Superb. Get the audio version if you can. - Rated 
I totally respect people who believe in God. I know many good Christians, for example. I think Dawkins makes some compelling thought-provoking arguments.
For Dawkins, a human being is no more than a brute beast - Rated 
For reasons of space, I shall pass over the routine recital, now given in dozens of the reviews, of most of the points in Dawkins' book The God Delusion, and concentrate my review on one point only, which he deals with on pages 339,340. His position is, unambiguously, that there cannot be any such thing as `human' ethics or morality, and he tells us why: there is no real, meaningful distinction between a human being and a brute beast. I am astonished that this passage is not more frequently commented on.
Dawkins simply ignores the critical issue of human rationality. Flying in the face of all the evidence, he assumes (I insist, he assumes, he does not prove) that Homo sapiens, absolutely like every other form of life on earth, is simply a bundle of cells. He says (p. 340): "The evolutionary point is very simple. The humanness (italicised) of an embryo's cells cannot confer upon it any absolutely discontinuous moral status." I must underline what Dawkins is saying. He is not saying that man is `like' the brute beast in some ways ('Intelligent Design' authors like Antony Latham, Alister McGrath and Michael Behe who attack Dawkins' atheism have no difficulty in accepting common descent, shared cellular similarities with the rest of creation, in varying degrees). He is saying that man is `no more than' a brute beast in any way, is no more than a collection of cells.
Dawkins explicitly rejects the idea that any moral consideration can apply to humans simply as humans. He rejects the idea that there is anything that clearly separates human beings from non-human animals. This follows from his view that limits everything to pure Darwinian evolution of matter from matter. He believes in the evolution of the non-human animal into the human animal, body, mind, 'spirit', 'soul', religion, science, and all. He tells us (p. 339): "Notice now that 'pro-life' doesn't exactly mean pro-life ('life' is italicised) at all. It means pro-human('human' is italicised)-life." Of necessity this must mean that he views all merely brute animal life as equal with human life.
Notice the monstrous conclusion that follows from this. It destroys any possibility that Dawkins' version of Darwinism can be right. "The granting of uniquely special rights to cells of the species 'Homo sapiens' is hard to reconcile with the fact of evolution" (p. 339). I repeat this: "The granting of uniquely special rights to cells of the species 'Homo sapiens' is hard to reconcile with the fact of evolution." I conclude: It is not only hard, it is impossible (which is what Dawkins clearly means us to understand). And therefore, for me, on the grounds of the evidence provided to any observer (even a Darwinian observer) that Homo sapiens and the brute beast are not the same, Dawkins' 'fact of evolution' must be abandoned. I see no alternative to this. Dawkins is utterly indefensible here. But his arrogance blinds him to the absurdity of his own position, for he goes on immediately: "Admittedly, this [irreconcilability between the pro-lifers and the Darwinists] will not worry those many anti-abortionists who don't understand that evolution is a fact!" (Dawkins is responsible for the exclamation mark.) Dawkins has just proved, to my satisfaction, that 'the fact of evolution' cannot be a 'fact' because of the manifest monstrousness of the conclusion that he sees as necessarily following from his position. Surely the idea that a human being is fully and exhaustively defined by its having "cells of the species 'Homo sapiens' ", to use Dawkins' own words, in exactly the same way as any other living organism is fully and exhaustively defined by its having cells of its own species, is an intolerable assumption that, I repeat, will not stand one moment's observation of the world about us. This Dawkinsism must be exploded for the absurdity that it is.
Dawkins takes as proved (but doesn't prove) the existence of 'intermediate species' (Dawkins' words) between man and any brute beast you care to name. So Dawkins asks the question: "Would these [intermediate] creatures 'count as human' or not?" Dawkins replies (p. 340) that only 'absolutists' "must answer the question, in order to apply the moral principle of granting humans unique and special status because they are human" (Dawkins puts the last four words in italics (p.340). Dawkins scorns this 'absolutist' position. He says: "To a consequentialist like me, the question doesn't deserve an answer, for nothing turns on it." Can Dawkins be really aware of what he is saying? He tells us that it doesn't matter if we are humans or brute beasts, "for nothing turns on it". Once again, this must be exploded for the absurdity that it is.
He goes on (p.340): "Even if a clear answer [as to whether a living being is a human or a brute beast] might be attempted for Australopithecus, the gradual continuity that is an inescapable feature of biological evolution [another glib assumption of Dawkins that he doesn't prove] tells us that there must be some intermediate who would lie sufficiently close to the 'borderline' to blur the moral principle and destroy its absoluteness. A better way to say this is that there are no natural borderlines in evolution. The illusion of a borderline is created by the fact that the evolutionary intermediates happen to be extinct. Of course, it could be argued that humans are more capable of, for example, suffering than other species. This could well be true, and we might legitimately give humans special status by virtue of it." (Understand what Dawkins is saying: the only reason that he can find for granting human beings any 'unique and special status' 'because they are human', is that the human may be more conscious of suffering than the brute beast. Dawkins continues: "But evolutionary continuity shows that there is no absolute (in italics) distinction." Yet again, an absurdity to be addressed and condemned.
Understand again what Dawkins is saying: There is no absolute distinction between human beings and brute beasts - or any other of the now-lost 'intermediate species'. He goes on: "Absolutist moral discrimination is devastatingly undermined by the fact of evolution. [I riposte: Exactly the opposite statement is true: 'The fact of evolution is devastatingly undermined by absolutist moral discrimination'.] An uneasy awareness of this fact might, indeed, underlie one of the main motives creationists have for opposing evolution: they fear what they believe to be its moral consequences. They are wrong to do so" [Are they really? Am I then free to judge Dawkins the same way that I judge a brute beast? Does Dawkins accept that it is acceptable for a human being to be a carnivore? Where do I draw the line in my choice of meat meals?] "but", Dawkins goes on, "in any case, it is surely very odd to think that a truth about the real world can be reversed by considerations of what would be morally desirable." Really? This is intolerable reasoning. It is not odd, it is essential, that what is 'morally desirable' must rule the world. Law and order would collapse otherwise. Murder and lying and stealing and adultery are 'truths about the real world'. Morality is a truth of the real world. Without 'morally desirable' judgments, which Dawkins' Darwinism considers to be impossible, the quiet world of scholarship (and even scholarship is impossible as a strict Darwinian evolution from matter) that Dawkins inhabits would collapse into sheer barbarism, '(human) nature red in tooth and claw'. Dawkins' philosophical ramblings here are simply derisory.
Ruse and Wilson, `respected giants in this field' of moral philosophy and science, find it "easy to conceive of an alien intelligent species evolving rules its members consider highly moral but which are repugnant to human beings, such as cannibalism, incest, the love of darkness and decay, parricide and the eating of faeces ... " (quoted in Latham's The Naked Emperor, pp, 154,155). Dawkins' reasoning above forces him to accept such a scenario as unobjectionable morally for us humans now.
Highly recommended. - Rated 
I started reading this book as an agnostic, amid warnings that Dawkins gets somewhat passionate towards the end of it. I disagree, though; although he does seem to go off on a tangent somewhat in the last two chapters, I don't believe he was unduly passionate; indeed, throughout the book he was impressively rational. In common with his other books, he sets out arguments one by one and refutes each of them in turn; in this case, he first refutes the tradition "proofs" of God's existence (Aquinas, et. al.), then demonstrates why God isn't necessary to explain the existence of life, the universe, and everything, possible reasons for religion to have come about, and finally why religion is not only superfluous, but actively harmful.
I suspect that most people of a religious nature will dismiss this book out of hand, which is unfortunate. However, to anyone who's on the fence, I highly recommend The God Delusion.
