Friday, December 14, 2007 | Reason : In the News | print version

2007 Audiobook Download of the Year: The God Delusion

by Audible.co.uk

Thanks to Jeremy Swanson for the link.

2007 Audiobook Download of the Year:The God Delusion
http://www.audible.co.uk/aduk/site/blankPage.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&rule=rule9

Richard Dawkins has always asserted the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm it has inflicted on society. He now focuses his fierce intellect on this subject, denouncing its faulty logic and the suffering it causes. Learn more.

If you don't have time to listen to all 15 hours of The God Delusion why not listen to the abridged version? At 7 and a half hours it is half the length but with all the key facts of Dawkins fascinating polemic.

PUBLISHERS SUMMARY:

You heard it here first! This unabridged audiobook is only available as a digital download from Audible.

Winner of the British Book Awards, Author of the Year, 2007.
Shortlisted for the British Book Awards, Book of the Year, 2007.
Longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize, 2007.
Winner of the Audiobook Download of the Year, 2007

Richard Dawkins is considered to be one of the world's top intellectuals. As the author of many classic works on science and philosophy, he has always asserted the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm it has inflicted on society. He now focuses his fierce intellect exclusively on this subject, denouncing its faulty logic and the suffering it causes.

While Europe is becoming increasingly secularized, the rise of religious fundamentalism, whether in the Middle East or Middle America, is dramatically and dangerously dividing opinion around the world. In America and elsewhere, a vigorous dispute between "intelligent design" and Darwinism is seriously undermining and restricting the teaching of science. In many countries religious dogma from medieval times still serves to abuse basic human rights, such as those of women and gay people - and all from a belief in a God whose existence lacks evidence of any kind.

Dawkins attacks God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed, cruel tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign, but still illogical, Celestial Watchmaker favoured by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the ultimate improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry and abuses children. In The God Delusion, Dawkins presents a hard-hitting, impassioned rebuttal of religion of all types and does so in the lucid, witty and powerful language for which he is renowned.

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1. Comment #98856 by agg on December 14, 2007 at 6:29 pm

Wow, I am impressed! Congrats, Richard, and keep them coming!

P.S. There is also something to be said about the readers who buy these books. I like the trend!

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2. Comment #98860 by Matt7895 on December 14, 2007 at 6:54 pm

Congratulations, Richard. I'd probably buy the audiobook myself if it weren't so expensive.

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3. Comment #98863 by Cyboman on December 14, 2007 at 7:04 pm

Matt7895,
If you are a audible member you can get 2 books for free if you pay for paying $20 a month. So I was able to get this book on audible for $10. I recommend the service.

Other Comments by Cyboman

4. Comment #98866 by mdowe on December 14, 2007 at 7:13 pm

I've got the audiobook, and it's wonderful. It adds a dimension you can never get from simply reading a book. Everyone here knows that Prof. Dawkins is a skilled and expressive speaker, but you quickly learn from the book that his wife, Lalla Ward, is also a fabulous narrator. I loved her reading from A.A. Milne. (She should consider narrating children's books if she hasn't done so already). The audiobook is almost like a long visit with the Dawkins household -- the interesting and articulate friends we all wish we had.

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5. Comment #98876 by righton on December 14, 2007 at 7:51 pm

I also have the audiobook, its great. Audible.com, the US version, only has The God Delusion. I am hoping they will get more Richard Dawkins books. I made a request for more titles titles by RD but they have not responded yet.

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6. Comment #98877 by entheogensmurf on December 14, 2007 at 7:58 pm

The content, the author and the readers made it an easy best seller.

If any of you have yet to read The Ancestor's Tale, check it out and/or buy the audio book.

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7. Comment #98881 by Matt7895 on December 14, 2007 at 8:14 pm

I plan to buy Ancestor's Tale, Climbing Mount Improbable and The Blind Watchmaker with my Christmas money :)

Cyboman: I will consider joining Audible if it means I can end up paying less for two books through the monthly subscription than I would buying without it.

