
These books are very different to the books I would usually read and I think I have benefitted greatly from reading them, but to others who have not read them I would say that you need to be sitting quietly and without distraction to get the most out of the book!
God is not........., 23 Sep 2008
Great book. Unfortunately, I suspect the only people who will read it already know that God isn't!
Welcome to celestial North Korea, 22 Sep 2008
Dawkins has God on the floor and the Hitch has jumped into the ring and got a sneaky boot in. Booo, hiss! This book starts from where Dawkins left off i.e. there is no good reason for belief in anything with no evidence (e.g. the tooth fairy, flying spaghetti monster God etc). All these things might exist but it seems unlikely. Hitchens goes a step further and tries to show that not only does God probably not exist but it would be bad if he did. He describes Heaven as a celestial North Korea.
It seems a strong case but is based entirely around the portrayal of God in the world's religions. It seems possible to me that God does exist but religions are man made and have got God all wrong. Personally I'm not sure whether it matters whether God exists. I like to hope that we do not cease to exist when we die and I certainly hope we are more than our bodies. But I recognise that this is probably wishful thinking and I am not sure where a God or God's fit into all this.
This is a good read for making you think about such questions. And as always Hitchens writes wonderfully.
aphoristic and enlightening, 29 Sep 2008
I'm not especially interested in military history, neither am I a manager or businessman, but I still found this book very enjoyable. It has the rare appeal of being of its time but at the same time applicable to the present day. Many of the insights feel very contemporary - not simply to the business arena but to any aspect of life. The style is terse and aphoristic, which means that it doesn't really matter that the book is quite short. Even the chapters on terrain tactics are interesting from a historical point of view. I would also recommend a book called the Fall by Steve Taylor for its insights into the origins and history of warfare and social conflict The Fall:the Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era
Short, snappy and very readable, 08 Sep 2008
I bought this as I am quite interested in military history, and thought I couldn't really go wrong with £3. Instead of the paragraphs of thick text I expected, instead the book is laid out with numbered points in a series of about 13 chapters.
The text never becomes heavy, but instead is written in a very accessible way meaning it is easy to dip in and out of the book as you like. Also I thought that maybe the text would be outdated and irrelevant, but instead with a bit of common sense it can apply to us today.
All in all, very readable and well worth the money, especially if you need to purchase something to get free postage!
Not what I was expecting, but quirky and useful, 04 Jun 2008
I was expecting a huge tome full of Confuscian statements which are allegorical to warfare. What I received was a 69-page book of short instructions which are dirrectly about warfare, but in many cases allegorical to life.
Possibly they're all in some way applicable to the day-to-day, the fighting with fire section does seem a bit specialised, but doubtless the scales will fall from my eyes at some stage and I will be able to use its teachings in buying tangerines from waitrose.
The best thing about the book is the ability to spice up conversation. Never again will I use a hackneyed marketing phrase where something from Sun Tzu will work. Brilliant.
A must read book !, 25 Sep 2007
Short but Sweet !
Applicable theories even today !
Must Read, more than once !
The book!!!!!!!!!, 13 Oct 2008
This is the book to have if you wish to know more about critical thinking. The book has exercises and is abundant with knowledge to assist you with your exams, assignments and general thinking. A must have for all student, just wish i'd found it eariler.
Critical Thinking Skills, 25 Jul 2007
If you are unsure about how to critically think, or pinpoint an argument, then get this book. It has plenty of excersises to help hone your skills, and I'm glad I got this book before going into 2nd Year Uni.
Definatley a must-have in my opinion.
Longer than necessary, but very useful, 14 Aug 2006
If like me your lecturers constantly tell you that you need to "critically analyse" but don't actually tell you how to do it, this book will be very useful!
It gives you examples of the difference between describing and analysing and also has tests for you to check you understand each concept. There are also examples of how to write essays and when to use references to back up facts. It is also useful in pointing out how to avoid making assumptions or being biased.
The only slight downside to the book is that there is maybe too much information than is necessary. A lot of the introductory chapters may not be useful for those at university as it may all seem obvious but the book is also aimed at those at 6th form/college.
I bought this at level 3 and it taught me a few simple things which definately helped me pick up some extra marks and I ended up with a 2:1. Had I bought this at the start of level 2 I think I could have ended up with a 1st. Critical analysis is not difficult. Once you realise the simple process of doing this it comes naturally and this book certainly helped develop these skills.
An Antidote to Modern Life!, 01 Nov 2008
Finding Happiness is one of those rare gems of a book that serenely guides you through the trials of modern day life. Father Jamison takes the reader hand in hand to genuine inner joy. "Are monks happy?" His reply, "They are not unhappy." That grabbed me straight away, along with his question about having a happy death! Having never thought about death being happy, on the rare occasions I think about death. I realised that to have a happy death, equates to having a happy and fulfilled life.
With his profound insights, and effective communication, this book remarkably mirrors humanities embedded condition. With such elegance, we're guided through many of the reasons that make us unhappy.
Ultimately the dark clouds dissipate, opening the door to inner happiness, if you so choose..
This book is of a solid foundation to make a significant change in your life. Its timing in this troubled era is perfect.
A helpful insight into the mind of a Communist/Marxist, 14 Oct 2008
Although only 40 pages long, you get an insight into the way that both Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels felt about the world they lived in and how it could change for the greater good (in their opinion anyway). I do encourage anyone with even a minor interest in European politics, to give this book a try.
Even though I was fascinated by the two authors ideology (Ultimately, the hope that a Proletariat will rise to conquer the all-oppressing Bourgeoise, in every country) I do feel that they did not make clear any kind of policies that they would enforce after they took power. All it seems is that they want to get the oppressers out, but after that they don't seem to know what they want to do (despite destroying any kind of private property and attempting to establish an equalised economy, which is mentioned countless times within the Manifesto). This failure to think of anything else may be one of the reasons why Communism failed so miserably in Europe.
Don't get me wrong, I feel that the theory of Communism is the greatest piece of political thought. It's just that when it is put not practive, it all goes horribly wrong. Communists (including Marx and Engels) seem to feel that everyone will just see that their ideology is the best, agree with them and allow them to do whatever they like. Marx and Engels fail to comprehend that not all humans think and feel about the world like they do, when people reach the top, they are corrupted by power and then their greed is all they care about (take Joseph Stalin as an example). It does seem that the authors are hoping for a bit much. I also found it funny near the end when they spoke of the "imminent" Proletariat uprising in Germany and that Communists should mainly focus on that country so that it could be taken from the Bourgeoise, when not even 100 years later we all know who was in charge of Germany. Definately not a friend of the Proletariat.
Overall, I found it to be a fascinating read, and credit to the well thought out introduction, which gave more imformation on the origins of Communism and the backgrounds of Marx and Engels. I recommend this book to everyone.
The introduction alone is worth your money, 01 Aug 2008
I will leave others to debate the relative merits of the actual Manifesto and say a couple of words about the introduction because the product distinction - criminally - doesn't seem to mention it. Gareth Stedman-Jones' introduction is a book in itself, longer than the Manifesto and an excellent and absolutely compelling introduction to the intellectual and historical context. By framing the intellectual debates of the Young Hegelians and others in a rich historical narrative Stedman-Jones makes them positively fascinating! He tells the story of the life of the young Karl Marx and describes his interactions with the intellectuals of the time, showing that Marx borrowed pretty much every element of his early (more philsophical) work from those around him but that his particular genius was to combine them all in such original formations. He even throws in a bit of completely original research about why Marx shied away from making his call for socialism a moral imperative (it was radical egoist Stirner's influence apparently). Its a hell of a lot of knowledge crammed into a very small space in a fascinating and readable manner and will double your appreciation and understanding of the Manifesto itself. All in all: if your trying to work out which edition to buy - get this one for the intro!
The Communist Manifesto - still relevent, 30 Jul 2008
After the Berlin wall fell, the so-called "communism" that "Marx envisioned" fell with it. Or so we are told. In actuality the class struggle that Marx wrote about in this booklet is still alive and kicking. The proletariat is still, according to Mr. Marx, destined to overthrow the bourgeoisie, fulfilling its' historical role. But we are told "No"; capitalism is the answer to all our problems now, it offers us democracy and freedom. Nothing could be father from the truth. In fact, capitalism doesn't work at all for the majority of the world's people: it is a grotesque caricature of freedom that Marx understood exactly. The victory of the individual comes with the destruction, the mass overthrow of capitalism. Do not let the likes of Firedman and others fool you. Serfdom already exists; the Soviet Union and others were just as fake as capitalism, and, as Marx pointed out "The emancipation of the working class must be an act of the working class".
This is not a manifesto like the Labour Part has a manifesto. It is a philosophical document that is invaluable to the labout movement and to working people worldwide.
