• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

"God No!" by Penn Jillette

Nursedan

Critical Thinker
Nursedan
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
490
Just finished God No! by Penn Jillette. Honestly I liked it but was a little disappointed. Penn tends to be self effacing to the point of annoyance. It comes off as narcisissistic when he name drops (which he chastises the Amazing Kresken for doing late in the book). Also, the book is set up as an atheist response to the ten commandments, but after an initial setup this premise just turns into Penn offering anecdotes from his life that have only a tenuous relationship to the commandemnt in question. But, the book contained some great insights into atheism and the failures of faith.

I especially liked Penn's point that if you take away everything known about religion and start at zero, then religion will never build itself up in the exact same way, but if you take away all knowledge of science, eventually all we know about science and the observable world will build itself up in the exact same way as before. It would have to. This is his way of comparing the truth of science to the falsehoods of religion. A great point indeed.
 
I only remember him name-dropping Ron Jeremy and Richard Feynman.
I enjoyed it but the in my imagination was Penn's BS TV programme voice so I didn't get the self effacing part. Due more in part to how I read it than the actual words.
Well worth a read.
 
Hrm. I guess if you're in show business as long as he has been, name-dropping is probably a reflex he doesn't even notice. I wouldn't mind having a beer with the man. He looks like good people to me.
 
I got to meet him for about 5 seconds after his Vegas show...seemed like a really nice guy!

But hated the book. His personal stories were very dull. I thought it was going to be an insightful look on his atheist views but most of the book, as Nursedan pointed out, were anecdotes. I really should have paid attention the the latter part of the title "Signs you may already be an atheist and other magical tales".
 
Mister Earl said:
Hrm. I guess if you're in show business as long as he has been, name-dropping is probably a reflex he doesn't even notice. I wouldn't mind having a beer with the man. He looks like good people to me.
Click to expand...

kajata said:
I got to meet him for about 5 seconds after his Vegas show...seemed like a really nice guy!
Click to expand...

I met Penn a number of years back when he and Teller were promoting Penn & Teller Get Killed. Though he doesn't drink alcohol, we had a discussion about Randi and skepticism in the bar at the Improv in Chicago. Nice guy. We ended up exchanging celebrity sex tapes, the Rob Lowe for the Go-Gos if I remember correctly. Guess I'll read the book when I get a chance.
 
kajata said:
I got to meet him for about 5 seconds after his Vegas show...seemed like a really nice guy!

But hated the book. His personal stories were very dull. I thought it was going to be an insightful look on his atheist views but most of the book, as Nursedan pointed out, were anecdotes. I really should have paid attention the the latter part of the title "Signs you may already be an atheist and other magical tales".
Click to expand...

Right - the stories often had nothing to do with atheism nor had any relevance to the 10 commandments. I still think he's a great entertainer and an articulate speaker, but this book was disappointing.
 
Nursedan said:
Right - the stories often had nothing to do with atheism nor had any relevance to the 10 commandments. I still think he's a great entertainer and an articulate speaker, but this book was disappointing.
Click to expand...

I'm in the middle of reading this (thanks to the OP) and I agree that the stories in the book are not directly related to the points he is trying to make. On the other hand, the stories themselves are (for me) entertaining enough to hold my interest. As a book about the theory and practice of atheism, it could have been better. As a work about Penn's life as an atheist in show-biz though, it's a good read.
 
Yeah, I'd agree with much that has already been posted. It was an interesting read, and Penn would clearly be a great guy to have a few beers with, but it's not a book I would give someone who was on the cusp of abandoning religion as a clincher. For one thing, I disliked the shoehorning of his libertarian beliefs into a book ostensibly about atheism. IMO, the two areas of thought are completely separate.
 
Jon. said:
Yeah, I'd agree with much that has already been posted. It was an interesting read, and Penn would clearly be a great guy to have a few beers with, but it's not a book I would give someone who was on the cusp of abandoning religion as a clincher. For one thing, I disliked the shoehorning of his libertarian beliefs into a book ostensibly about atheism. IMO, the two areas of thought are completely separate.
Click to expand...

Not so fast! Penn makes several references to the fact that he "has never smoked or drank or used a recreational drug in his life". It's almost as if he is afraid of these substances. It's another example of what is pretty much a form of exhibitionism on his part. It's off putting.
 
Nursedan said:
Not so fast! Penn makes several references to the fact that he "has never smoked or drank or used a recreational drug in his life". It's almost as if he is afraid of these substances. It's another example of what is pretty much a form of exhibitionism on his part. It's off putting.
Click to expand...

Well, he is clearly religious, why else avoid any of those things?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom