God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons EverythingGod Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
Score Modern
What it's about
Christopher Hitchens, a famously combative journalist, argues that religion is man-made, rests on bad arguments and has caused enormous harm, from violence and repression of women to opposing medicine and science. He draws on his own reporting from places torn by religious conflict.
Why it's worth reading
It hit #1 on the New York Times list and was a National Book Award finalist. It's witty, erudite and fierce.
You'll love it if you liked
The God Delusion
The Varieties of Religious Experience
Darwin's Dangerous IdeaGood to know
It's polemical and makes no attempt at balance. Critics point out factual errors.
By the numbers
- Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics28 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller49 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #9 of the 11 faith books we rank
- #95 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #955 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1765 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, True story
More by Christopher Hitchens
If you like this, read next
Small Gods
The Yiddish Policemen's Union
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Galileo's Daughter: A Drama of Science, Faith and Love
Servant of the Bones
A Canticle for LeibowitzExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything worth reading?
Yes. It hit #1 on the New York Times list and was a National Book Award finalist. It ranks #1,765 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything about?
Christopher Hitchens, a famously combative journalist, argues that religion is man-made, rests on bad arguments and has caused enormous harm, from violence and repression of women to opposing medicine and science. He draws on his own reporting from places torn by religious conflict.
How long does it take to read God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything?
About 8 hours (307 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything?
If you liked it, try The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James or Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel Dennett.