Future prospects, 28 May 2008
Read this in context and as of its time. It's a Manifesto, just as Labour or the Conservarives or George Bush put out party manifestos at each election (or at least they did when they at least pretended to have policies and an idiology that went beyong simply making the world safe for the rich to get richer).
It's an election leaflet, party rallying call and outline of policies all in one. And what is the message? You poor take courage, you rich take heed...the World Turned Upside Down (where the rich and powerful become equal to the rest of us) is dawning. As a Socialist Party member that is this reviewers life work.
This edition has the greatest literary introduction ever, 16 Sep 2007
Greatest explanatory introduction ever, in fact could be as important or good as the book itself, really does Engels justice.
backwards maybe, 15 Sep 2008
This is a thick tomb, not so portable as a set of keys but much more portable than a well stocked library. - what you need to look up the writings of the authors mentioned in this book. This book is a tourist guide to intellectual places you have never considered visiting, or wanted to but didn't know where to start.
I think this book may have been more readable to the non English Lit. graduate had the contents been presented from the most recent to the least. It takes effort to read the early entries and to understand them.
Stick with it nonetheless your brain may ache from the effort but it will be fitter because of it.
Thoughtful selection of Atheist, Agnostic and Rationalist writing from across the ages., 25 May 2008
This book is perhaps slightly undersold by it's title, it's a pretty solid tome, still portable I suppose but it must be a good 2 or 3 inches thick. The second part of the title is also a little misleading, the majority of the authors are indeed atheists, but not limited to the more militant kind one might expect Hitchens to choose. There's a broad spectrum of Humanist, Secularist and Rationalist writing spanning from Lucretius and Spinoza to Ibn Warraq and Sam Harris. The book progresses through these in a roughly chronological order charting the way human thought on the divine (or lack thereof) has changed and progressed.
The readings are well chosen and Hitchens provides a little introduction and context to each section (if I had one minor complaint it would be that these intros could have been even longer, they were fascinating in their own right). He also provides an overall intro to the book as a whole.
If I was to direct someone, atheist or theist, to a single book to explain non-theistic world views to them, it would have to be this.
Nourishment for the mind, 11 Mar 2008
An absolutely dazzling work. As a recovering Christian I am actively seeking out the thoughts of the great secularists down through the ages.
Particular highlights for me were the writings of Mark Twain on the Church's position on slavery, and also a remarkable deconstruction of every Christian argument regarding morality and God by Elizabet Anderson. Its one of those books that I'd love my wife and my Christian friends to read. Sadly, the bubble of false consolation and cognitive bias appears overwhelmingly strong. My experience tells me that the only evidence that Christians can cope with is Christian evidence. A truly impartial assesment of the available evidence from both sides seems a pose a real challenge to them.
A vital purchase, 13 Feb 2008
Here's a book that will expand your mind. And how could it not? Look at the contributors it boasts: Einstein, Darwin, Orwell, Larkin, Twain, McEwan, Rushdie, Hume, Shelley, Russell, Dawkins and many more. Plus you get a main introduction and author introductions from the erudite and savagely witty Hitchens.
A word of warning: the first 100 pages are a bit sticky to wade through. This is because the book's essays are arranged in chronological order so we start with some ancient texts where the English is very heavy and dozens of commas adorn each sentence. There are some wonderful points made of course, but extreme concentration is required to pick them all up.
Things brighten after that and the book becomes highly readable. The majority of the essays are informative, stimulating and beautifully written. Highlights for me included Dawkins (as ever), who once again comes over as the world's best science writer, Larkin's stirring poem Aubade, AC Grayling's succinct essay, Can An Atheist Be A Fundamentalist?, and Ibn Warraq's brilliant dismantling of Islamic beliefs. If only Muslims would read it - but if they did they'd likely just throw it on the nearest fire.
We have much work to do. It may be a thousand years before the awfulness of religion is eradicated from the world, but books like this help: they perpetuate the `drip-down' effect. In the West we were well on the way to eradicating it before several million Muslims came to live here. Personally I doubt that nothing but a devastating clash of civilizations can be the result (we have of course already seen such clashes). Reading this book underlined my belief that this will be the case.
In conclusion, this book is highly recommended. If you only buy one atheist book buy this one (although The God Delusion is also fantastic). In the end you must decide which version of man's evolution and the planet's creation you believe: the views of thousands of the world's greatest ever minds of the past few hundred years; or words written a long, long time ago by people who thought the earth was flat and that the sun went round it, as passed on to them by other people who could not read or write and had not travelled, in their whole lives, more than a few miles from their primitive, parochial townships. I know who I'd prefer to believe.
