Outgrowing God
A Beginner's Guide
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Narrated by:
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Richard Dawkins
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Written by:
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Richard Dawkins
About this listen
Should we believe in God? In this brisk introduction to modern atheism, one of the world’s greatest science writers tells us why we shouldn’t.
Richard Dawkins was 15 when he stopped believing in God.
Deeply impressed by the beauty and complexity of living things, he’d felt certain they must have had a designer. Learning about evolution changed his mind. Now one of the world’s best and best-selling science communicators, Dawkins has given listeners, young and old, the same opportunity to rethink the big questions.
In 12 fiercely funny, mind-expanding chapters, Dawkins explains how the natural world arose without a designer - the improbability and beauty of the "bottom-up programming" that engineers an embryo or a flock of starlings - and challenges head-on some of the most basic assumptions made by the world’s religions: Do you believe in God? Which one? Is the Bible a "Good Book"? Is adhering to a religion necessary, or even likely, to make people good to one another? Dissecting everything from Abraham’s abuse of Isaac to the construction of a snowflake, Outgrowing God is a concise, provocative guide to thinking for yourself.
Includes a bonus PDF of photographs and charts.
Advance praise for Outgrowing God
"My son came home from his first day in the sixth grade with arms outstretched plaintively demanding to know: 'Have you ever heard of Jesus?' We burst out laughing. Maybe not our finest parenting moment, given that he was genuinely distraught. He felt that he had woken up one day to a world in which his peers were expressing beliefs he found frighteningly unreasonable. He began devouring books like The God Delusion, books that helped him formulate his own arguments and helped him stand his ground. Dawkins’s new book is special in the terrain of atheists’ pleas for humanism and rationalism precisely since it speaks to those most vulnerable to the coercive tactics of religion. As Dawkins himself says in the dedication, this book is for ‘all young people when they’re old enough to decide for themselves.’ It is also, I must add, for their parents." (Janna Levin, author of Black Hole Blues)
"When someone is considering atheism I tell them to read the Bible first and then Dawkins. Outgrowing God - second only to the Bible!" (Penn Jillette, author of God, No!)
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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What the critics say
"With wit, logic, and his characteristic flair for expressing complex ideas with uncanny clarity, Richard Dawkins separates myth from reality in Outgrowing God. His book is more than a beginners’ guide to atheism: it is a primer that liberates us to see and explore the beauty of the Universe free of fables and fantasies." (Neil Shubin, paleontologist and author of Your Inner Fish)
What listeners say about Outgrowing God
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- SoloMan1999
- 2019-11-18
Incredible book!
I started to listen to this book as someone on the fence, an individual struggling with their own faith in God in the face of a world seemingly bent against him. My faith required a blindness, and upon listening to this book I feel as though that blindness has been lifted. Very well written, it is approachable and engaging even as it takes a look at the science behind our world. A definite must read!
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- Afrojoe
- 2019-12-08
Wonderful
A well written, straight to the point book on growing beyond our basic early human superstitions and man made beliefs. Highly recommended!
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- Anonymous User
- 2020-02-19
eye opening....Dawkins style
Amazing must read for all ages. Dawkins never seems to fail at getting to the point and in his own style of doing so.
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- Raisa Sharmin
- 2021-01-23
Wonderful
I haven’t read a Richard Dawkins book I didn’t like. This one is no exception. He explains a very important topic with his brilliant wit and sense of humour.
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- Robert R Duncan
- 2022-06-26
Absolutely logical
I was brought up presbyterian and Had believes taught to me as a child that I followed without questions. I was even a Sunday school teacher for short stint. However all I did was repeat the stories of the Old Testament because they were interesting stories and kids love story time.
as I get older I became less sure of the veracity of the stories and stopped attending organized religious services.
This book absolutely clears up in misgivings about organized religion and believe in Any Gos.
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- M E.
- 2021-05-21
Loved it
I am an immuno-geneticist, I can't find words to express how much I loved the book. It is a must read book for everyone.
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- lee wright
- 2022-09-14
Of course it makes sense
Anyone with an ounce of doubt about religion should start here and keep going.
You have to be a fool to ignore the evidence
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- Anonymous User
- 2022-04-08
Excellent
What an interesting and entertaining book. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I love when authors narrate their own books.
Thanks Richard!!
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- S. Mercado
- 2019-12-07
Not much new for longtime atheist.
Good message but as someone who's comtemplated the question of God for so long I didn't find as much new info as I would have liked.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Greg Coad
- 2019-12-08
Should be mandatory reading in Jr. High worldwide
But don't let my "Jr High" or the publisher's adolescent focused marketing put you off. This is a more approachable book than The God Delusion. Written for all audiences, young and old. Less academic and less arcanely philosophical than The God Delusion. A masterfully written argument for science and reason over belief. Loved every page.
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2 people found this helpful