Theism cut up with surgical precision logic. - Rated
While I am inclined to agree with Dawkins that God is a Delusion, I think he can be arrogant and unnecessarily antagonistic to those who choose to belief. I also think Dawkins conflates religious extremism with religious norm whereas I would differentiate. I mean how many practising Muslims want to fly airplanes into buildings? How many Christians really think the world was made in six days? I also think his argument that religious norm causes religious extremism is extremly simplistic. I think it's a bit like saying national pride causes extreme nationalism. Far more blood has been spilled in the name of nationalism than religion, so should we also chuck out national pride and love of native culture also? The smart answer is it might just be easier to respect those we disagree with. I wonder is Dawkins doing that?
Dawkins regularly vents his frustrations at the way religious faith can dumb down the wonders of the universe to "I don't know, God did it!".
While I appreciate the sentiment, religious faith has manifested in practically every culture and in every corner of the globe for a reason. If people can't conquer their fears, anxieties and needs, a belief in God will have an appeal and will seem natural no matter how many logical arguments we have for there not being a God. Freud once said that humans will believe in God until they conquer the fear of death. Can Science provide a comfort for such a pain?
I have seen religious faith help people deal with death, I have seen it help activate a moral conscience. Like Voltaire, I think people believe because they need to believe and religion is a manifestation of the human condition. Where Dawkins is a militant atheist, I would be a liberal atheist. People can have their faith as long as they respect me or anyone who disagrees, I'll try to return the favour.
So I approached this book, with trepidation, feeling I was entering a mental battle of liberal versus militant. However, I was delighted to be so challenged, educated and mentally engaged from the very beginning to the very end. It's simply an excellant book, full of clearly put points, fired like sharpened darts, piercing hole after hole in all aspects of theological faith.
Some theologians, think evolution cannot fully explain human morality. Dawkins gives crystal clear evolutionary reasons why humans have morals, altruism, empathy and why we don't need a loving creator to explain any of them. In fact, there is experimental evidence that suggests that atheists and theists don't even differ on morality! Dawkins explains all brilliantly, referencing some really interesting thought experiments.
Throughout the book, his points are backed up with evidence and references. He even challenges atheists a number of times, for example:
1. Atheists should still know about the Bible. It's a major cultural edifice and literacy masterpiece. Parts of it, such as Sermon on the Mount were arguably well ahead of its time.
2. Parents should not indoctrinate their children. He includes atheists in this. Atheists should not label their children as atheists. How can any parent label their child as having a theological perspective when the child hasn't an iota of the various arguments on such a complicated subject matter?
My only criticism of this book would be:
1. Only a subest of theology is covered. Eastern Religions barely get a mention.
2. Although there are very few logical fallacies, there is the odd obvious one. He sights religious problems in Northern Ireland between Catholic and Protestants, but he omits that Northern Protestants and Southern Catholics have been playing rugby together for over one hundred years without any sectarian tension at all. This would suggest the problems derive from a combination of political problems, social problems and alternative religious groupings - not just alternative religious groupings.
3. Although the writting style is lucid, he is still antagonistic and arrogant. I really can't see many Christians or Theists reading this book and changing their mind. What Dawkins forgets is that many people adopt these positions out of fear and uncertainty. Is antagonizing them and their believes likely to make them think more logically about it or make them feel they are being misrepresented?
I think if he adopted a more compassionate approach, if he showed some humbleness and empathy he would connect to more people. But if he was diplomatic, would I have even heard of him?
Humans have never agreed on the God question and probably never will. So by no means is it a complete book, but no book on a such a complicated issue ever is. It is without doubt, fantastically engaging and extremly thought provoking. Unless you're very sensitive about your beliefs and really don't want to question them, read it and enjoy it.
More important than the Gideons - Rated
OK, so this is hard work in places, but then so was my Catholic upbringing and much of the standard "theological agruements and proofs". What Dawkins does in this book is make if fun and cool to be an atheist even in religious company. It takes the religious zealots off the high ground and makes them argue their case just like anyone else - and without the fellow debater being acused of "disrespecting" their religion simply by challening it.
Living as I do in a country (ireland) where 99.1% of the primary schools are controlled by religious, mostly christian, and mostly catholic religions, who defend their right to indoctrinate all children - this level of debate is long overdue. So read this book to arm yourself or perpare to defend yourself, but read this book.
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