PS On reflection I'd give this five stars but Amazon don't appear to allow you to edit star ratings.
Excellent, 10 Feb 2008
The choice of writings contained within this anthology is wide and varied, and endlessly fascinating and intellectually stimulating. There is enough ammunition contained within its covers to keep the active atheist on the offensive through many a debate.
An interesting feature for me is just how many times in this volume I have come across paragraphs, just sentences even, that by themselves fatally undermine the entire 'logic' of organised religion. Example: the quote from Mill regarding the monstrous cruelty (and thus laughable improbability) of a supposedly merciful and loving supreme being who plainly (according to the good books, damned in their own words as ever) creates beings by his own hand solely to condemn them to hell fire and damnation. Do what? My other favourite is Ian MacEwan's comments on curiousity being one of the definitions of human freedom of thought, and how organised religions fear almost nothing more - see St Augustine on that one. It's true: the Western religions live in terror of truly free thought, yet without it the human race would still be living in caves. Humanity has advanced to attain astonishing levels of scientific knowledge, yet for centuries it has been a continual fight to achieve it against the squeals of thwarted God-botherers.
Outstanding.
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Customer Reviews
All too human..., 18 Nov 2008
I make one simple point: does religion per se create evil,
or does humanity create evil in its name? The point has been
made over and over again that any great system of thought
creates zealots who are prepared to kill in its name. Humans
like and crave for certainty, and they cannot tolerate having
their certainty challenged. It is simply a non sequitur for
authors like Hitchens constantly to bang on about the evil done
in religions' names. When will people stop peddling this tired
old fallacy? It does not address the substance of the argument.
Does the atom bomb invalidate nuclear physics? Of course not. Let's
hear the *arguments* for the non-existence of God, not the
emotive (alas too tragic) nonsense that really amounts only to
a lamentation of humanity's disastrous history. God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens , 04 Nov 2008
Perhaps a danger with these 'Down with God' books is in assuming that God and Religion are related. It is possible to have a bad experience of religion, which is a man made thing. But if a person denies the very existence of God in the first place. How can a person who denies the existence of something write about something that they consider does not exist? Mmmm
In doing this are they not then giving body to something that they previously considered didn't exist - so that they are now writing about an entity that does exist?
It can only truly be presented that 'God is not Great' from personal experience, not from carrying out an academic study on whether another person considered whether 'God was not Great'. It is then necessary for the writer to relate from personal experience why they consider 'God is not Great'. Thinking book, 04 Oct 2008
This book does make you think in two sense of that phrase: it makes you consider the big questions in life and it also makes you concnetrate hard to understand it in places.
I liked the book when considering it in the round. It think that Hitchens is clearly a very clever individual, well-read and who has considered his subject-matter in some detail and is very familiar with it. But this is part of the downside to the book in that, for someone like me, who is not a philosopher and who does not have a good grounding in the subject matter, it is difficult to follow in places (quite a few places).
I have also read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins recently and on balance I prefer Dawkins book. That said, the two books are written in different styles (Dawkins adopting more of a step by step guide, whereas Hitchens' approach is more conversational).
These books are very different to the books I would usually read and I think I have benefitted greatly from reading them, but to others who have not read them I would say that you need to be sitting quietly and without distraction to get the most out of the book! God is not........., 23 Sep 2008
Great book. Unfortunately, I suspect the only people who will read it already know that God isn't! Welcome to celestial North Korea, 22 Sep 2008
Dawkins has God on the floor and the Hitch has jumped into the ring and got a sneaky boot in. Booo, hiss! This book starts from where Dawkins left off i.e. there is no good reason for belief in anything with no evidence (e.g. the tooth fairy, flying spaghetti monster God etc). All these things might exist but it seems unlikely. Hitchens goes a step further and tries to show that not only does God probably not exist but it would be bad if he did. He describes Heaven as a celestial North Korea.
It seems a strong case but is based entirely around the portrayal of God in the world's religions. It seems possible to me that God does exist but religions are man made and have got God all wrong. Personally I'm not sure whether it matters whether God exists. I like to hope that we do not cease to exist when we die and I certainly hope we are more than our bodies. But I recognise that this is probably wishful thinking and I am not sure where a God or God's fit into all this.
This is a good read for making you think about such questions. And as always Hitchens writes wonderfully. aphoristic and enlightening, 29 Sep 2008
I'm not especially interested in military history, neither am I a manager or businessman, but I still found this book very enjoyable. It has the rare appeal of being of its time but at the same time applicable to the present day. Many of the insights feel very contemporary - not simply to the business arena but to any aspect of life. The style is terse and aphoristic, which means that it doesn't really matter that the book is quite short. Even the chapters on terrain tactics are interesting from a historical point of view. I would also recommend a book called the Fall by Steve Taylor for its insights into the origins and history of warfare and social conflict The Fall:the Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era: The Insanity of the Ego in Human History and the Dawning of a New Era
Short, snappy and very readable, 08 Sep 2008
I bought this as I am quite interested in military history, and thought I couldn't really go wrong with £3. Instead of the paragraphs of thick text I expected, instead the book is laid out with numbered points in a series of about 13 chapters.
The text never becomes heavy, but instead is written in a very accessible way meaning it is easy to dip in and out of the book as you like. Also I thought that maybe the text would be outdated and irrelevant, but instead with a bit of common sense it can apply to us today.
All in all, very readable and well worth the money, especially if you need to purchase something to get free postage! Not what I was expecting, but quirky and useful, 04 Jun 2008
I was expecting a huge tome full of Confuscian statements which are allegorical to warfare. What I received was a 69-page book of short instructions which are dirrectly about warfare, but in many cases allegorical to life.
Possibly they're all in some way applicable to the day-to-day, the fighting with fire section does seem a bit specialised, but doubtless the scales will fall from my eyes at some stage and I will be able to use its teachings in buying tangerines from waitrose.
The best thing about the book is the ability to spice up conversation. Never again will I use a hackneyed marketing phrase where something from Sun Tzu will work. Brilliant. A must read book !, 25 Sep 2007
Short but Sweet !
Applicable theories even today !
Must Read, more than once !
The book!!!!!!!!!, 13 Oct 2008
This is the book to have if you wish to know more about critical thinking. The book has exercises and is abundant with knowledge to assist you with your exams, assignments and general thinking. A must have for all student, just wish i'd found it eariler. Critical Thinking Skills, 25 Jul 2007
If you are unsure about how to critically think, or pinpoint an argument, then get this book. It has plenty of excersises to help hone your skills, and I'm glad I got this book before going into 2nd Year Uni.
Definatley a must-have in my opinion. Longer than necessary, but very useful, 14 Aug 2006
If like me your lecturers constantly tell you that you need to "critically analyse" but don't actually tell you how to do it, this book will be very useful!
It gives you examples of the difference between describing and analysing and also has tests for you to check you understand each concept. There are also examples of how to write essays and when to use references to back up facts. It is also useful in pointing out how to avoid making assumptions or being biased.
The only slight downside to the book is that there is maybe too much information than is necessary. A lot of the introductory chapters may not be useful for those at university as it may all seem obvious but the book is also aimed at those at 6th form/college.
I bought this at level 3 and it taught me a few simple things which definately helped me pick up some extra marks and I ended up with a 2:1. Had I bought this at the start of level 2 I think I could have ended up with a 1st. Critical analysis is not difficult. Once you realise the simple process of doing this it comes naturally and this book certainly helped develop these skills. An Antidote to Modern Life!, 01 Nov 2008
Finding Happiness is one of those rare gems of a book that serenely guides you through the trials of modern day life. Father Jamison takes the reader hand in hand to genuine inner joy. "Are monks happy?" His reply, "They are not unhappy." That grabbed me straight away, along with his question about having a happy death! Having never thought about death being happy, on the rare occasions I think about death. I realised that to have a happy death, equates to having a happy and fulfilled life.
With his profound insights, and effective communication, this book remarkably mirrors humanities embedded condition. With such elegance, we're guided through many of the reasons that make us unhappy.
Ultimately the dark clouds dissipate, opening the door to inner happiness, if you so choose..
This book is of a solid foundation to make a significant change in your life. Its timing in this troubled era is perfect.
A helpful insight into the mind of a Communist/Marxist, 14 Oct 2008
Although only 40 pages long, you get an insight into the way that both Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels felt about the world they lived in and how it could change for the greater good (in their opinion anyway). I do encourage anyone with even a minor interest in European politics, to give this book a try.
Even though I was fascinated by the two authors ideology (Ultimately, the hope that a Proletariat will rise to conquer the all-oppressing Bourgeoise, in every country) I do feel that they did not make clear any kind of policies that they would enforce after they took power. All it seems is that they want to get the oppressers out, but after that they don't seem to know what they want to do (despite destroying any kind of private property and attempting to establish an equalised economy, which is mentioned countless times within the Manifesto). This failure to think of anything else may be one of the reasons why Communism failed so miserably in Europe.
Don't get me wrong, I feel that the theory of Communism is the greatest piece of political thought. It's just that when it is put not practive, it all goes horribly wrong. Communists (including Marx and Engels) seem to feel that everyone will just see that their ideology is the best, agree with them and allow them to do whatever they like. Marx and Engels fail to comprehend that not all humans think and feel about the world like they do, when people reach the top, they are corrupted by power and then their greed is all they care about (take Joseph Stalin as an example). It does seem that the authors are hoping for a bit much. I also found it funny near the end when they spoke of the "imminent" Proletariat uprising in Germany and that Communists should mainly focus on that country so that it could be taken from the Bourgeoise, when not even 100 years later we all know who was in charge of Germany. Definately not a friend of the Proletariat.
Overall, I found it to be a fascinating read, and credit to the well thought out introduction, which gave more imformation on the origins of Communism and the backgrounds of Marx and Engels. I recommend this book to everyone.
The introduction alone is worth your money, 01 Aug 2008
I will leave others to debate the relative merits of the actual Manifesto and say a couple of words about the introduction because the product distinction - criminally - doesn't seem to mention it. Gareth Stedman-Jones' introduction is a book in itself, longer than the Manifesto and an excellent and absolutely compelling introduction to the intellectual and historical context. By framing the intellectual debates of the Young Hegelians and others in a rich historical narrative Stedman-Jones makes them positively fascinating! He tells the story of the life of the young Karl Marx and describes his interactions with the intellectuals of the time, showing that Marx borrowed pretty much every element of his early (more philsophical) work from those around him but that his particular genius was to combine them all in such original formations. He even throws in a bit of completely original research about why Marx shied away from making his call for socialism a moral imperative (it was radical egoist Stirner's influence apparently). Its a hell of a lot of knowledge crammed into a very small space in a fascinating and readable manner and will double your appreciation and understanding of the Manifesto itself. All in all: if your trying to work out which edition to buy - get this one for the intro! The Communist Manifesto - still relevent, 30 Jul 2008
After the Berlin wall fell, the so-called "communism" that "Marx envisioned" fell with it. Or so we are told. In actuality the class struggle that Marx wrote about in this booklet is still alive and kicking. The proletariat is still, according to Mr. Marx, destined to overthrow the bourgeoisie, fulfilling its' historical role. But we are told "No"; capitalism is the answer to all our problems now, it offers us democracy and freedom. Nothing could be father from the truth. In fact, capitalism doesn't work at all for the majority of the world's people: it is a grotesque caricature of freedom that Marx understood exactly. The victory of the individual comes with the destruction, the mass overthrow of capitalism. Do not let the likes of Firedman and others fool you. Serfdom already exists; the Soviet Union and others were just as fake as capitalism, and, as Marx pointed out "The emancipation of the working class must be an act of the working class".
This is not a manifesto like the Labour Part has a manifesto. It is a philosophical document that is invaluable to the labout movement and to working people worldwide. Future prospects, 28 May 2008
Read this in context and as of its time. It's a Manifesto, just as Labour or the Conservarives or George Bush put out party manifestos at each election (or at least they did when they at least pretended to have policies and an idiology that went beyong simply making the world safe for the rich to get richer).
It's an election leaflet, party rallying call and outline of policies all in one. And what is the message? You poor take courage, you rich take heed...the World Turned Upside Down (where the rich and powerful become equal to the rest of us) is dawning. As a Socialist Party member that is this reviewers life work.
This edition has the greatest literary introduction ever, 16 Sep 2007
Greatest explanatory introduction ever, in fact could be as important or good as the book itself, really does Engels justice. backwards maybe, 15 Sep 2008
This is a thick tomb, not so portable as a set of keys but much more portable than a well stocked library. - what you need to look up the writings of the authors mentioned in this book. This book is a tourist guide to intellectual places you have never considered visiting, or wanted to but didn't know where to start.
I think this book may have been more readable to the non English Lit. graduate had the contents been presented from the most recent to the least. It takes effort to read the early entries and to understand them.
