good writing, irritating narration

I enjoyed the book's content but it sounded like the author was sucking in a lozenge...the mouth noises were nearly intolerable.

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14 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

In-depth yet personal

This book was very thoughtful and inspires reason as a daily lifestyle. The surprising aspect was that it managed to utilize a method of storytelling and personal history that made the entire book feel like an inspirational biography so indicative of the successful christian narratives infecting the checkout aisles of bookstores today.
I will admit that for about two chapters I was deeply annoyed with the author's voice. It was soothing, deep and should have been very easy to listen to, but something about it almost had me giving up on the book. Then I realized that I was annoyed because it reminded me of the calming and methodical voices used by preachers in the church I went to as a kid. As soon as I recognized that Dan Barker had that quality, I was able to relax and drop how annoyed I was.

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11 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

It's Never Too Late To Embrace Reason

Dan's fascinating story of de-conversion also provides some basic philosophy and biblical examination. Great Read.

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8 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

must read/listen!

Loved it! rings true through out the book. Will make sure to recommend to friend's.

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7 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Brilliant

Just an amazing, entertaining, and very well informed book. I found it amazing hat Dan read the whole book himself it really makes it hit home a lot more. When I saw that Richard Dawkins did the foreword it was the last deciding factor in my decision to choose Godless, and it really did not disappoint.

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6 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Great Book

Timely and logical helping me move past my fears of letting go of the myths.

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6 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Secular Humanism's Petulant Adolescence in America

This book was a mixed bag. At times Barker shows his obvious articulate intellect and his arguments are penetrating, challenging, well-researched and well-delivered. At other times his tone is gratingly immature, kitsch, overly-confrontational and adolescent in it's attempt to shock the religious establishment in his home country. It is an obvious sign of immaturity in a cultural movement when it feels the need to say shocking, controversial things all the time with one eye on the establishment to see how they are reacting. Much like a three year old or a teenager being deliberately controversial just to get a rise out their parents.

Another sign that the cultural movement of secular humanism is growing up out of its adolescence in America will be when prominent figures in the movement, like Barker, cease calling themselves "Atheists", a one-dimensional and purely reactionary label, and start calling themselves something that better encompasses the nuanced movement of secular humanism. One can't help but expect that proudly calling defining oneself as an "Atheist" is an adolescent transitional phase aimed mainly to shock and be jarring against the perceived "parental" religious establishment.

Barker's book shows the movement of secular humanism in America to still be stuck in its reactionary, "shock-jock" adolescence. Perhaps that fact reveals the greater problem that in the 21st century, American culture is still stuck in a childish neoteny of religious belief. Secular humanism in America will have shown itself to have grown up once it drops the desire to stick with one dimensional, reactionary labels such as "Atheist" and also moves on from the childish, kitsch and mocking tone of the ex-religious apostate into a calmer, more mature and self-assured secular humanist.

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6 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Amazing testimony.

Mr. Barker touches on many aspects of his journey from faith to reason. His description of his transition is something very relatable to any one who was raised religious and later became an unbeliever.

I also recommend this book for believers who aren't easily offended and enjoy good discussion. I challenge you to listen to Mr. Barker's chapter on bible contradictions. It will blow your mind. I think a large percentage of believers don't actually know the bible as well as they think.

Approach this book with an open mind while Dan describes the possibility of Jesus the myth and Jesus the legend (2 different ideas).

You can't read this book and walk away with nothing, believers and non believers alike.

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5 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Preacher- same game, different side

Any additional comments?

Dan has a lot of words. But he missed what I had hoped would be the revelation of insight. What is it that would allow any belief system (climate, vaccines) which are impervious to reason -to be breached?
He spends a lot of time giving what are reasonable arguments to the non-believing choir, but no real clue on how to deal with the True Believer.

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4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Good information; poor delivery

I managed to get through the entire selection but found the sound of the lozenge clicking against the narrator’s teeth to be extremely distracting; almost intolerable.

Otherwise, it’s a must read for those who have transitioned from fundamentalist, dogmatic Christianity to something else entirely.

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3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile