Customer Reviews
Mona Lisa of Written Works
Scott Adams truly shows that he is not a one act show with his latest hard cover book, God's Debris. For the loyal Dilbert readers expecting the usual office humor, this is definitely a change of pace. But Mr. Adams has certainly outdone himself with this book, which will have you thinking in ways you never thought possible. The thought experiment is magnificent as it leads you down the deep corridors of your brain in search for the answers to the most profound questions of time. And that's just the first time you read it. To truly grasp the scope of the book, reading it several times over is necessary - and enjoyable. Dilbert readers and all others will enjoy this book. So why not pick up a couple copies - one for you and a friend - because the world would just be a better place if we could all start to think this deeply.
A Delightful Hofstadteresque Romp
Not since "Godel, Escher, Bach" have I read a book with such relish. Yes, I know the book has some basic science errors, but I was nonetheless fascinated. I think that for most of us, the book's main value is that it gives us a light bonk on the head. We don't have to agree with everything it says; it can still get us thinking along new lines. (The same might be said of "Calculating God" by Robert Sawyer, which was also excoriated by people who thought it said something it didn't.)
I chose to read "God's Debris" precisely because I was sure I wouldn't like it. I try to avoid reading only those books that affirm what I already believe. So I was astonished at how much of this book fit in well with my existing opinions.
For example, I enjoyed it when Adams (err, the Avatar) points out that if people TRULY believed in God they would live their life in a much different way. By golly, I've been saying precisely that for 25 years, but I find it hard to get people to understand what the heck I'm saying. (Brief version: if you really believed that un-Saved people will burn for eternity in Hell, would you be at home at night watching reruns on TV?)
Okay, I know some people with PhD's in philosophy will turn their noses up at this slim volume. But they're overlooking something: this book is enormously accessible. Anybody with a high school education should be able to "get" it. Of course, some will balk at the science errors, and some will dispute Adams's characterization of the skeptics' movement. (Not all, though: I'm a card-carrying skeptic and I think what he said is at the very least a good warning.)
I'm going to read the book again in a few days. I'll probably nit-pick a bit more, but I can't change the fact that I enjoyed it immensely.
Mental Refresh
God's Debris is an attempt to force you to hit F5 (refresh) on your beliefs. Ideas once accepted have a way of going unchallenged for years, even decades. By design, Adams makes the scope of the book broad and the subject matter universal. For each section he hopes the Old Man's explanations are compelling enough for you to wonder why you DONT believe the same and to reconsider how you came to believe what you do. You might be appalled at how wobbly the foundations of your own core beliefs are.
Outside their ability to perturb, the Old Man's ideas are irrelevant. It would be a mistake to accept them wholly or to reject them based on their inaccuracies, which are intentional. An inaccurate assertion has the greatest power to stimulate a response (good messageboard "trolls" know this). If, for example, I told you that my clearly polka-dotted shirt was plaid, you'd carefully examine my shirt before telling me I was wrong. Adams wants to prompt the "carefully examine" response and perhaps make it a habit of mind for you.
The absurdities in much of Adams's works relate to a failure to carefully examine ideas, to accept them based on momentum or the resonance of their elegant simplicity. In a sense, this is Adams's antidote for a world where pointy haired bosses reign.
Having said the above, if you don't find the ideas novel enough to jog you into a critical thinking mode, you won't get much out of the book. This is likely the case for philosophy majors. Still, you shouldn't dismiss it out of hand. Consider it a potential gateway drug into more substantial works.
I'm sure that possibility would delight Adams.