Stick with it nonetheless your brain may ache from the effort but it will be fitter because of it. Thoughtful selection of Atheist, Agnostic and Rationalist writing from across the ages., 25 May 2008
This book is perhaps slightly undersold by it's title, it's a pretty solid tome, still portable I suppose but it must be a good 2 or 3 inches thick. The second part of the title is also a little misleading, the majority of the authors are indeed atheists, but not limited to the more militant kind one might expect Hitchens to choose. There's a broad spectrum of Humanist, Secularist and Rationalist writing spanning from Lucretius and Spinoza to Ibn Warraq and Sam Harris. The book progresses through these in a roughly chronological order charting the way human thought on the divine (or lack thereof) has changed and progressed.
The readings are well chosen and Hitchens provides a little introduction and context to each section (if I had one minor complaint it would be that these intros could have been even longer, they were fascinating in their own right). He also provides an overall intro to the book as a whole.
If I was to direct someone, atheist or theist, to a single book to explain non-theistic world views to them, it would have to be this.
Nourishment for the mind, 11 Mar 2008
An absolutely dazzling work. As a recovering Christian I am actively seeking out the thoughts of the great secularists down through the ages.
Particular highlights for me were the writings of Mark Twain on the Church's position on slavery, and also a remarkable deconstruction of every Christian argument regarding morality and God by Elizabet Anderson. Its one of those books that I'd love my wife and my Christian friends to read. Sadly, the bubble of false consolation and cognitive bias appears overwhelmingly strong. My experience tells me that the only evidence that Christians can cope with is Christian evidence. A truly impartial assesment of the available evidence from both sides seems a pose a real challenge to them. A vital purchase, 13 Feb 2008
Here's a book that will expand your mind. And how could it not? Look at the contributors it boasts: Einstein, Darwin, Orwell, Larkin, Twain, McEwan, Rushdie, Hume, Shelley, Russell, Dawkins and many more. Plus you get a main introduction and author introductions from the erudite and savagely witty Hitchens.
A word of warning: the first 100 pages are a bit sticky to wade through. This is because the book's essays are arranged in chronological order so we start with some ancient texts where the English is very heavy and dozens of commas adorn each sentence. There are some wonderful points made of course, but extreme concentration is required to pick them all up.
Things brighten after that and the book becomes highly readable. The majority of the essays are informative, stimulating and beautifully written. Highlights for me included Dawkins (as ever), who once again comes over as the world's best science writer, Larkin's stirring poem Aubade, AC Grayling's succinct essay, Can An Atheist Be A Fundamentalist?, and Ibn Warraq's brilliant dismantling of Islamic beliefs. If only Muslims would read it - but if they did they'd likely just throw it on the nearest fire.
We have much work to do. It may be a thousand years before the awfulness of religion is eradicated from the world, but books like this help: they perpetuate the `drip-down' effect. In the West we were well on the way to eradicating it before several million Muslims came to live here. Personally I doubt that nothing but a devastating clash of civilizations can be the result (we have of course already seen such clashes). Reading this book underlined my belief that this will be the case.
In conclusion, this book is highly recommended. If you only buy one atheist book buy this one (although The God Delusion is also fantastic). In the end you must decide which version of man's evolution and the planet's creation you believe: the views of thousands of the world's greatest ever minds of the past few hundred years; or words written a long, long time ago by people who thought the earth was flat and that the sun went round it, as passed on to them by other people who could not read or write and had not travelled, in their whole lives, more than a few miles from their primitive, parochial townships. I know who I'd prefer to believe.
PS On reflection I'd give this five stars but Amazon don't appear to allow you to edit star ratings. Excellent, 10 Feb 2008
The choice of writings contained within this anthology is wide and varied, and endlessly fascinating and intellectually stimulating. There is enough ammunition contained within its covers to keep the active atheist on the offensive through many a debate.
An interesting feature for me is just how many times in this volume I have come across paragraphs, just sentences even, that by themselves fatally undermine the entire 'logic' of organised religion. Example: the quote from Mill regarding the monstrous cruelty (and thus laughable improbability) of a supposedly merciful and loving supreme being who plainly (according to the good books, damned in their own words as ever) creates beings by his own hand solely to condemn them to hell fire and damnation. Do what? My other favourite is Ian MacEwan's comments on curiousity being one of the definitions of human freedom of thought, and how organised religions fear almost nothing more - see St Augustine on that one. It's true: the Western religions live in terror of truly free thought, yet without it the human race would still be living in caves. Humanity has advanced to attain astonishing levels of scientific knowledge, yet for centuries it has been a continual fight to achieve it against the squeals of thwarted God-botherers.
Outstanding. D'you want power, corruption and fries with that? No ta., 16 Nov 2008
Machiavelli's Il Principe is a slim volume, but it's jam-packed with aperçu of political scenarios that just somehow seemed to be completely beyond the grasp of many so-called philosphers hundreds of years later. I'm not naming any names, but some of the political tomes I've read come across like the writer has spent too much time pondering and not enough time living.
The other thing that sets Machiavelli apart is that it's fun to read. If you admire the work of Marcus Aurelius, Sun Tzu, or The KLF, then this book is a must.
The most basic lesson of Machiavelli is simple common sense - namely that common sense isn't common, and has nothing to do with sense.
Chapters XIX "The need to avoid contempt and hatred" and XXIII "How flatterers must be shunned" - both of these need to be read and understood by anyone with an interest in management. You'd be surprised (or maybe you wouldn't) how many of your middle managers are just clockwatchers, ***********, and suit-wearing robots.
Full marks for this translation - it captures the energy and impetus, and most importantly the concise nature of the original text.
One of THE most important works ever written, 25 Aug 2007
This masterpiece of reasoning and good practical handbook on how to get ahead in real life if you happen to be already a man of some means, was a work of great humanity in an age when humanity was still considered disgusting and subserviant to the Lord above and his chosen servants on Earth. What a shot across the bows to all those religious hypocrites and Bible following automatons this must have been, then. Two elements surrounding this work's brave publication are crucial, I feel: One being that this was Italy, (as it became) and at its advanced stage of the great Renaissance, as we now know it, and the second being that it was written at a time which was just right to be publishing order challenging controversial works. After seeing the liberal benefits to man that the use of the printing press had brought, and the world of possibilities it offered, Machiavelli struck the first blow against the stifling and corrupt order of the age.
His publication of political thought and theory which was refreshingly devoid of religious dogma or even quotations, preceded the publication of that other world changing document by three or four years: Luther's pinning of the ninety five thesis to a Church door a few hundred miles north in an area still ruled by edicts pumped out by prelates living closer to Machiavelli. This was exactly the right time to be reaching the learned men of the world with anything revolutionary in tone, and well presented and researched contradictions of established thought were very lible to strike a chord with many. In other words, many people by this time had clearly had all they could stomach of the seething hypocrisy they witnessed being displayed by the Lord's own servants, in the church and consequently in the monarchy led governments of the age. To be spouting their harsh godfearing edicts out to the uneducated masses when the vast majority of them enjoyed the sins they were loudly proscribing the common populace from having, was all a bit rich for certain educated but strong minded men like Machiavelli and Luther. The time was very ripe for a wind of change, and even the corrupt but mighty church of Rome knew it, and feared it.
Machievelli simply took a different line to Luther, perhaps not least because he was far more used to living with these ruler's inconsistencies than the more morally outraged teutonic man of God was. Where Luther got all spiritual and quoted the many edicts from scripture that the church of Rome was blatantly abusing, Machiavelli simply plotted the practical lines for a prostective leader of state to follow, quoting the works of historians and statesmen who had written about both the world's most successful leaders and its least successful leaders, as a practical handbook on how to be a successful head of state. Both of their actions though were brave, and both of them catastrophic to the cosy order of things and to the power of the once mighty Catholic Church. Humanity owes both of these great men an enormous debt, for their brave and insightful works helped breathe a real wind of change to the way the human race had been living. The virtues of Machiavelli, 03 Feb 2005
In the course of my political science training, I studied at great length the modern idea of realpolitik. In that study I came to realise that it was somewhat incomplete, without the companionship of The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, a Florentine governmental official in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. The Prince is an oft quoted, oft mis-quoted work, used as the philosophical underpinning for much of what is considered both pragmatic and wrong in politics today. To describe someone as being Machiavellian is to attribute to the person ruthless ambition, craftiness and merciless political tactics. Being believed to be Machiavellian is generally politically incorrect. Being Machiavellian, alas, can often be politically expedient. Machiavelli based his work in The Prince upon his basic understanding of human nature. He held that people are motivated by fear and envy, by novelty, by desire for wealth, power and security, and by a hatred of restriction. In the Italy in which he was writing, democracy was an un-implemented Greek philosophical idea, not a | | |