anyone else going?

I'm very happy to hear that Dawkins' new book The God Delusion is already a New York Times bestseller. His message is something I've been saying my whole life and waiting for people to listen. Well, I guess they're finally starting to listen! I'd like to publically express my many thanks to Richard Dawkins for taking the time to say what needs to be said, so the rest of us don't have to bother. I'll be attending his book tour lecture at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Fransisco on October 30th. There's actually one that's closer to me on the 29th (Menlo Park) but in my initial excitement a week or two ago when I first heard he was coming to the US, I rushed out and bought a ticket before realizing this. No matter, I'm happy to make the drive, and the SF one might be bigger and more spectacular. And besides... it looks like memepr0gramme and possibly even ladycatherina will be attending the SF one too.

My policy is usually that I don't read books on religion, whether for or against, as any time spent thinking about religion (unless it's an attempt to understand the psychology of those who practice it--which I've certainly spent a lot of my life wondering about, but haven't gotten very far) is time I could have spent doing something to make life better, either for myself or for others. But for this book I will probably make an exception, just so I can recommend it to friends or acquaintances without having to say "no I haven't read it, but I'm sure it's good, Dawkins is a really bright guy, and I trust him to say all the things I would say if I could spare the time to write them down" which obviously doesn't make for a very convincing recommendation. I think it's pretty sad that most of the world labors under such insane delusions that someone as important as Dawkins has to take time out from his work to make a point which to many of us is as clear and self-evident as daylight or that grass is green--or that Santa Claus doesn't really climb down the chimney every year. But as long as he's going to the trouble of making it, I'll be backing him every step of the way, in the hope that (as Penn of Penn & Teller hopes) it will finally start to "change the world".


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"I’ve read this with pleasure and satisfaction. Dawkins is a great rationalist, but he is also a good man. History has seen a number of supreme rationalists who weren’t good at all. He gives human sympathies and emotions their proper value, which is one of the things that lends his criticisms of religion such force, because many religious leaders in the world today – certainly the loudest ones – are men who, it’s obvious to anyone but their deranged followers, are willing to sanction vicious cruelty in the service of their faith. Dawkins hits them hard, with all the power that reason can wield, demolishing their preposterous attempts to prove the existence of God, or their presumptuous claims that religion is the only basis of morality, or that their holy books are literally true." -Phillip Pullman, children's author

"A resounding trumpet blast for truth. It feels like coming up for air." -Matt Ridley

"If this book doesn't change the world -- we're all screwed." -Penn

"If there were a God, and he read this, he'd wish he were dead." - Teller