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8. Comment #98883 by robotaholic on December 14, 2007 at 8:19 pm

the absolute BEST audiobook I have EVER heard is The God Delusion - I love when his wife Lalla Ward reads- she's my favorite reader- and there are alot of great times when Richard reads and comes off snobby- and thats ok- when you're right, snobby is justified- audiobooks are expensive but it's worth it when the author reads- I must say Hitch's book- god is not great- is good also- I enjoy hearing him read his own work- but he has the characteristic of trailing off on sentences that sometimes makes it hard to hear on my blackberry- but a practiced Hitch makes for a good Hitch I must say

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9. Comment #98910 by Jesus4Dawkins on December 14, 2007 at 10:00 pm

I bought mine from them and i love it!,
id REALLY love Richard Dawkins to make audio books of his other books...

PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!!

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10. Comment #98932 by robotaholic on December 14, 2007 at 11:43 pm

PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!! PLEASE RICHARD!!!

don't turn me on like that Jesus4Dawkins
-I'm likin' your avatar-

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11. Comment #99041 by yogibear on December 15, 2007 at 10:07 am

Thats a great idea jesus4dawkins, and if Richard could read them himself would be even better. Got god is not great read personally by Christopher Hitchens on audio and found it easier to listen to than the Portable atheist not read personally by him. It must take up a lot of valuable time to do this, however i think it makes for a more convincing argument.

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12. Comment #99091 by Cyboman on December 15, 2007 at 1:40 pm

I agree with Jesus4Dawkins. If I'm correct The God Delusion is the only audio book Dawkins has made. I would immediately get the rest of his books on Audible if they were available. Same with Dennett and Hitchens (they do have God is Not Great). Both of Sam's books are on Audible.

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13. Comment #99098 by fretmeister on December 15, 2007 at 2:35 pm

For those who think the audibooks are a bit expensive (they are... but when you get 14 CDs worth of audio that puts most music to shame)...

You can borrow the audiobook from any UK Library even if they have to order it in for you.

And often the quality is far better than buying a badly compressed and often mono digital download.

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14. Comment #99103 by Nephite on December 15, 2007 at 3:01 pm

Audible is great, especially for the blind and visually impaired. You can download The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens, The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris, Letting Go of God by Julia Sweeney, and Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Cheers for Audible!

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15. Comment #99111 by Heathen Dan on December 15, 2007 at 3:36 pm

Cyboman, I have listened to three of his books (which he personally read, with Lalla Ward): TGD, The Ancestor's Tale, and River out of Eden.

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16. Comment #99189 by Cyboman on December 15, 2007 at 9:10 pm

I didn't know Infidel was on Audible. I'll have to get that next.

Heathen Dan:
I don't see those titles on Audible. I guess I'll have to keep my eyes open in the audio-book section of bookstores.

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17. Comment #99232 by Pallinn on December 16, 2007 at 2:18 am

Heh, I loved "The Ancestor's Tale" but listening to it on an audiobook?? That must take weeks!

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18. Comment #99248 by BicycleRepairMan on December 16, 2007 at 5:27 am

The Ancestor's Tale is so beautiful, Maybe my re-reading should be in audio format..?

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19. Comment #99275 by John Frum on December 16, 2007 at 8:11 am

I got the Audible book and voted for Richard in the poll.

If you join Audible you can get a couple of free books and you can cancel any time (basic account)

I tend to get one a month.

Infidel was not available last time I looked though Cyboman.

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20. Comment #99356 by StephenH on December 16, 2007 at 12:31 pm

You can also put audiobooks onto devices like IPod's

Which means, you take your IPod out and about, and anyone interested, can just plug some earplugs in, and if they have time, listen to the audiobook :)

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21. Comment #99393 by John Frum on December 16, 2007 at 2:38 pm

Yep, and if you join for a year, you get a free iPod shuffle.

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22. Comment #99400 by bad_andy on December 16, 2007 at 2:53 pm

The audiobook version of The God Delusion was my introduction to Dawkins' work and went a long way towards my interest in his other work and the work of the other "New Atheists". If you haven't had a chance to hear RD and his wife perform this material, you really owe it to yourself to check this out. Congrats and thanks for this book!

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23. Comment #99519 by SteveN on December 17, 2007 at 1:12 am

Oh Hell!

I've just signed up to Audible.co.uk for the explicit reason of downloading the unabridged version of The God Delusion and now the website gives me the message "ALERT: Audible.co.uk is not authorised to sell this title to your geographic location." (I live in Germany).

Very, very annoying! Be warned all you non-UK residents.

[Edit: I've now downloaded the unabridged "Dune" by Frank Herbert instead, so I don't feel so bad now]

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