If I overlook how abject Hitchens’ arrogance at times threatens to overlook the importance of this book, it is very valid in this time. This book delves into how religion, indeed, poisons everything it touches, and responds to ideas such as “faith brings happiness” and “what would the world be like without faith?”. It also displays how religions are man-made, anti-intellectual and basically corrupt. While it’s OK for christians to stone people who make fun of bald men, for muslims to pay the local imam cash to let it be known that he/she is in straight descendant from Mohammed and for followers of the Dalai Lama to think the Heavens appointed him (and for Steven Segal to be made “highly enlightened” for the right amount of cash) and for rabbis to bite the foreskins off young boys, reason doesn’t. The power of this book is in Hitchens’ ability to display how ludicrous it would be to have faith of the wrong kind.

Hitchens, like the recent works of Dawkins and Harris, implores 21st-century thinking individuals to reconsider the traditional views and roles of religion. Hitchens’ angle, however, is to demonstrate the ways in which religious beliefs do more harm on the large scale than good – and he is convincing. Religious influence clearly poisons humanity politically, physically, emotionally and in undoubtedly more subtle ways as well. I recommend Hitchens, as well as the authors listed above.

Great book. Unfortunately I had to cancel my Christopher Hitchens Fan Club membership after I read his Vanity Fair essay “Why Women Aren’t Funny.” http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/01/hitchens200701

Just started it and already i’ve cancelled all my evening plans.