Breaking the Spell Audiobook By Daniel C. Dennett cover art

Breaking the Spell

Religion as a Natural Phenomenon

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Breaking the Spell

By: Daniel C. Dennett
Narrated by: Dennis Holland
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For all the thousands of books that have been written about religion, few until this one have attempted to examine it scientifically: to ask why - and how - it has shaped so many lives so strongly. Is religion a product of blind evolutionary instinct or rational choice? Is it truly the best way to live a moral life?

Ranging through biology, history, and psychology, Daniel C. Dennett charts religion’s evolution from “wild” folk belief to “domesticated” dogma. Not an antireligious creed but an unblinking look beneath the veil of orthodoxy, Breaking the Spell will be read and debated by believers and skeptics alike.

©2006 Daniel C. Dennett (P)2013 Audible, Inc. History & Philosophy Philosophy Religious Studies Science Science & Religion Social Sciences Morality Natural Philosophy
Interesting Concepts • Naturalistic Explanation • Professional Narrator • Intellectual Defense • Sophisticated Explanations
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I wonder how this book would've been written today. Our society has taken more steps backwards then makes me comfortable.

More relevant with every passing year.

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I was really looking forward to listening to this book, but have to admit I was disappointed. The first four chapters seem mostly superfluous and full of attempts to soothe the religious and convince them to listen. After that the gloves come off and he takes many an opportunity to stick the religious with barbs. Granted, I agree with many of those barbs, but were I religious, I'd stop listening, so from that point he's preaching to the choir. From chapter 5 on, I found many interesting bits of information and agreed with much of what he said about religion, but I didn't find it completely coherent in terms of the overall point of the work. I think that is mostly due to my approach to such a subject being quite different than his, as would my writing style, so it's more of a personal issue rather than a disagreement with the subject matter.

So so

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This is nothing less than a path of inquiry to cure the most dangerous disease of humanity. We can win the War on Terror by finding the cure to a shared delusion that threatens our very existence: Unbridled Religiosity!

Amazing insights!

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Very Thoughtful and Well Reasoned. Dennett leads the reader through the minefield of supernatural faith adroit rationality and articulates his philosophical arguments common-sensically.

Very Thoughtful and Well Reasoned.

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Dennett has written brilliant books in the past, but none with greater importance for the persuit of peace in this world.

A Timely and Powerful Theory

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Quite an enjoyable and informative listen. Thid book tackles the subject with great sensitivity and accuracy. The book doesn't really talk about wether religion is correct or not but talks about why we should investigate that question in a broad manner. The arguments mentioned in this book should be delivered to all people to seek a better future.

Maybe we should break the spell

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Breathtaking clarity on a subject almost never openly discussed. He approaches the topic of religion from many different angles, using history, interesting facts I wasn't privy too, and candor, but with a love of truth as opposed to a hatred/condemnation of religion.

I wish I could share the joy this book brought me with my religious friends/relatives, but I suppose they'd say the same thing about their relative religious texts.

Breathtaking clarity!

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A wonderful and unbiased approach to religion and how it can effect our prospective on daily life.

wonderful and insightful

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The deep voice of Holland is a perfect match for Dennettʼs thoughts. With just the right amount of gusto, he guides us through the web of connections in the always brilliant philosophical enquiries of Dennettʼs, this time into what religion is and how it came to be, why and how it matters, and what we should do about it. No short review can do the deep thoughts of such a book as this duty. All I can do is encourage you to listen to it, think about it, and then act out your newfound understanding of human religiosity.

A voice of calm reason

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Listening to the book gelt like being in class. Very alienating vocabulary and very wordy.

The title is better than the book

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